The best window systems for glazing balconies and loggias

A properly selected set of structures for glazing a balcony or loggia will allow you to effectively solve the tasks. You can simply protect the balcony from precipitation, wind and excessive heat loss — or turn it into a full-fledged living space and use it for work or leisure throughout the year.

Requirements for balcony glazing

Unlike the installation of window structures in wall openings, the glazing of balconies and loggias has its own specifics. Firstly, the structures will be supported by a narrow parapet mounted on a balcony base. Secondly, the upper part of the frames will be attached to the ceiling of the balcony located above your apartment. Finally, the glazing area will be large — because the entire structure will experience significant wind loads.

As a result, the requirements for balcony structures made of PVC profile will be quite strict:

1. Minimum weight. The lighter the balcony glazing is, the less the load on the balcony plate will be. Structures made of a massive profile can be installed only if you are 100% sure of the strength of the base.
2. Strength and resistance to deformation. Even when using reliable connecting profiles (and they are mandatory for balcony glazing) the entire structure will experience wind loads. Therefore, rigidity and the ability to resist deformations while maintaining shape and linear dimensions are definitely on the priority list.
3. Energy efficiency. Even if we are talking about the glazing of an unheated loggia, it is important that the profile (as well as a double-glazed window or other filling) does not pass thermal energy. The lower the thermal conductivity of the window profile system, the warmer it will be on the balcony and in the apartment itself in the cold season.

You need to focus on these requirements when choosing a profile system for glazing a balcony or loggia.

Windows for unheated balcony

Glazing of a balcony or loggia in an apartment building almost always assumes that translucent structures will be installed in an unheated room. It is forbidden to transfer central heating batteries to loggias and balconies, and autonomous electric heaters are installed there quite rarely. So the situation with the glazing of an unheated balcony is one of the most common.

As we noted above, even when selecting a complete set of structures for an unheated object, it is necessary to choose profile systems with high thermal characteristics. If we talk about the line of WDS window systems, then you should pay attention first of all to:

• WDS 5S — 5 cameras, 60 mm, double-glazed window up to 32 mm.
• WDS 6S — 6 cameras, 70 mm, double-glazed window up to 40 mm.

Both profile systems — both five- and six—chamber - have the optimal combination of strength, low weight and energy efficiency for the manufacture of balcony structures. Therefore, they are quite suitable for an unheated balcony: the structures will turn out to be light, rigid, and at the same time provide a sufficiently high level of protection from heat loss. More efficient energy saving for such facilities is almost always redundant — without an active heating source on the balcony, it will not be possible to create a microclimate suitable for rest or work in the cold season.

Another fairly new solution for an unheated balcony is the WDS SL 60 sliding system. It is used for the manufacture of sliding structures, ideal for balconies with a small area:

• On the one hand, the shutters based on the WDS SL 60 sliding system move along the guides as easily as possible, allowing you to open a wide opening and not blocking the balcony itself (unlike the swing sash).
• On the other hand, the profile itself has good thermal insulation indicators, and brush seals will effectively protect the balcony or loggia from wind, rain and dust.

The WDS SL 60 sliding system is successfully used for glazing balconies — especially wide ones, for which a panoramic view will be a significant advantage.

Windows for a heated balcony

The maximum level of energy saving during glazing is required in several cases:

• When arranging the loggia of a private house, which is often turned into a mini-terrace for relaxation.
• When combining a loggia with a living room — a living room or a kitchen.
• When installing heating devices on a balcony or loggia (most often electric heaters).

Here the priority is obvious — the lower the thermal conductivity of the structure, the better. Therefore, before glazing, a balcony or loggia is reconstructed with mandatory reinforcement of the load—bearing plate - it will have to withstand a solid load.

Optimal options for glazing a heated balcony:

• WDS 7S — 6 cameras, 70 mm, double-glazed window up to 40 mm.
• WDS 8S — 6 chambers, 82 mm, double-glazed window up to 44 mm, 3 sealing circuits

The WDS 7S profile is a basic option for glazing heated balconies and loggias. But if the task is to provide comfort and minimize heat loss (and therefore save on heating the balcony), then you should choose the WDS 8S profile. The structure, of course, will turn out to be massive, because the plate will have to be strengthened. But with the right selection of double-glazed windows (2 cameras, 2 energy-saving glasses, filling the chambers with argon), balcony glazing will provide excellent thermal insulation. This means that the glazed loggia will be warm and cozy!

You can order windows for balconies and loggias by following the link