Does your apartment have a wonderful balcony with railing, but you can only use it for a limited period of time? There is an optimal solution to overcome adverse weather conditions and cold temperatures: close the balcony with fixed or removable glass, thus obtaining a comfortable space 365 days a year.
Thanks to this trick, you will be able to earn a relax area where you can rest and enjoy the surrounding panorama, one fitness area to train in complete freedom, or a green corner, where you can grow a small vegetable garden or appreciate the calm of a refuge in the greenery.
Closing a balcony with glass
The size of the balcony and the type of parapet affect the choice of closure. To give an extremely intuitive example, for a balcony with an open railing, in order to obtain perfect insulation, you will have to opt for complete coverage, up to the floor.
With this in mind, the glass represents a response of absolute quality, thanks to its versatility and limited impact on the aesthetics of the building.
What changes between a fixed glass window and a removable one?
Let's immediately specify a very important aspect: the closure of a balcony with a railing with a fixed glass window is to be understood as an "appurtenance", because a veranda is created, i.e. a new usable volumetric space, which modifies the shape of the building. It is therefore necessary to request a building permit (and authorization from the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, if the building falls within a restricted area), and carry out the cadastral modification, with reporting to the Revenue Agency.
Otherwise, the removable panoramic windows fall within the regime of free building interventions, as established by the Aid Decree bis.
When is a glass window defined as removable?
Aside from not representing a fixed structure, removable glass windows are also required to respond to a series of well-defined characteristics. In fact, they must:
- contribute to the reduction of heat losses;
- improve them energy performance and acoustics of the home;
- guarantee continuous micro-aeration;
- partially waterproof the overhanging balconies;
- do not modify the pre-existing architectural lines and reduce the visual impact and bulk.
Pay attention to the condominium rules
To avoid incurring violations it is important to check the specific provisions in the regulations of the individual condominium. In fact, the risk is that the administrator could order the removal of the removable windows once installed.
Which solution to adopt for your balcony?
Generally speaking, tempered reflective or absorbent glass is used to close balconies in order to avoid the greenhouse effect. We are talking about safety glass, 10 mm thick, capable of resisting different weather conditions.
Depending on the type of balcony, the following can be installed:
- folding or accordion glass windows → ideal for small spaces, thanks to the minimal size;
- windbreak windows → protect from drafts and are made entirely of glass;
- sliding glass doors → the ideal solution for balconies with railings;
- Roman glass windows → facilitate simple and safe cleaning.
In any case, we advise you to rely on industry experts, capable of providing the appropriate technical-building documentation and guiding you in choosing the most suitable material and opening system.
Source:lavoroncasa.it
