DIY balcony on the top floor. Is it possible to make a balcony if there is none: all the pros and cons. Arrangement of an arch under a balcony slab
Having a balcony helps people expand their apartment space. It is often used as a warehouse for old unnecessary things, drying clothes or other functions at your discretion. But nowadays, when living space becomes scarce due to equipment and furniture, many are thinking about using a balcony as part of an apartment.
Comfortable, warm, functional balcony with your own hands
Preparatory work
You can start repairing with your own hands only after everything has been completed preparatory work. First of all, you need to get rid of everything that will interfere. Things that have accumulated on the balcony, old coverings that have become unusable, unreliable partitions - all this needs to be removed.
As work progresses, you should check the balcony slab for the presence of voids and coiling elements. In order to assess the condition of the slab, I advise you to seek help from a specialist. Then think about the progress of the work and what you need to do with the balcony room:
- glaze;
- insulate;
- ennoble;
- strengthen;
- add lattice;
- make a major overhaul.
First of all, it is necessary to empty the balcony of things and clean it of unusable structures and cladding.
In the case when you plan to cover the loggia using MDF or lining, it is important to get rid of cracks. Suitable for this polyurethane foam. If the cracks are sealed and the foam has dried, its remains must be cut off and the sections treated with cement mortar. This is done so that the foam does not rot or collapse due to humidity and temperature. Small holes must be closed using silicone sealant. Before you start work, you should prepare materials and tools.
Materials
In stores that sell Construction Materials, a wide variety of products that are suitable for finishing works with your own hands. With so many materials available, choosing the right one can be difficult. One thing will help simplify your task. The balcony is the outer side of the building. It has virtually no protection from wind and rain. Taking this into account, it is important to provide comfortable conditions directly inside the balcony, as well as insulate it.
Balcony insulation with mineral wool
The most common material for insulating loggias is mineral wool. Among the advantages, the following properties can be noted:
- low thermal conductivity;
- soundproofing;
- chemical and biological resistance;
- fire resistance;
- ease of operation.
Moreover, it costs no more than other insulation materials. To cover everything with cotton wool you need space, which is created thanks to finishing material, installed on the frame. Therefore, the lining plastic panels or MDF will be ideal for processing a loggia.
The largest percentage of heat escapes through windows if they are not sealed. If the glazing is poor, the effectiveness of all insulation is reduced to zero. All your efforts and resources will be in vain. Among different types glazing, the best option will warm glazing. In this case, metal-plastic double-glazed windows are used. In addition to retaining heat, such double-glazed windows suppress noise, which will be useful for those who live in noisy areas of the city.
Balcony glazing with double glazed windows
Balcony insulation work
It is also easy to carry out floor insulation work with your own hands. Extruded polystyrene foam is most often used. The material is light and dense, adapted to withstand heavy loads and has thermal insulation properties. Using an adhesive, the slabs are laid on the floor. It is important that the surface is flat. Dowels are attached for reliability. A mesh is laid on the slabs, after which the floor is filled with the mixture. You can decorate this floor with anything. Some people use tiles. But mostly they use linoleum or laminate to make the floor even warmer.
Insulation of balcony floors with polystyrene foam
Let's move on to insulating the balcony walls. Most often, when choosing a material, they stop at lining. The advantages include:
- naturalness;
- practicality;
- efficiency;
- durability.
Preparing balcony walls for clapboard cladding
It is noteworthy that if you decorate the walls with wood, it will give your balcony a natural look. Installation of the lining is carried out on the frame. He might be from wooden slats, and from metal profile. Slats are often chosen.
In order for the material to appear as a single whole, the frame itself must be aligned along all planes, in order to avoid differences or bevels.
Work should start from top to bottom. After fastening the frame, it is laid waterproofing material. Ruberoid is well suited for this purpose. It is easy to install and relatively inexpensive. All this can be easily done with your own hands.
The balcony is lined with clapboard
Then we attach the lining. There shouldn't be any difficulties. Doing everything carefully is the key to successful installation. Difficulties can only arise when finishing the corners. But thanks to the baseboard, everything can be hidden.
Arrangement and design
To conclude how to do it yourself, it is important to note the interior of the balcony you created. It can be called the most pleasant view work. You can decorate the room to suit every taste, depending on how rich your imagination is. If you want to use the loggia for relaxation, you will need pieces of furniture. When the size allows, you can add small sofa. A table and chairs will also create coziness. Each of your guests will appreciate this decoration, especially if you add several plants or crafts that you made with your own hands to the interior.
Functional and compact furniture for the balcony
Important! Ordinary furniture will not be suitable for such a balcony. It should be compact, transformable and lightweight. To prevent fading, the glass can be tinted or a resistant material can be used.
It is better to curtain the windows. If you spare no expense, you can purchase blinds or roller blinds. Availability of a cabinet, paintings, various elements decor, candlesticks and mirrors will only decorate the balcony. Some people use this space as their own study or office. It's easy to arrange. All you need is a computer table and workplace ready! In such a room you can relax, enjoy the view from the window, read a book or just be alone with yourself. All you have to do is close the door.
Convenient work area on the balcony
But you should protect yourself. Such a luxurious office will not be missed by unscrupulous people, and everything you have done with your own hands will be in vain. Therefore, if your balcony is on the 2nd or 3rd floor, you need to provide a protective grille to avoid robbery and threat to your health.
Forged products are best suited. Before installing the grille, you need to measure the slab and opening. Only after this you need to order the grille required sizes. A damaged or unusable slab should be restored, as it may collapse under the load. To make your balcony look aesthetically pleasing from the street, the lattice can be covered with the help of plants. Then it will look beautiful, and the grilles themselves will not be visible.
If space allows, you can place a living corner on the balcony
After such manipulations, the balcony will be an excellent addition to your apartment and will last for many years. And knowing that it was made with your own hands will make you appreciate it even more.
Do-it-yourself balcony in Khrushchev: step-by-step instructions
Need for self-construction Balconies often arise among owners of private houses or residents of apartments in which the presence of such a room was not initially provided for by the design.
The work of constructing and finishing a balcony can be handled on our own. Read the instructions provided and get started.
Construction options
There are 2 main options for building a balcony, namely:
If the structure is attached to the second and higher floors, it must have additional supports. It is prohibited to attach the building exclusively to the wall - it will not hold up.
The function of supports is most often performed by columns. They fit well into the surrounding environment and complement the architecture of the house.
Before starting work, draw up or order from a specialized organization a balcony project with a detailed diagram.
Construction of a balcony on a foundation
If the balcony is attached to the first floor, a simple strip base will be sufficient. In the case of arranging an extension on the higher floors, build.
In general, the order of arrangement concrete foundations remains almost the same. The following are instructions for constructing a strip-column foundation. By removing the pole installation recommendations from the manual, you get ready-made instructions for installation of strip base.
First step. Mark the future foundation on the ground. Use pegs and string to mark.
Second step.
Get rid of the top layer of soil. Dig a trench of the required depth (determined in accordance with the soil characteristics of the area) and holes for the posts. Third step. Drive (screw in) the support piles. You can also make supports yourself from pipes,
concrete pillars
or other suitable materials. To ensure additional strength of the installation, before installing the pillars, the bottom of the pits can be filled with a 20-30 cm layer of concrete. The empty space between the walls of the pits and the pillars after their installation is also filled with mortar.
Fourth step.
Compact the bottom of the trench, fill it with a 10-centimeter layer of crushed stone and a 15-20-centimeter layer of sand. Thoroughly compact each layer of backfill.
Eighth step.
Cover the frozen foundation with waterproofing material (bitumen, roofing felt).
Ninth step.
Fill all voids with soil.
Tenth step.
Tie the pillars along the upper edges using a channel. The height of the balcony foundations must match.
Balcony design
First step. Place a wooden or reinforced concrete slab on the finished base. Second step. Using a hammer drill, create an opening in the wall for installing a balcony block.
Third step.
Install the balcony block. After installation, level the slopes with cement mortar and seal any existing cracks with polyurethane foam.
Fourth step. . The most convenient way to do this is to use building blocks
, for example, from foam concrete. They have a relatively light weight and will put a noticeably less load on the foundation compared to the same brick. The thickness of the walls should be at least 25-30 cm. Bring the walls to the upper ceiling. During the construction of walls, perform reinforcement every 3 rows. Finally, all that remains is to arrange the roof. Roof structure
must be made with a certain slope in the direction from the house. To arrange the roof, it is enough to lay wooden joists or mount metal carcass, and then lay the finishing roofing material.
Will cope perfectly with the functions of support columns
wooden beam
square section
. Select the parameters of the timber individually. Most often, supports with a side of 100 mm are sufficient. You can use another one instead of timber
suitable material
at your own discretion.
The columns must be installed strictly vertically, otherwise there will be no question of the reliability of the balcony structure. To ensure verticality, support the columns with temporary struts while the foundation dries. Floor Lay a 4 cm thick planed board on the floor. Pre-treat the material with an antiseptic and fire retardant.
Lay the boards across the support beams. Leave a 2-3 mm gap between the boards to drain precipitation.
Use self-tapping screws to secure the boards. The heads of the fasteners should be slightly recessed into the material. Railing And lastly
Balcony insulation
Necessarily . Start from the floor.
wooden beam
Foam boards are good for flooring. The material is characterized by high thermal insulation properties and tolerates it well various kinds loads.
Align the base and glue it to it foam boards using a binder composition specially designed for this purpose. Provide additional fixation of the slabs using plastic dowels.
Place the mounting mesh on top of the insulation with glue, and then fill the entire structure with a self-leveling mixture.
Instead you can do based on wooden sheathing, fill its voids with thermal insulation, and fill it with plywood or boards on top.
As a final flooring good for balcony linoleum will do. You can also use waterproof laminate and other materials with similar properties.
Walls
Attach a frame of wooden slats to the walls. The spacing of the slats is determined by the width of the insulation.
Cover the frame waterproofing film. Use a construction stapler to attach the film. Be sure to seal the joints of the waterproofing material with tape.
Fill the sheathing cells with the selected one. Place a vapor barrier on top of the insulation. You can also fasten the material using a construction stapler.
Place a second batten on top of the finished insulating pie, perpendicular to the first, to install the finishing material.
Ceiling
The ceiling can be insulated using mineral wool.
Nail a sheathing of 10mm thick boards to the ceiling. Fix the boards edge down.
Fill the gaps between the boards with insulation.
Cover the insulation with waterproofing material and nail additional cross-bars to the boards. They will retain heat and moisture insulation, as well as provide the necessary ventilation gap between the insulation cake and the finishing finishing material.
Prices for popular types of insulation
Insulation
Lining is well suited for a balcony. The material has excellent properties even without extra effort attached to the sheathing using clamps.
Exterior finishing of a structure is most often done using siding. This material is characterized by high reliability and excellent performance, has an attractive appearance and is easy to install without the involvement of third-party installers.
In general, when choosing a finish, focus on your personal preferences and available budget.
Happy work!
Prices for popular finishing wall panels
Wall panels
Video - How to make a balcony with your own hands
When buying an apartment, many people immediately dismiss options on the lower floors, knowing full well that, according to the project, there may not be a balcony there. Who wants to lose the opportunity to increase the area of their apartment in the future? So understand the desire of people to attach homemade balconies to the first or second floor apartment building- quite understandable. Another question is, is it possible to build a balcony with your own hands from scratch?
If you need permission, then how to get it, what kind of materials are needed to make it, what design of the balcony on the first floor is the best, etc. There are, of course, a lot of questions, but if we start to figure it out step by step, then everything will fall into place. The main thing is that you will see that building balconies on the ground floor with your own hands is quite possible. The decision has been made, I want a balcony - all that remains is to find out how to make a balcony with your own hands?
Where to start making a balcony with your own hands
Completion of a balcony, like a loggia, can be done with your own hands only after obtaining a building permit, since any reconstruction of an apartment requires approval of the project and receipt of the relevant documents.
Extension of a balcony on the first floor
This provision, by the way, is also mandatory in the case of the removal of a balcony or any other reconstruction, since any unauthorized actions that entail modification of the living space are prohibited by law.
Advice: It would be a good idea to first contact the architectural department of the municipality and clarify the nuances associated with your home. Perhaps the issue of a building permit will disappear immediately, for example, if it is an architectural monument.The procedure for obtaining permission for redevelopment is quite lengthy. So, if you need a balcony on the 1st floor, then be patient - you will have to go around more than one authority.
You can also contact intermediary organizations, where they will help expedite the preparation of the package of documents necessary to begin construction. By the way, since mostly experienced lawyers work there, they will also be able to tell you how to legalize the unauthorized construction of a balcony with your own hands.
Do-it-yourself balcony: photo of a do-it-yourself hanging building
The design of the balcony must fit into the facade of the house, be strong and reliable, and this requires competent calculation. Few people can boast of special knowledge in this area. That is why it is better to entrust the design of a future extension to professionals with appropriate qualifications. They know how to correctly calculate the future construction: its resistance to loads, material consumption. In addition, from the finished sketches it is very easy to imagine what it will look like.
Drawing of a hanging balcony
If the extension is supposed to be on the 2nd floor, the strategy is slightly different. It is quite possible to make such a building with your own hands, especially if the second floor is not so high. In this case, you have to take into account the opinion of your neighbors and secure their consent. Often neighbors come to an agreement with each other and make the balcony extension a solid monolith - from the first to the third.
Important: there may already be an extension on the ground floor, then the extension must correspond to its dimensions.Building a balcony with your own hands in practice
Today, you can build a balcony on the first floor with your own hands in two ways, which differ fundamentally in the mounting technique and complexity of the device.
- A suspended balcony is a building on brackets or an extension on a metal frame with the entire balcony structure located at a considerable distance from the facade of the house.
- An attached balcony is a building built on a foundation. This design has its advantages, especially for neighbors on the upper floors: starting from the second floor, they can attach ceilings and build their own balcony with their own hands.
Let's analyze the installation of a balcony with our own hands in both versions. Let's start with the technology of building a balcony on a foundation with your own hands.
Do-it-yourself attached building made of brick
DIY attached balcony
Installation of a balcony on the foundation begins with its marking. How do you make a building with your own hands level and stable? The main guarantor of the reliability of future construction is the correct marking of the foundation.
Correct marking of the foundation
The scheme of work is as follows:
- Mark a rectangle. Please note that uneven surfaces may affect the accuracy of the markings, so it is better to level the area.
- Draw the diagonals of the rectangle. If their lengths are equal, then the marking is done correctly.
- Pegs are driven into the four corners and twine is secured to them. They begin to dig a pit along it. The foundation is laid to a depth greater than the freezing depth of the soil.
Reinforced concrete slab for the foundation of an extension
Reinforced concrete blocks are suitable for constructing a reliable and durable foundation.
Important: the laid foundation for the future construction of the balcony and the foundation of the house itself must remain at the same level.Next important point building an extension with your own hands is a matter of waterproofing. High-quality insulation will protect the walls of the building from groundwater. It is recommended to lay waterproofing material about 10 cm above the blind area. The attached structure makes it possible to build a basement underneath it with your own hands. In this case, the waterproofing must be double.
The ceiling of a building most often serves simultaneously as the floor of the structure. For the stability of the structure, it is important that during its installation, the reinforcement passes through the places where the slabs are most stretched.
Brickwork of a building on a foundation
Brick is most often used to build extension walls. The height of the side walls must match the maximum height of the extension. As for the front, it is erected to the place where the balcony is glazed. The balcony masonry is usually 25 cm thick.
The area of the first floor balcony is larger than the ceiling of the second floor slab, so a suspended roof was installed
Next, install a metal canopy for the future roof. A waterproofing, vapor-permeable membrane is laid on it, on top of which a wooden sheathing is placed. It is on this that the roofing material will be laid.
On a note: V Lately Ondulin has become the most popular: unlike, for example, corrugated sheeting, it is silent when it rains.The frame of a suspended balcony is obtained by connecting the base to the roof using vertical racks. When installing an extension with your own hands, it is extremely important to reliable fastening, weld the structure correctly. The one-piece frame of the suspended building is attached along the entire height to the house. For this, metal anchors of at least 20 cm are used. Upper part The frame of the building is secured with studs through the wall.
Canopy balcony frame
An example of a do-it-yourself lean-to building
On a note: the buildings mounted type are cheaper than those attached to a foundation. True, in this case it is not possible to make a cellar under the resulting building. The same technology can be used to expand the balcony with removal.DIY balcony: video of installing a wooden frame
Some types of houses do not have balconies on the first floors. However, you have every chance to get this additional space. You can add a balcony with your own hands. It can be suspended, on struts, or supported on piles. In this article we will describe the construction of balconies on the first floor: suspended and piled.
Installing a balcony with your own hands may seem like an impossible undertaking. This is wrong. Homemade balconies are, of course, a troublesome task: you will have to physically work and tinker with papers.
First you will have to draw a sketch, and then draw up a design for the balcony on the first floor, then coordinate it with the authorities responsible for these issues. For the extension on the second floor, the design is done in the same way. The work itself will not take very much time.
Extension of a suspended balcony with your own hands
Before starting the extension, we take a project for the future balcony and go to order balcony glazing and internal window unit. We will not begin work until the company delivers the frames with double-glazed windows.
Installation of struts and base frame
The balcony structure will be supported by welded struts. You can make them yourself from a 50x50mm metal corner. One of the sides of the struts should protrude 50mm up and down; these will be additional places for fastenings. The distance between the struts should be about 100 cm, based on this we calculate required amount. Installation to the wall is carried out using anchors.
Extension of a balcony on the first floor: installation diagram of struts
Now we make the strapping, using the same metal corner for it. Don't forget to make jumpers across the resulting rectangle. The side that is adjacent to the wall is additionally secured to it with anchors.
Do-it-yourself hanging balcony on the first floor: how to attach a harness to the struts
Installation of the floor and glazing frame of the extension
Let's organize the floor. Because of load bearing capacity The resulting base of the extension is limited; it will not be possible to pour a slab of solid concrete. You have two options:
First. Metal sheets We fix it under the base frame. We fill the inside with a layer of expanded clay with a layer of 3 cm. Now we take the reinforcing mesh from the rod (5mm) and lay it on the frame. We tie the mesh to the jumpers with wire and weld it to the harness.
We lay a damper tape around the perimeter of the strapping and fill everything with liquid cement-sand mortar so that reinforcement mesh was covered by 2 cm and left to harden. After the screed has dried well, we waterproof and seal the base.
Making balconies with your own hands: floor installation
Second. We put any sheet metal, we lay a layer of waterproofing on it, and then boards. We fasten everything with self-tapping screws. Next, we attach the joists to the floor, lay a layer of insulation between them, cover it with a vapor barrier and lay the subfloor. We waterproof and then seal the joints of metal sheets along the underside of the slab.
We prepare the frame for the balcony glazing separately, on the ground, then install it on the base of the extension. We attach the side posts of the frame to the wall using anchors. We do the same with the top lintel adjacent to the wall. This will reduce the load on the base of the extension. Do not forget that the weight of the balcony insulation and finishing materials will also fall on it.
Suspended balcony on the first floor: how to make a parapet on an extension
Important: you must be very careful about collecting papers and work permits. Unauthorized extension balcony, if you fail to legitimize it “retroactively,” you may face a large fine. In addition, you will be required to demolish the extension.DIY balcony on stilts
It is more difficult to obtain permission to install a balcony of this type because it involves excavation in close proximity to the foundation of an apartment building. Less problems will arise if you make such an extension on the 1st floor. For a similar structure on the 2nd floor, it is more difficult to collect papers.
However, despite all these difficulties, this type of design has a number of advantages. The most important thing is that the load-bearing capacity of the base of this extension is much higher than that of a suspended balcony. You will not be constrained in choosing double-glazed windows for balcony glazing and insulation materials.
Installation of support piles and installation of the extension frame.
We will need four steel piles with a 10cm cross section. When calculating the length, we take into account that the supports of the extension will be buried 50-60cm into the ground. The holes for the piles are made either manually or using special equipment. We place the supports in the holes, checking them with a level, and fix them perpendicular to the ground. Fill the solution and close it fresh concrete pieces of cellophane.
Do-it-yourself loggias: making supports for load-bearing slab extensions
After the concrete has hardened, it will be necessary to make a strapping for the supports of the extension. Its back part is made of a channel, which will need to be attached to the wall. We mark the installation location, drill holes in the wall and channel for anchors, and screw them in place. Now we tie the piles metal corner Using welding, we fasten it to the channel. From strips of metal we make jumpers across the support of the extension. The distance should be approximately 70-80cm.
How to make a balcony with your own hands: tying the supports of the extension
Pouring the base slab of the extension
We assemble a shield from the boards and attach it to the underside of the frame. These boards will then have to be dismantled, so we simply support the shield with bricks stacked in a column. Now laying the reinforcing mesh. We tie it together using wire from a rod with a cross section of 5 mm. We weld the mesh to the harness, and tie it to the jumpers with wire.
Drawing of a balcony, completion: installation of the formwork panel and reinforcing mesh with your own hands
Now you can upload cement-sand mixture. The installation of the frame for installing balcony glazing can begin immediately after the supporting slab of the extension has hardened. The frame can be with or without an extension - the design of the extension allows both options. It can even act as a parapet brickwork. And don’t forget to waterproof the slab before laying the insulation.
Important: position of the reinforcing mesh in the thickness of the slab. The mesh should not lie on the bottom of the frame. In order to lift it, you need to install special plastic supports. The height of the supports should be 4.5-5cm. Pouring concrete is done so that the reinforcement is closed by 2.5-3 cm.
Building a balcony structure from scratch with your own hands
A little about roofing for balconies
There are two types of roofs for balconies: dependent and independent. The dependent roof rests on the balcony frame, which means it imparts additional load to it. Independent - mounted on the wall of the house using struts; there is no pressure on the extension frame.
For a balcony supported on piles, there is no difference in the type of roof; it can withstand a very heavy load. But for a hanging balcony it is better to use an independent structure and lightweight roofing material.
Do-it-yourself balcony: photo of superstructure of two types of roofing
DIY balcony: video on how to make an independent roof.
The balcony often becomes an indispensable part of the apartment: someone arranges it as a living space, someone organizes a flower garden on it or small vegetable garden, and many simply store seasonal items, furniture or building materials on it. In any case, it is very difficult to imagine an apartment without a balcony or loggia, and their presence becomes a huge plus when buying a home.
IN modern buildings There are balconies even on the first floors, but they are not provided for in the designs of Khrushchev-era houses. For this reason, many decide to build a balcony for themselves. But to carry out such work, not only special knowledge and skills are required, but also everything Required documents, permits and technical justification for the extension project. Let's try to figure out step by step how to build a balcony on the first floor correctly from the point of view of both construction technology and the law.
How to legally build a balcony on the first floor?
The most difficult stage of adding a balcony to an apartment on the first floor is, oddly enough, preparation for construction. It includes obtaining the necessary permits and developing the project.
An approximate procedure for preparing for the extension of a balcony:
- Obtaining neighbors' consent. Often it is at this stage that a problem arises for which it is difficult to come to a compromise. The main thing here is to convince the other residents of the building that the presence of a balcony near your apartment will not in any way affect the appearance of the building itself, local area, as well as the strength of the house.
- Prepare a design for the balcony itself. It must take into account all technological and architectural solutions, as well as SNiP standards.
- Take photographs of the part of the territory where the balcony is supposed to be built.
- To obtain official consent, it is necessary to submit all of the above documents to the technical inventory bureau, as well as pay a certain state fee.
- In addition, you will need permits from Rospotrebnadzor, state fire supervision, the city department of culture and public utilities.
- The next step after project approval is to apply to local authorities to obtain a building permit.
The easiest way in this case is not to try to deal with all the paperwork yourself, but to contact a law firm that provides services for coordinating construction and redevelopment. This solution will significantly save you money and nerves.
There are cases when residents are refused permission for such construction. This may be due to the fact that:
- According to the project, the balcony will be located on the front side of the building, and not from the yard;
- If there are various communications in the immediate vicinity;
- If the building is in disrepair and the extension may cause serious damage.
But such nuances are quite rare, and most often it is possible to obtain the necessary package of documents, although not always quickly.
Options for adding a balcony on the ground floor
Three main types of balconies can be attached to the first floor:
- Suspension;
- Attached (on a foundation or piles).
Suspended balcony on brackets In the first case, the balcony floor slab is “suspended” on brackets that are attached directly to the wall of the building. At the same time, the larger the planned area of the balcony, the more supports will be needed. Such an extension requires a thorough check of the building wall for danger and the ability to take on the weight of the structure.
Attached balconies are built as if separately, on their own foundation. This option is possible if the distance from the ground to the required height of the balcony floors is small. There is no particular load on the wall of the house, but additional difficulties arise associated with the proper construction of the foundation. But at the same time as the balcony, you can build a cellar under it.
Extension balcony on stilts
A balcony that rests on piles or a columnar foundation also does not place much additional load on the wall of the building. Such a structure will be quite reliable and durable, while there will be free space under the balcony that can be used for growing a flower garden or laying a lawn - this fact can be an excellent argument when obtaining consent for construction from neighbors.
Let's take a closer look at each of the presented methods.
How to attach a suspended balcony on the first floor
Procedure for constructing a suspended balcony:
This option is the easiest to implement, since there is no need to carry out excavation work.
How to attach an attached balcony (on a foundation)
The beginning of construction in this case is laying the foundation. Most often, a strip foundation is used for attached balconies, since it is cheaper and at the same time allows for optimal load on the ground. But there is also an option with columnar foundation or a balcony on stilts. The principle of constructing such balconies is generally the same. 
The procedure for attaching a balcony to the foundation:
- The depth of laying the foundation is determined taking into account the characteristics of soil freezing, and the load on it is calculated based on the weight of the structure, and the type of foundation is determined.
- Beacon pegs are driven into the corners of the future balcony, and a level rope is stretched between them.
- The necessary earthworks are being carried out. If you plan to lay strip foundation, a trench is dug around the perimeter, in the case of a columnar one - holes.
- The foundation frame is constructed and concrete is poured.
- After some time, after the concrete has completely dried, a balcony frame is built, a floor slab or wooden logs are laid.
- Walls are being erected, glazing and finishing of the balcony are being carried out.
It turns out to be a beautiful balcony It is important to consider that the height of the balcony foundation must match the height of the building foundation.
Tips and nuances for adding a balcony to the first floor of a building
There are a number of individual points that relate to the addition of a balcony to an apartment on the first floor of the building. From a construction point of view, it is worth considering the following nuances:
- Any type of balcony should have a very solid foundation. This is especially true in cases where it is planned to expand the space of the living room through partial or complete combination of premises;
- The foundation of the balcony must fit tightly to the foundation of the building. The quality of further insulation of the room depends on this;
- The roof must be installed at an angle;
- Under no circumstances should the door open into the balcony. The surest option is when the door opens into the room. Firstly, it will save space on small balcony, and secondly, it will protect you from situations with “slamming” plastic doors;
- Choose stained glass or panoramic glazing a balcony attached to an apartment on the ground floor of a building is a bad idea. In this case, you should take special care of security and at least install bars on the balcony windows, or even better, an alarm system.
And a little about the legal side of the issue:
- A solid strip foundation is the most reliable option, but before installing it, be sure to consult with lawyers. The fact is that the city authorities can force you to pay for the part of the land on which the foundation was built, since in this case it passes from common use into your personal possession;
- Obtaining permission to add a balcony on the second floor is much more difficult. Good option, when the neighbors below have already built a balcony for themselves, and it can serve as a support for the structure on the second floor. Otherwise, the structure must be supported special stands, which do not threaten the integrity load-bearing wall building;
- Remember that collecting documents and permits before construction begins is much easier and cheaper than trying to legalize an extension after it has been completed;
- It is almost impossible to make a design for an attached balcony yourself. To do this, it is better to turn to specialists, because they are already familiar with everyone possible nuances and the pitfalls of approving and legitimizing such buildings.
Adding a balcony to an apartment on the first floors of a building is a very complex and lengthy process, which should be approached with special responsibility. You can carry out such a redevelopment yourself only after thoroughly studying all the nuances of legal legitimation similar designs and the technological side of the issue. But most simple option will contact the verified construction company, having successful experience in the implementation of such projects.
