Balcony handles: overview of varieties and design options

It would seem that the balcony handle is such an insignificant element in the interior of the room. But this is not the case. Like any decorative element, a handle for a balcony door must be chosen carefully so that it fits the overall style of the room and is easy to use. We are used to seeing an ordinary white handle on the balcony. But the choice does not stop there, because there are so many types of balcony handles that differ in color, shape and design. Let's take a look at their main types.

Before you buy a door handle for the balcony, you need to decide what functions this accessory should perform. Let's consider some selection criteria.

• Reliability. Some people very often use a balcony or loggia, so it is very important that the fittings are quite strong (a high-quality device is designed for 20,000 turns). In addition, condensation often collects, which can destroy a poor-quality attribute.
• Resistant to temperatures. It is clear that there are constant temperature drops on the balcony, so it is necessary that the handle is made of a resistant material. In addition, the fittings should not injure themselves at high or low temperatures (in summer - the handle is hot, and in winter - cold).
• Security. If you live on the first or second floor (or in a private house), then additional protection of the balcony from intruders is required. For this, it is worth choosing models equipped with a lock. And also recently they began to produce such pens that are blocked when trying to break.
• Thermal insulation. The door to the balcony should be tightly closed to prevent the penetration of cold into the room in the winter.Therefore, choose high-quality models with special locking mechanisms (latch or magnet).
• Ease of use. To make it convenient to get to the loggia, for example, to hang clothes, you need to choose door handles without complex mechanisms.

Today there are many types of balcony handles, so choosing the right one is not difficult. Let's consider the main types of mechanisms.

• One-sided. The most popular and easiest to use snap-on model. Its main disadvantage is that it is impossible to open the door from the other side (but this is also an advantage, since it protects against penetration from the outside). But such a handle allows you to put the door for ventilation and micro-ventilation.

• Double-sided symmetrical. With such a handle, you can open the door from the inside and outside, since there are two handles. But it has two significant drawbacks: the door has no penetration protection; as the balcony door opens with an overlap, there is not enough room for a standard handle.

• Bilateral asymmetric. This double model is similar to the previous one, but it differs in that the handle on the balcony itself has a non-standard appearance (smaller and narrower or even has a different shape). Therefore, there is no difficulty in using.

• Shell handle. This handle differs in that it is not associated with a closing mechanism. Most often it is installed outside the loggia so that it is easy to interact with it (to open it, just pull it). It is made of metal, a similar model is a plastic petal handle.

• Locked handles with anti-vandal mechanism. If you live on the first or second floor (or own a terrace), then you need to take care of burglary protection. In this case, you will be helped by special handles equipped with protective mechanisms, which were mentioned at the beginning. The model with a lock can be locked with a key from both sides or from one.

When choosing a handle for a balcony, first of all, you need to focus on the requirements mentioned earlier, and then on your own preferences. It is equally important to choose high-quality models that will last a long time. The quality depends on several indicators: the material of the product, the manufacturer, the constituent elements.

Balcony door handles also differ in the type of latch. This mechanism allows the door to be locked and opened by gently pulling on the handle. There are such types of latches as:

• roller - classic fittings that we are used to seeing on a regular door frame;
• magnetic latch consists of two parts - a metal and a magnetic plate (or two magnets), which allow you to silently fix the door;
• latch it is also often used in fixing ordinary doors, but as you can see, it is also used on the balcony; the only drawback is that the door closes noisily.

The most common material for balcony handles is plastic. And this is understandable, because this material is resistant to temperature extremes, wear-resistant and cheap. In addition, such handles are often produced with additional locking mechanisms (lock). Fiberglass is a cheaper material, but less durable than plastic. In addition, fiberglass balcony door handles are different in appearance: shape and color.

The metal-plastic handles are sturdier than conventional plastic handles. They are metal products covered with quality plastic. Such devices last much longer, do not corrode much, are convenient to use, but cost more. Balcony handles made of metal (aluminum alloys, steel, brass) are particularly durable. They are resistant to temperature and corrosion, different in shape (classic, shell, vertical handle), various shades, low weight.But there is also a drawback: if the pen is not covered with paint, then touching it will be uncomfortable (too hot or cold).

One of the main criteria for choosing balcony fittings is the manufacturer. It is best to choose products from German companies, because it is Germany that is famous for the quality of tools. Well-known manufacturing companies: Schuring, Roto, Siegenia, Rehau. And also the good quality of Polish fittings differs from such well-known companies as Maco, Medos, Evras. Chinese and domestic fittings are much cheaper, but the quality suffers.

Most often, metal-plastic and metal handles are presented in black, white, gold, bronze, brown and silver colors. The most diverse in design are fiberglass handles, you can find these accessories in a variety of shades, with patterns and patterns, with imitation of wood, marble. Do not neglect the quality of balcony fittings, because your safety depends on it.

For information on the types of balcony handles, see the next video.