Balcony Door: Varieties, Material, Features Of The Device And Operation

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

Balcony door: features of selection and installation

Only a properly installed balcony door can effectively protect the house from the cold. The peculiarity of balcony doors is that they are usually transparent, this is necessary for the normal flow of light into the room. In modern doors, instead of ordinary glass, the same double-glazed windows are installed as on the windows, which allows you to effectively save heat in the apartment.

Content

• 1 Varieties of balcony doors

  • 1.1 Photo gallery: types of balcony doors

  • 1.2 Types of balcony doors by material of manufacture

    • 1.2.1 Wooden balcony doors
    • 1.2.2 Plastic doors for the balcony
    • 1.2.3 Glass balcony doors
    • 1.2.4 Combined balcony doors

  • 1.3 Types of balcony doors by their design

    • 1.3.1 Double balcony doors
    • 1.3.2 Balcony double-leaf doors
    • 1.3.3 Sliding doors to the balcony
    • 1.3.4 Balcony accordion doors
    • 1.3.5 Panoramic balcony doors
    • 1.3.6 Sliding doors to the balcony
• 2 Dimensions of doors for the balcony

• 3 Installation of doors for the balcony

  3.1 Video: installation of a balcony door

• 4 Features of operation

• 5 Accessories for balcony doors

  5.1 Video: choosing fittings for plastic doors

Varieties of balcony doors

In order for you to be able to choose the right balcony door, you first need to deal with its varieties, find out the features of each option, its advantages and disadvantages.

Balcony doors differ in their location relative to the window: they can be integral with it and located on the left or right side, as well as be a separate element.

The balcony door can be located to the left, right of the window or be in the middle

Also, balcony doors have different opening mechanisms:

• the swing mechanism is traditional, therefore the most popular;
• the sliding mechanism is convenient to use on small balconies;
• the swing mechanism is most often used in small apartments;
• swing-out doors can be additionally opened for ventilation mode.

By the type of construction, balcony doors can be single or double leaf. Various materials are used for their manufacture: wood, plastic, glass, aluminum.

Photo gallery: types of balcony doors

Combined balcony door provides excellent thermal insulation

Double doors allow large items to be taken out onto the balcony

Sliding balcony doors save space

Glass panoramic doors allow a lot of light to enter

Stained glass windows in balcony doors look exquisite

Types of balcony doors by material of manufacture

The functionality and service life of a balcony door will largely depend on the material from which it is made. Consider the features of structures made of various materials, their advantages and disadvantages.

Wooden balcony doors

Wood is an environmentally friendly and safe material, but how practical will such doors be? People who love everything natural believe that a wooden door will be the most correct solution. They are guided by the fact that such designs have a chic appearance and are environmentally friendly.

In order for a wooden balcony door to serve reliably, only dry, high-quality wood and modern double-glazed windows are used for its manufacture

But despite the presentable appearance, wooden balcony doors have one serious drawback - after a while they dry out and their functionality decreases, after which they poorly protect the room from the cold.

If you decide to use wooden doors on the balcony or loggia, then they must be additionally insulated. This is done at the points of attachment of double-glazed windows, as well as at the joints of the door frame. The simplest option would be to use self-adhesive tape. In order for the door to blend in with the interior of the room, decorative upholstery materials are used that match the design of the room.

Plastic doors for the balcony

The championship among balcony doors is confidently occupied by plastic structures, they are also PVC doors. This is due to the optimal balance of characteristics such as quality and price. In addition, plastic doors are practical, convenient to use and have a beautiful appearance.

A plastic balcony door is a modern solution that not only reliably protects the room from the cold, but also has a beautiful appearance, low cost

Among the shortcomings of PVC structures, some experts note their relative fragility, but it all depends on compliance with the rules of operation and maintenance. If you inspect them on time, if necessary, change fittings and canvases, then such doors will serve you for more than a dozen years.

Glass balcony doors

Glass doors to the balcony in an apartment are not very common, usually creative people choose this solution. Most often they are installed in cafes or offices, as they allow you to better attract customers.

The following materials can be used to create a glass balcony door:

• triplex;
• plexiglass;
• polycarbonate.

The materials described are transparent, but their strength is much higher than that of ordinary glass, so they are safer. If glass is used, it is pre-tempered, which greatly increases its strength and can withstand higher loads.

The glass door to the balcony is a modern and unusual solution that allows you to transform any apartment

There are two options for the design of such structures: frame and frameless. To create a frame, steel, aluminum, plastic or fiberglass are used. In the frameless version, there is no frame; instead, fiberglass filler and polymer binders are used.

The advantage of this option is that the room turns out to be light, its dimensions visually increase, glass is an environmentally friendly material. The disadvantage of a glass balcony door is its high cost and low thermal insulation performance, so it is recommended to install them only on glazed balconies. And also such doors are difficult to install, which is unlikely to be done on your own.

Combined balcony doors

A popular solution is to install combination doors. In this case, the lower part is usually made of PVC or wood, and double-glazed windows are installed on top. Thus, the bottom of the door protects the room well from the penetration of cold, and the transparent upper part lets in a sufficient amount of light into the apartment.

Combined doors can have a panel or panel structure. The main advantage of the combined structures is their low cost, and the surface coating with veneer or laminated panels of the required shade allows you to select doors for any interior.

The combined structure is usually made of wood or plastic at the bottom, and the upper part is a glass unit

The main disadvantage of combined balcony doors is that the buyer cannot check the filling that is inside, namely, the strength, sound and heat insulation characteristics of the structure depend on it.

Types of balcony doors by their design

The choice of a balcony door design depends on the size and shape of the opening in the wall, as well as on your preferences and financial capabilities. There are several types of doors, differing in design features, and each of them has both pros and cons.

More recently, there was practically no alternative to traditional swing structures. But now there are sliding, sliding, panoramic doors on the market, you can install accordion doors.

Double balcony doors

This solution can be implemented both in an apartment or house, and in offices. The double door has a special design - two leaves that are parallel to each other. Such doors were often installed in old buildings, but they have not lost their popularity even now.

The double door consists of two canvases located parallel to each other

The presence of two door leaves allows you to better keep warm in the house, so such doors can be installed on an unglazed balcony. The disadvantage of this design is that each door leaf has its own fittings, the purchase of which will have to spend twice as much money.

Balcony double-leaf doors

In old houses, only a single balcony door was installed, but the modern layout of the apartments allows the use of shtulp or double-leaf models. Such a design consists of two leaves, most often one of them remains deaf, and the second is used, but both halves can be made opening.

If only one sash opens, then all the fittings are installed on it. When both sashes open, shtulp fittings are installed, which makes the structure more expensive. The advantage of the double-leaf version is that you can take out-of-the-box furniture or other large items onto the balcony.

The double-leaf door allows not only to go out to the balcony normally, but also to take out dimensional objects there

Since each half of a double-leaf door is smaller than a single-leaf one, less stress is created on the hardware, which increases its service life. The disadvantage of this design is that for its installation, an opening is required, the width of which is at least 90 cm. The upper bolt on the sash is located high, therefore, if it is necessary to fully open the doors, it will be difficult to reach it.

Due to the fact that such a structure has a large glass area, it better lets light into the room. This allows you to visually increase the space, which is especially important for rooms that face north.

Sliding doors to the balcony

Such structures allow you to remove the obstacle, so the room expands and fills with sunlight. Installing a sliding balcony door gives the apartment a modern look. This solution allows you to make the apartment respectable, and also saves space when opening and closing doors. Sliding doors can be opened in parallel or folded out like windows.

Since the structure has a significant weight, it is necessary to take a powerful and reliable profile. Most of such a door consists of glass, so you need to choose modern and high-quality double-glazed windows that have good thermal insulation characteristics.

Sliding doors do not take up space when opened, giving the room a modern look

Wooden doors require more care and attention than plastic options. Laminated PVC structures have embodied the practicality and reliability of plastic, as well as the beauty of natural wood.

Sliding doors can be tilt-and-slide type, they are lightweight, provide good tightness and thermal insulation. You can ventilate the room without opening the door for this.

The lift-and-slide design has large dimensions, such doors move along the rails installed on the ceiling and floor. When you turn the knob, the blade rises and moves to the side. This allows you to create robust structures up to 2.5 m wide.

Balcony doors-accordion

This option resembles an accordion when opening the door leaf. Despite the design features, such doors have insufficient tightness and therefore can be used on a glazed balcony. The characteristics of the door will depend on the quality of the fittings and seals used.

The accordion door allows you to close a large opening, but it is better to install it on glazed balconies, since its tightness is low

The main advantage of such doors is that they take up little space, as they fold like a fan. They are used in large openings, the width of which can be up to 6 m. Compared to other door designs, these will have worse tightness.

Panoramic balcony doors

Panoramic doors can be of different designs: sliding, swing, in the form of an accordion. The frame can be made of plastic, aluminum, wood.

The main advantage of this solution is the presence of a large amount of sunlight in the room. It is necessary to provide blinds or curtains, since the room will be very hot in summer.

Panoramic balcony door - a modern solution that allows you to enjoy the view from the window

A beautiful panoramic view that can be enjoyed at any time of the year. For greater comfort, the door is equipped with a thermal break and warm glazing. This construction provides a stylish design, it emphasizes the refined taste of the apartment owners and their financial situation. Among the disadvantages of this design, it is worth noting its high cost, the complexity of installation and maintenance.

Sliding doors to the balcony

Often people confuse sliding and sliding doors, believe that they are one and the same. In fact, the peculiarity of sliding doors is in their name. They have wheels with which they open, and the weight of the canvas falls on them. This provides a rigid and reliable support. Sliding doors have only an upper rail, which negatively affects their performance.

Thanks to the support wheels, the service life of sliding doors is much longer than that of sliding structures. In the process of their work, there are no problems, they do not warp and do not jam. This design is much quieter during opening and closing.

The presence of a lower guide and support wheels makes the design of sliding doors more reliable and durable

Their disadvantage is that the lower guide creates certain inconveniences, as it interferes with walking and dirt collects in it. Low thermal insulation properties do not allow installing sliding doors on an unglazed balcony. Pictures, shelves, etc. must not be hung on the wall next to the door.

Balcony door dimensions

GOST 11214–86 indicates what should be the dimensions of doors for a balcony. In old houses, the width of the doorway is only 61 cm. This allows you to pass through the doors normally, but it will not work to carry large things.

In modern apartments, the size of the window block has increased significantly. Now the width of the door opening is 70–90 cm, and its height is from 2 to 2.2 m.

Standard width, height and thickness of the balcony door provide:

• in total with the window, sufficient illumination of the room;
• repeated use and durability, which are provided by the rigidity of the structure;
• thermal insulation of the room;
• the possibility of ventilation of the room with open doors.

If you decide to make doors to order or purchase them yourself, then you need to correctly measure. Dimensions are taken from the outside and from the inside, they do it in several places. In addition to such parameters as the width and height of the balcony door, its thickness is also of great importance; according to existing standards, it should be 75 mm.

Installation of doors for the balcony

Before you start installing a balcony door, you first need to make the right measurements, purchase the necessary materials and tools. The most popular are plastic doors, so consider the process of installing them. To complete the work you will need:

• measuring instruments;
• level;
• puncher;
• plumb line;
• knife;
• fasteners;
• a hammer.

How to install a balcony door:

1. Dismantling the old door. Carefully remove the old structure and thoroughly clean the doorway from plaster. To avoid dust, the surface is covered with a primer.

   

   During dismantling, it is necessary to carefully remove the remnants of the plaster so that they do not interfere with the correct installation of the new door

2. Preparing a plastic door. Before starting installation, it must be disassembled. It will be easier to carry out the installation when the canvas is removed from the box and the double-glazed windows are pulled out of it.

   

   When the door leaf is separated from the door frame and the glass unit is removed, it is much easier to install the door and less likely to damage the glass

3. Door frame installation. For this, the plastic door kit includes fasteners. On the inside of the box there are special grooves into which the brackets are installed. For fastening with anchors, a hole is made in the canvas, it is much easier and faster, but the appearance of the door will be spoiled. At least three fasteners are installed on each side.

   

   When installing the door frame, it is necessary to strictly observe both the verticality and the horizontalness of its installation.

4. Installation of the canvas. First, the canvas is placed on the lower canopy. The door is closed, while the parts of the upper hinge must coincide, when this happened, they are connected with a pin.

   

   After the canvas is installed on the lower canopy, the upper loops should match, and then they are fixed with a pin

5. Sealing the door block. After you have checked with the help of a level the correctness of the installation of the door frame and fixed it well, and also installed the door leaf, the opening between it and the wall is filled with polyurethane foam.

   

   After the polyurethane foam has solidified, it must be protected from the negative influence of external factors, under the influence of which the material quickly loses its thermal insulation properties

Video: installation of a balcony door

Features of operation

In order for the balcony doors to function normally for a long period, they must be properly operated and serviced on time:

• periodically lubricate the moving parts of the fittings with technical vaseline and inspect them;
• clean drainage holes;
• inspect the condition of the seals and lubricate them with grease.

Care of the profile consists in periodically cleaning it from dirt; for this, special products or soapy water are used. The fittings must be protected from dirt and staining. Rubber seals must be cleaned of dirt and wiped with a special agent twice a year. This will preserve their elasticity and water repellency.

Accessories for balcony doors

If plastic doors are mounted on the balcony, then usually a separate lock and lever handle are not installed for them. The same fittings are used as for windows. In this case, the quality of the fittings is of great importance, since the doors are heavier, and the load on the hinges, handles and locks will be greater.

To ensure better tightness, balcony doors are equipped with a middle hold-down. This prevents cold air from entering the room. For the same purposes, a porch and a balcony latch are used.

Hardware used on balcony doors:

1. Balcony latch. It serves to fix the doors when a person goes to the balcony. Its presence allows, although it is leaky, but to close the doors and while the person is on the balcony, the heat will not leave the room.

   

   Balcony latch allows you to fix doors when a person is on the balcony

2. Double-sided handle. This device allows you to close the doors tightly. It is not recommended to use it on the first floors, as it is an additional opportunity for thieves to enter the premises. For more reliable protection of the house from burglars, you can purchase a double-sided handle with a lock.

   

   The presence of a double-sided handle allows you to open doors both from the outside and from the inside

3. Mosquito net. This is a very popular balcony door accessory. It keeps insects, dirt and fluff out of the room. For ease of use, you can purchase a mosquito net in the form of a door, which is mounted on hinges and has its own handle for fixing and opening. This is a more convenient option than just a net, which will have to be removed and reinserted each time you exit to the balcony.

   

   The mosquito net reliably protects the apartment from both insects and dirt, fluff

4. Double-glazed window. Usually it is used the same as on windows. To normally protect the house from extraneous sounds and cold, it must have at least two cameras.

   

   If the balcony is glazed, then you can use a single-chamber double-glazed window in the doors, and if not, then a two-chamber is better

5. Threshold. To create it, use a part of an ordinary window sill. This plastic is strong enough to support a person's weight and is warmer than a concrete threshold. In order for the plastic threshold to withstand a large weight, it must be installed correctly, there should be no voids under it.

   

   The presence of a threshold does not allow cold air to enter the room

6. Retaining devices. They are mounted on the floor or on the wall and do not allow the doors to swing wide open, and also fix them in a certain position.

7. Door hinges. Although the weight of a plastic door is less than a wooden one, in order for it not to sag and work reliably, it is necessary to install powerful hinges and adjust them correctly. Basic requirements for door hinges:

   • reliable fixing of doors;
   • the presence of the ability to adjust in height and horizontally;
   • they must be durable;

   • the set includes a pin, a connecting sleeve, fasteners and a special insert.

     

     The quality of the door hinges will determine how comfortable and convenient it is to use the doors, as well as their service life.

8. Automatic door closers. These are special devices that allow you to smoothly close the doors without your participation. They can be installed both at the top and at the bottom of the door, but there are closers that hide in the end of the door leaf. The closer has the ability to adjust the closing speed.

   

   Automatic door closers prevent doors from closing abruptly

9. Locks. They serve to protect the apartment from thieves. Locking devices can be:

   • cylindrical - the most common option;
   • levers - a more reliable option;
   • multi-point - have locking hooks or pins;

   • electronic - opened with a chip card or remote control.

     

     Home safety depends on the reliability and quality of door locks

Video: choosing fittings for plastic doors

When choosing a balcony door, one must take into account its purpose, room area and interior design features. In addition, you need to familiarize yourself with the possible door options, their features, advantages and disadvantages, after which you can make the right choice.