Balcony fences: types and features of structures
The decoration of any house that has more than one floor is a balcony. It is a protruding slab with a fence, equipped with an exit from the living room. At the same time, balcony railings are usually simple and do not have a decorative purpose.
But there are other types of these fences. And some of them can be called real works of art. For example, as in the following snapshot.
Wrought Balcony Fence
Here is such a beauty
Balconies, like loggias, give beauty to the exterior of the house. And besides, they also have a functional meaning. With their help, the internal space of the building is associated with the outside world.
The existing balcony railing is a significant part of the whole structure. It is most often represented by ordinary railings.
These requirements are:
- maximum durability is very important because repairing a balcony fence is quite problematic and dangerous;
- attachment strength is a safety issue. Shaky mount can lead to tragedy;
- beauty - these structures are located on the facade of the building. And, of course, they must be aesthetically appealing. The most beautiful look forged fence balconies. But since they are difficult to manufacture, they are quite expensive.
Metal railings
They are most often seen in the houses of our country, where they are fences of balconies and stairs. Because of their simplicity and reliability, metal fences for balconies and stairs are indispensable in high-rise residential buildings.
In the photo - metal railings
Their price is low, which is also an additional advantage. Appearance is not distinguished by sophistication, But no one makes any special demands on it.
These railings are made from the following materials:
- ferrous metal - it can be painted in any color at will of the owner;
- stainless steel - making railings and railings for the balcony, manufacturers make its surface polished. It is more aesthetic;
- Aluminum - prefabricated aluminum structures are also found among the balcony fences;
Other types of fencing
In addition, there are also composite structures consisting of several materials. In their manufacture using metal in combination with plastic and glass. Or wood in combination with glass and plastic parts.
Sometimes you can find the fence balconies of glass. Due to their technical characteristics and high cost, such constructions are not widespread in our country.
Glass is beautiful but expensive
Make fences for balconies, as a rule, to order. There are, of course, standard models. But they are less popular. At present, these products are produced mainly by small private firms.
Manufacturing methods
Balcony fencing can be performed using the following methods:
- laser cutting - modern processing method, which began to gain popularity relatively recently;
- use of abrasive materials;
- forging - The most difficult and time consuming method. But at the same time, products made with it are considered the most prestigious. And, of course, they are the most expensive.
Tip! Having bought the fences you like on the balcony, it is better to entrust the installation to the specialists. After all, it is quite a dangerous and difficult process.
Features of fences for balconies
Purpose and design features
The main purpose of balconies is to protect human life. Therefore, the features of their devices are governed by established by the state norms. They are state standards - GOSTs and building codes and regulations - SNiPs.
Some types of fencing to the balcony provide for mounting pots.
In addition, they are often attached clothesline rope.
Lingerie on the balcony
For designs made by forging, the installation of all of the above is not provided. After all, forged products are, above all, the decoration of the balcony.
Mounting fencing spans by using mortgages. They are built into the balcony plate, as well as into the walls of the house.
Embedded are metal strips fixed in concrete. Also it can be reinforcement or wire-rod, 6 mm thick.
Balcony fittings
That mount is the weakest point of the whole structure. This applies to all types of fences, including fencing terraces and balconies.
They constantly fall precipitation. Moisture, being on the stove, through the cracks falls on the mortgages.
They, in turn, begins the process of rust formation. Figuratively speaking, the metal begins to "rot." And because of this, its strength decreases.
But there is another reason for the deterioration of the quality of fasteners. This is the destruction of cement mortar, especially well marked in old brick houses.
Because of this, mortgages in the literal sense of the word begin to hang out in their nests. Such a fence for the balcony in the literal sense of the word is an emergency.
According to GOST 25772-83, the height of railings for balconies can be from 1000 to 1200 mm. It depends on the height of the building. The larger it is, the higher the balcony. But in most cases, to ensure the safe operation of the balcony, a height of one meter is enough.
Features of repair
As noted earlier, precipitation contributes to the formation of rust. Because of this, balconies fences over time become unusable.
More precisely, the base of the fence becomes unusable. But sometimes it happens that the entire lower part of the structure “rots” as well.
This means that the fittings located near the base become very thin. Sometimes the metal becomes so fragile that a light kick will suffice to destroy it.
The only exception here is stainless steel. But only the fence for balconies is made of it. But mortgages still consist of ordinary ferrous metal.
Stainless steel fencing
During the repair of such fences, the foundation is often strengthened. In order to establish the need for such work, use a conventional hammer.
With it, the edge of the slab is broken in the places where the mortgages are located. If it turns out that they have fallen into disrepair, you will have to make repairs. That is, do your own hands the basis for the fence around its perimeter.
If mortgages are not completely worn out, it is recommended to do the following. It is necessary to completely break the upper screed on the slab to the concrete itself and dismantle the fencing.
Further, mortgages along the entire perimeter should be connected with a metal angle of 50x50 mm. Or you can use a piece of reinforcement with a diameter of at least 10 mm.
This will serve as the foundation of the fence. This method is widely used to repair fences for terraces and balconies.
Now check the state of the rest of the structure. After all, she, too, may need repair. For example, the components on which it rests can suffer from corrosion - it is a reinforcement or metal profile.
In this case, we proceed as follows. We take suitable pieces of metal profile or reinforcement. After that, by welding, we attach them to the existing reinforcement or profile.
Balcony welded fences are mounted in the following order. At first, side barriers are fixed. And only after that the outer one is fixed.
We carry out welding
Installation of the whole structure begins with a corner. At the same time, pieces of the profile or reinforcement are welded on successively under the grid posts.
Tip! To get the fence smooth, in the process of installation, use the building level. But do not forget about the required height of the fence - not less than 1m. This also applies when glass balconies are installed.
It should be noted that one of the main causes of premature wear of such structures is the poor quality of the cement screed. The appearance of cracks in it leads to accelerated damage to the metal.
Sometimes it happens that mortgages are no longer subject to repair. In this case, it will be necessary to install new mounts. At the same time, the entire screed is removed and metal strips having a thickness of 2 mm are laid across the balcony.
Attach them to the plate using a perforator and dowels. On top is poured a layer of screed small thickness.
When carrying out repairs, do not forget about safety. If you are not sure that you can carry out the necessary actions yourself without danger to yourself and those around you, then you should resort to the help of specialists.
It is better to entrust the work to specialists
Before repairing balcony fences, it is necessary to separate the place below, where the construction debris may fall. Moreover, stuck sticks and stretched tape will not be enough.
A good option would be the fence (fence) used on construction sites. But since renting fencing for construction sites is very expensive, you will have to look for more affordable methods.
You can use the following option. You can fence this small area, using plastic nets for fencing sports fields. They can not be overlooked and they will not allow anyone to get into the danger zone.
Conclusion
Installing the fence on the balcony, the owners want it to be not only beautiful, but also reliable and durable. Therefore, during the operation of the balcony, premature wear of the structure should not be allowed.
To make it serve as long as possible, it is necessary to carry out repair work on time. Their main points have been described above. In addition, in the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic.
We wish you a pleasant viewing. And let the balcony fences installed by you be pleasing to the eye and serve you for many years.