All about the French balcony

The unique charm of European streets is largely due to the design of the facades with French balconies. Today this architectural element is becoming more and more popular with us, and its appearance can be both traditional and ultramodern.

A French balcony in its classic form is a structure without the balcony itself or with a minimum area. On the outside of the door of the balcony block, directly in its opening or slightly stepping back from it, a metal fence (most often forged) is fixed on a small balcony slab. This type of balcony is used on window openings, which are also called French - panoramic windows (doors) with glass sheets from floor to ceiling.

Recently, there has been a certain confusion and substitution of these concepts, and even ordinary full-size loggias or balconies, sheathed with a lightweight glass structure at full height, are sometimes called French, although if the balcony has a standard take-out, it is more correct to call this the way of glazing.

According to the architectural dictionary, the name of this structure is portfolio (from the French portefenêtre, where porte is a door and fenêtre is a window). The term is often found in the literature of the 18th-19th centuries, because the element itself was unusually common in the houses of the nobility, decorating and making their facades richer.

The Cambridge Dictionary gives its name to a similar construction - Juliet balcony describing it as "a very narrow balcony with vertical metal bars and window doors." According to legend, the founder of the beautiful name Shakespeare was inspired by the miniature balconies of old Verona.

Although, in addition to disputes about the identity of Shakespeare himself, historians are still trying to find out whether he ever visited Italy. But it turns out that he had heard a lot about the peculiarities of its architecture.

In general, such an element as a balcony was originally used to defend fiefdoms and monitor the movements of a potential enemy. The French version of this element emerged later. This invention appeared in medieval Europe and has several versions of its origin. According to one of them, the spread of French balconies was facilitated by the terrible situation with hygiene and the lack of urban sewerage.

Outwardly, the luxurious and aristocratic life of the Parisian nobility had a rather impartial seamy side, because slop and sewage poured onto the streets of the city right from the windows. For greater comfort, they began to make large glass stained-glass windows to the floor, and forged barriers ensured safety.

Apart from this not very decent version, you can find other reasons why the French balcony has acquired its characteristic appearance. The minimum size of the area for such balconies was due to the very narrow streets, because some of them were only a meter wide. Squeezed in these "stone bags", the townspeople tried to add more light to their homes by increasing the windows to the floor and decorate them with openwork lattices and fresh flowers.

The French balcony lends charm to the building's exterior and interior. It should be borne in mind that such a design has both advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

• visual expansion of the space of the room, when the border between the interior and the external landscape is erased;
• more daylight and energy savings;
• installation of the fence does not require labor-intensive installation with welding;
• saving on cladding and finishing of the inner part of the balcony and thermal insulation of the structure;
• various decoration possibilities;
• non-standard appearance.

Minuses:

• high cost of high-quality heat-saving and noise-proof panoramic glass unit;
• decorating with flowers in most of the territory of Russia is possible only in the summer, and the absence of a window sill will not allow them to be installed from the inside;
• placing such a balcony on the sunny side of the facade requires additional shading so that heat does not penetrate into the room, and furniture, paintings and interior items do not fade from the sun;
• the area of ​​cleaning glass surfaces increases;
• lack of privacy - if such a balcony is installed on the lower floors or opposite another “window-to-window” house, your interior space will be publicly displayed.

Competing with the full-size version, the classic small French balcony loses outright in terms of usable space. Unfortunately, you won't be able to use it to store a removable set of tires, tool boxes or install a tumble dryer on it. Sunbathing and relaxing on it will not work either. In fact, we just have a balcony door with an external railing.

But, being indoors, you can see that the solid glazing and the absence of a solid parapet in the French version gives more daylight and opens up a wonderful panoramic view. The grill height can be different, but it is always light and transparent.

Today, ordinary balconies in typical houses look, of course, more attractive than their predecessors in "Khrushchev" or old panel houses. Sheathed in somehow different materials: siding, slate, plywood - I would like to leave this legacy of Soviet times in the past forever. If we talk about French glazing, then it raises the aesthetics of the balcony to a whole new level - the outwardly light and transparent structure looks at least clean and stimulates to keep the glazed space in perfect order.

In modern houses of elite buildings, more and more often there is no place for a traditional balcony - panoramic glazed warm balconies are massively projected. But the French balcony is actively used by designers.

The types of such balconies can be classified depending on the size of the site: it is either completely absent, or protrudes slightly from the wall (its average size is about 30-50 cm), allowing one person to step on it or comfortably place flower boxes and flowerpots. The shape of the protrusion in the historically established tradition is semicircular, but rectangular is also often found.

Different appearance and functionality provide constructive solution of a double-glazed window. It can be made with hinged leaves, with fixed glazing, divided into segments, fully or partially opened.

Varieties of balcony railing:

• forged lattice parapet of the most varied design;
• simpler fences made of square or round pipes (ferrous metal, stainless steel, aluminum);
• fences made of thick tempered glass in combination with metal elements;
• the balcony can be without additional fencing at all, then only the upper sashes open at the glazing.

To accommodate a French balcony on an already inhabited multi-storey building Permits will be required, sometimes including a vote of all apartment owners in the building. An inconsistent installation can result in a large fine and a dismantling requirement. If the balcony was not provided at all and it is supposed to make it by increasing the window opening and installing a fence, such a redevelopment in the apartment affects the appearance of the wall.

Architectural oversight agencies are quite strict about such liberties. And if the house is listed in the register of architectural monuments or is located in a historically established ensemble, the task becomes almost impossible.

Difficulties can also arise with new homes. Each new building has a coordinated facade design project that cannot be changed.

Assuming the installation of a French balcony, it is necessary to take into account the technological side. If the glazing is placed on an existing balcony slab, then, for example, in a "Khrushchev" five-story building or an old panel house, they are not designed for a sufficiently heavy weight of a metal-plastic package, which means that permission can only be obtained for a light aluminum profile, and the site will need to be strengthened.

When designing a cottage, the customer is involved in the process and, in cooperation with the architect, can embody any of his wishes on paper and at the construction stage, including the placement of a French balcony. In a private house, no approvals are required, the main thing is to attract professionals and correctly calculate the load on the structure.

Finishing a French balcony should take into account such an important characteristic in our climate as the heat saving of a balcony door. The warmer the glass unit, the heavier it is, because the increased number of cameras allows it to be insulated. In southern areas, a lightweight aluminum profile is a good choice.

In places with increased wind load and on the last floors of modern high-rises, it is better to place not a solid glass sheet, but divided into sections, this will help to avoid windage. Expensive frameless glazing looks especially airy, but it is not very practical.

The glass itself can be transparent, matte, tinted, or these options can be combined. Perfect for protection from prying eyes glass with one-sided transparency. Sometimes the lower sections are covered with sandwich panels or foil is glued on.

A modern French balcony is no longer only forged floral patterns of graceful lattices, although thousands of options are also possible with this design. True blacksmithing masters are able to create unique ornaments, transforming a purely functional structural element into an object of art. On a typical brick or panel building, such pretentiousness and luxury, of course, is alien.

Such a balcony will look appropriate on a cottage or on the facade of a building in a classical style in harmony with other architectural elements: columns, pylons, cornices, plaster moldings. The forging can be slightly touched by gold paint, further enhancing the decorative effect.

Metal grilles of strict laconic forms will fit most buildings. The neutral design of such a balcony does not attract too much attention. An interesting solution could be the placement of such fences on the windows, which will create a single ensemble of the entire facade. Today, office buildings are often decorated in this way, where a balcony is absolutely not in demand as a recreation area or a place for storing something, but as a way to fill offices with additional daylight, it will be very useful.

The interior of the room itself should also overlap with the solution of the balcony group. If the balcony is made with a baroque patterned fence, it will be strange to see behind it a room in a cold minimalist style with clean straight lines and monochromatic surfaces.

The usual way to decorate a small balcony space is boxes and pots of flowers. Despite the tradition, floristic compositions are always pleasing to the eye and do not become boring. Even in cloudy weather, bright colors of plants will create a good mood. On the grates, special devices are made for installing hanging pots. Climbing plants beautifully braid the perimeter of the entire fence. Of course, it is necessary to ensure that all containers are well secured so as not to endanger passers-by.

In European cities, residents like to sit at the open door of such a balcony with a cup of coffee in the morning or with a glass of wine in the evening, watching the bustle of the streets. The exit to the balcony can be decorated with wall lanterns on both sides of the glass. A cozy image of a country veranda will create a light awning awning, and it is also an excellent solution for shading on the south side of the building.

Since ancient times in Europe, windows and balcony doors were closed from the outside with shutters. Modern options for protection from sunlight and prying eyes - roman and roll curtains, curtains, blinds. It is important that they can be easily lifted or moved. When the space is open from floor to ceiling, patterned and patterned curtains can look clumsy from the street. It is better to choose plain fabrics.

• An idea rich in decor: shutters, stucco moldings, a twisted lattice and a complex arched opening.

• Simple fencing and unobtrusive decoration on the facade.

• Very beautiful stucco molding and a classic semicircular fence.

• A truly royal façade.

• The antique lantern is made in the same style with black wrought-iron fences.

• Baroque building.

• Coffee and croissants by the open French balcony - a typical Parisian morning.

• The view of the Eiffel Tower is priceless!

• French balcony in an ordinary Parisian bathroom.

• Graceful grille.

• The view may not be the best, but the details create the mood.

• Hinged laconic doors and a simple fence, because the main thing here is the beautiful landscape outside the window.

• House in Yalta and, of course, sea views. The undulating lines of the railing support the nautical theme.

• The classic "pot-bellied" basket-grid in a non-trivial color.

• A modern interpretation of the classics is a worthy work of art forging masters, a beautiful binding of the door.

• The opening of the balcony door is decorated with wall lamps.

• Ornate Moorish façade with French balcony in the bay window.

From the following video, you will learn the common mistakes and difficulties that arise after improper installation of a French balcony.