Balcony in a private house: types, device and design

A private house with two floors today is often complemented by a balcony. The balcony structure is conceived as a place of relaxation, where you can relax and forget about pressing matters for a while. In this article, we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of these structures, their varieties, location options and note the aspects of finishing.

Someone thinks that a balcony in a private or country house is a non-functional element, because in order to get into the fresh air, it is enough to go outside. However, balcony structures have a number of advantages.

• Regardless of the shape and size, the balcony complements the dwelling, expands one of its rooms, increasing the usable area. This is especially important when the house itself is small.
• It can become a means of privacy, it can be used for various premises (mini-office, hookah, greenhouse, recreation area, bedroom, playroom, summer dining room).
• The structure can differ in width, length, shape, size of windows. It improves architecture, makes the facade expressive and voluminous.
• Its construction can be profitable. Along with others, the balcony can serve as a bay window roof, terrace or porch.
• The balcony space opens up a view of the neighborhood to the household, and if the house is located in a beautiful place, everyone will want to spend as much time here as possible, enjoying nature.
• The balcony can be used for evacuation in case of fire. If during a fire it is impossible to go down to the exit, you can get to the balcony and call for help.
• The balcony provides access to fresh air, in the summer it can be used as a solarium, a place for drying clothes, here you can sit down to sleep if it is stuffy inside the room.
• With the right approach to the design of the balcony space, this room will give the home not only external attractiveness, but also an atmosphere of home comfort.
• A rational approach to arranging the balcony area will relieve the interior of the home.

Along with the advantages, balconies built in private houses have several disadvantages.

• The construction of this structure should be included in the project plan at the stage of construction of a private house. Attaching a balcony to an erected house is expensive and time-consuming.
• The construction requires detailed calculations, taking into account the maximum permissible weight on the balcony "slab". The construction should be done by professionals.
• Not all types of balconies in private houses provide for operation during the cold season. Cleaning the snow, getting the balcony floor wet, and the heat can cause certain inconveniences to household members.
• Depending on the type, the balcony has to be regularly treated with special substances, otherwise rotting of the railings, support beams and pillars cannot be avoided.
• In the room adjacent to the balcony, the risk of heat loss increases. In order for the extension to be only useful, the conduct of all work must be rational.
• In order for the balcony to be used to the maximum extent, it is necessary to choose the right location for its placement. If it faces the road, the structure will rarely be used.

All existing types of balconies can be conditionally combined into 2 groups: open and closed. An open structure is nothing more than a base plate with a fence. The closed balcony is distinguished by the presence of glazing. Each type has its own characteristics, which determines the type of operation and the level of comfort. An open balcony is a structure that is used most of the summer.

Its fence can be different, but it does not save the space from rain, wind and heat. You should not put upholstered furniture here, as it will get wet in bad weather. As a rule, the size of the fence does not exceed the size of the base plate and balcony opening.

You can use such a balcony in a private house for a summer dining room, solarium, summer recreation area. In order to increase the level of safety, here you have to pay a lot of attention to the fence.

A closed or glazed balcony significantly increases the possibilities for rational use of the extension. This is already a full-fledged room, which, if desired, can be insulated and used as one of the living rooms of the house. Of course, there is no such openness and air as traditional balconies, but it still has many advantages. A closed balcony can be used as a room for any purpose, including a play area.

Here you can install upholstered furniture from any material (including frameless and modular). The walls of such a room can be decorated with paintings or photographs in simple frames. Here you can use decorative stone, brick veneers, hang clocks, panels, fresh flowers on the walls. In such extensions, shelving, built-in wardrobes, various banquettes, fireplaces and kitchen benches look great.

Balconies for private houses are built from different materials. The main criteria for their selection are strength and durability.... Most often, concrete and wood are used in construction. The device of a concrete balcony has its own characteristics: the supporting structures are recessed into the wall. The thicker the wall, the fewer auxiliary supports will be required.

The outreach of such a balcony is usually at least 1 m in length.When the house itself is made of bricks, the base slab is inserted into the wall for its entire length. The height of the railing of such a balcony should be at least 1 m. The concrete base must be waterproofed, the upper level of the slab is brought up 5-7 cm below the floor covering.

A wooden balcony is considered less durable than a concrete one. However, its decorative possibilities are quite high. In addition, wood goes well with any finishing material, including glass and metal. Balcony railings can be forged, with various openwork patterns. When constructing such balconies, beams with a section of 10x20 cm are used.

Beams in a stone facade are laid to a depth of more than 25 cm. They are fastened with bolts or metal corners. Vertically arranged racks with a section of 4x10 cm, as well as longitudinal boards of 5x10 cm, are attached to the console. The floor is laid, handrails are erected. When constructing balconies made of wood, it is imperative that the wood is processed with special compounds.

An open balcony needs additional options. One of them is the so-called awning or awning. Depending on the type, the structure can become a summer roof or a folding awning that protects the space from the scorching rays of the summer sun or rain. Products of this plan can be laconic and complex, some of them, if necessary, can be rolled into a cassette or hidden under a visor.

Suspended structures are made of slate, ondulin, polycarbonate, corrugated board, as well as metal tiles. Hinged systems differ in their characteristics. Some of them are capable of suppressing noise levels, while others are more durable and immune to ultraviolet radiation. Visors can differ in design and in addition to variations of the awning, they can be single, gable, domed and arched.

Single-slope options are considered the simplest and most budgetary. Their angle of inclination is formed by triangular brackets to which the roof is attached. Gable counterparts are more complex, they look like a gable roof, they are good for an angle-type balcony. A distinctive feature of these modifications is their strength and resistance to bad weather, which will solve the problem of snow accumulation on the roof.

The awnings are designed in such a way that they do not allow icicles and snow layers to collect over the balcony structure. They are quite variable in design and engineering solutions and have many advantages. Dome canopies are considered expensive, but they are more difficult to work with.

The location of the balcony in a private house can be different. The structure can be erected:

• on one of the main facades, where it will be sheltered from precipitation by a frontal overhang;
• on the second floor, along the side facade;
• on the main facade above the porch;
• under the roof of the second floor in the attic;
• in the roof slope on the attic floor.

The balcony can be located above the terrace, it can be part of the room. Sometimes the interior implies its partial combination with the adjacent room. As a result, such projects can significantly increase the interior planning possibilities. It is undesirable to build a balcony on the side that faces north. As a rule, such rooms are already dark, and together with a balcony they will seem like a kingdom of darkness.

The balcony located in the roof can be front and roof. Variants of these types are protruding and recessed, similar to a small terrace. In addition, the balcony can be a "balcony-window" extension.

In the installation of a roof-type balcony extension, an opening is created in the roof itself, doors or a doorway are mounted. They create side walls, insulate the attic floor, waterproof it, then pull it together. The balcony window has sashes, one of which is a railing, and the other serves as a canopy. Due to the hinges, the lower sash can perform translational movements or be fixed in a given position.

The design of the balcony can be very diverse. The design of the balcony space can be an ordinary open one, with wrought iron railings, as well as French, which is a glazed balcony with large windows. In fact, this is a balcony, the windows of which are at the same time the walls of the balcony space. This design looks unusual and stylish, but it cannot be called practical. Large windows have to be cleaned more often due to the large amount of dust and dirt on the glass surface of the openings themselves.

The external view of the balcony largely determines the aesthetics of the entire dwelling, although not every owner believes that finishing it from the outside is necessary. Plastic, PVC clapboard, panels and vinyl siding are used as outside cladding. Materials can vary in the type of fastening, external characteristics and price.

Railings of open balconies can be wood carved, in addition, railings are made of stone, forged and stainless steel, plastic and glass. Compositions can be combined; cast iron and aluminum are also used in production. The type of material is selected taking into account compatibility with the facade itself, because it is necessary to emphasize the general style in which the architectural structure is made.

Internal walls can be wooden, painted, concrete, veneered. In concrete structures, there are more opportunities for decorating the balcony space, because the tree shrinks during the entire service life. Depending on the desire and design idea, the walls (or one of them) can be designated with wallpaper, plastic panels, plaster, veneers, clinker and decorative stone.

The floor can be wooden, sometimes it is covered with carpet, somewhere it is finished with tiles with an anti-slip effect. Inside, they put compact furniture or wall-type furniture elements with a folding function.

We offer 10 interesting ideas for the interior design of the balcony of a private or country house.

• An example of a beautifully decorated balcony space in light colors.

• Interior option of the extension in natural colors.

• A design project in a modern style, embodied on the balcony of a private house.

• French balcony of a private house with an abundance of air.

• An example of arranging a balcony space with the creation of a cozy corner.

• The project of creating a compact recreation area on the balcony.

• The embodiment of modern trends in the arrangement on the balcony of a private house.

• An example of the rational use of furniture in the interior of a small space.

• Balcony extension of a country house with decorative stone.

• Balcony space zoning with an unobtrusive interior.