New apartments are becoming
more and more competitive for single-family homes. Their attractiveness is enhanced by,
inter alia, effective intermediate zones: magnificent balconies, secluded
loggias and spacious terraces located, among others, on roofs.
Flowers and shrubs on the
terrace will provide comfort and intimacy
When buying a flat, we
also buy its surroundings. Designers
of new estates treat these two elements as a whole - in the prospectus of the
developers, the appearance of the building, the arrangement of the surrounding
space is as important as the apartment itself. The apartments are furnished with
green courtyards, courtyards and patios, as well as carefully arranged
staircases and corridors - they, on a par with the premises and its high
quality equipment, affect the value of the flat. The balconies, loggias and terraces
that connect them with the attractive surroundings are also synonymous with
quality of life, everyday comfort and prestige. When buying a new flat, let's take a
closer look at them.
Balcony transformations
Access to outdoor space
does not have to be a privilege only for those who own a house, where you can
find yourself in your own garden practically at any time, regardless of the way
you connect the building to the outside. The
forms of linking the flat with the outside have also been developed by
multi-family housing - balconies and loggias of various forms, shapes and
dimensions are an architectural element successfully practiced for centuries. Even if they did not serve recreation,
they created a language of specific communication with the outside world, above
all with the street. The subtle
shapes of balcony slabs, decorative balustrades - it is the form of balconies
that often underlined the representative character of tenement houses. The balconies were also not abandoned
in the construction of the times of the PRL, which resources we still use,
often struggling with the consequences of using poor quality materials or
contractor contraction. In this
case, the victims of this low quality were balconies. Leaking ferroconcrete slabs, clumsy
balustrades, narrow, difficult to arrange space are just one of the many
reasons why balconies or even large loggias have been poorly used by the
inhabitants of PRL blocks for years. Despite
renovation and modernization, which currently mostly pass buildings from those
years, old balconies do not match the standard of balconies and loggias in new
buildings.
Balconies in currently
constructed buildings have larger dimensions and are not a source of heat loss.
A new technical and
design standard
Balconies and loggias in
new buildings are a completely different quality in terms of the technologies
and materials used, as well as the design concept. Nowadays it is possible to produce
reinforced concrete slabs, which have a large span, which allows you to design
balconies with greater depth. Using
special fasteners, it is possible to connect the slab with the building wall
without the risk of thermal bridges, which usually form on the wall and the
reinforced concrete slab. Balcony
tiles in new buildings are no longer so exposed to corrosion and leakage, and
this is due to the widespread use of balcony systems, consisting of materials
and products intended for the proper implementation of all layers of balconies
and terraces. Finished with a
frost-resistant panel cladding - high quality gres, stone or composite boards -
they are durable. Also, the walls
of balconies and loggias are finished differently than they used to be - it is
usually a wood-based panel, natural stone or plasters imitating them. The distinguishing feature of modern
intermediate zones are balustrades - full glass or spatial made of acid
resistant steel. A suitable
material for filling the balustrade is laminated mineral glass, with spot
fasteners made of stainless steel. They
are made of two or three hardened sheets of glass with a PVB foil glued between
them. It makes the railing safe -
resistant to impacts, and when it is broken, it breaks, but does not break down
into dangerous debris. The metal
structure can also be filled with glass cracked in the middle, so-called frozen or mashed. There are balustrades with plexiglass
or acrylic glass filling. It is
nearly 40% lighter than mineral glass - although it may break under the
influence of impact, it does not break into sharp pieces, it does not become
discolored due to UV radiation.
In modern apartments,
balcony doors often occupy almost the entire width of the wall
Value added
A balcony or loggia is
not a synonym of luxury at the moment, it is rather a standard of modernly
built apartments. They are
designed even at small-sized premises, also in studios, where they functionally
and visually enlarge the small space of the flat. It is also an investment - a property
with no access to a balcony or terrace will be harder to sell in the future. So if the offer is for a balcony
surcharge, it is worth taking into account. The
approach to their use has also changed - they cease to be a place for drying
underwear or storage rooms, and sometimes even home games. The balcony and terrace become
additional rooms in a limited area of the flat, its extension, a place of rest and a green
corner, which often replaces the garden. Therefore,
both the appearance and size of this zone can be crucial for the quality of
housing and living. In modern
construction they are so spacious that they can be arranged like rooms - not
only table sets, but also sofas, couches, shelves and plant stands, sandpits
for children, etc. are used here.
Favorable location
The location of the
intermediate zone places is of great importance for the way they are used. The balcony overlooking the busy
street will not be as attractive as located from the more secluded side of the
housing estate, although it must be taken into account that they can also be
loud - children's playgrounds are often located here. Nevertheless, if you are on the
balcony from the yard or patio, you will not be exposed to constant noise of
traffic and inhalation of exhaust fumes. The
southern and western exhibition will make the balcony very sunny - rest here
will be very pleasant in the spring, but in hot summer it may become
disruptive. Summer relaxation on
such a balcony can not be done without the installation of an awning or an
umbrella. The eastern location
will make the balcony only sunny until noon. It
will be a good place to rest in the summer days. A scattered sunbeams will reach the
balcony with the northern exhibition. On
the other hand, Westerners will appreciate the lovers of the evening outdoor recreation
- if the view is not limited, for example, by an adjacent building, it will
give us the opportunity to enjoy sunsets. The
downside of this location in the case of bare balconies can be strong western
winds.
Utilities from the
French balcony
The French balcony,
unlike the traditional one, does not have a balcony slab. The balcony window is covered with a
balustrade, which is an architectural element, perfectly fitting into modern
minimalist facade designs - usually we find it in buildings, where the
designer's intention took precedence over the functionality of the apartments. An important aesthetic function is
also played by balustrades. They
not only protect against falling out, they are also used in the role of
mini-gardens - you can hang flowerbeds on them. A balcony window with balustrade can
also be used as a utility - theoretically, you can air your bedding on the
balustrade or hang an advertising banner, but be careful not to litter the
façade. The balustrade, in
contrast to the solutions typical of a classic balcony, is very closely related
to the window. Made of
safety-glass pane or high-quality plexiglass, both elements will be strongly
integrated with each other. In
turn, the metal balustrade will be a strong, distinctive balcony window element
on the façade.
If the balcony or
terrace is located on the south or west facade, it is worth making its proper
roofing.
Terrace over the garage
hall
In contemporary
multi-family housing, the arrangement of intermediate zones also uses flat roofs
above garages. When garage halls
extend beyond the outline of the building, their protruding flat roofs are
designed as terraces belonging to apartments located on the ground floor. If they are located on the inside of
the building, they are often connected to spectacular gardens.Terrace floors
are an integral part of garages, developers usually give them already finished
with flooring material, which guarantees the roof tightness and durability of
the terrace surface. This is a
huge step forward in improving the technical quality, because even in the
buildings from the 90s and the beginning of the 21st century, the residents
received a terrace in the raw state - roofs not finished from the outside. If its finish delayed or made them
inconsistent with the art of construction, it often resulted in the immediate
roiling of garage roofs. Today,
in the standard of finishing the developer, we also receive balustrades
separating the terraces from the external spaces and terraces of neighbors. We also meet apartments with terraces
in buildings designed as cascading - then they are located above the ceilings
of apartments on the floor below. The
most prestigious include the so-calledpenthouses, or apartments with terraces
on the roofs of the building - often these are spacious areas on which
attractive gardens are arranged. However,
the price of such premises is among the highest.
Loggia in modern
construction
This name is defined as
the form of a built-in balcony, created as a result of withdrawal of the open
space relative to the building's wall. A
loggia floor is usually located above the room below, it is usually part of its
ceiling. In this way, the loggia
penetrates into the interior space, and its surface is partially covered by
side walls and roofed by the ceiling. The
loggia can end with a balustrade running in the elevation line or extended
beyond the outline of the building. Often
occurs on several floors, then most often it is placed one above the other. It can be a fragment of one internal
room or pass through several rooms simultaneously, even across the entire width
of the building. A frequent
procedure is the location of a loggia on a large part of the front or side
facade. Usually it appears on the
first floor of the building, where it is slightly extended in relation to the
surface of the ground floor wall. The
thick ceiling, side walls of the building and flat roofs are often a massive
border of modern loggias, giving them a distinctive character. They are often equipped with a glass
balustrade that does not obscure the views and introduces lightness into a
solid construction. There are
many development projects in which the loggias are built with glass sliding
panels. Thanks to this, outside
the summer season, it can be an additional room, increasing the size of a flat
or apartment.Loggia as an intermediate zone between the interior of the
apartment and the surroundings can functionally enlarge the home space. In the warm months it will facilitate
the storage of, for example, sports equipment, in cold storage of even food
products.The glazed loggia can also become an attractive winter garden and an
additional living room or children's playroom. A distinctive feature of modernity are
sliding screens made of wood or composite - they are a kind of blinds covering
or revealing the interior of the loggia depending on your needs.
Modern canopies of the
balcony and terrace
If the balcony or
terrace is located on the south or west facade, it is worth making its proper
roofing. Let's use materials that
are easy to mount. A marquise is
a good solution. Made of weather-resistant material and aluminum construction,
it effectively protects against excessive sun exposure. Folding and unrolling awnings can be
done manually or automatically thanks to the installed electrical installation. Electrically operated awning blind can
be equipped with a weather sensor that will react when it starts to rain or a
strong wind breaks - then it will fold automatically and unfold with the
appearance of the sun. A
comfortable solution is also the use of roofs of acrylic or polycarbonate
panels that are light, resistant to impact and UV radiation. They often have a long-term (up to 10
years!) Manufacturer's warranty. Polycarbonate
can also be made with a roof with opening elements. Installation of this type of roof is
very easy, so you can take it yourself - just a simple wooden or steel
construction.Membrane roofs permanently installed are extremely durable. Here, the roofing element is a
PVC-coated polyester fabric. It
consists of several layers, and because it has a high weight, it is resistant
even to snow and water loads. An
interesting proposal is also a sail roofing - they are mobile and can be freely
moved. Their construction is
steel, but light, and the covers are made of a very strong impregnated fabric,
which is used for the production of sails. When
a terrace or balcony has a traditional roof, for example in the form of an
extended roof of a building, a great way to light it is to put a roof window or
skylight in the roof.
