Designing a balcony for your construction scheme can be a daunting prospect. With that in mind, we’ve outlined five key considerations which should inform your decision and ensure that you’re happy with your choice.
1 Ensure the design provides a safe installation
With safety foremost in any decision you make, balconies should be designed in accordance with BS 6180:2011 with balustrade that meets the minimum horizontal imposed loads stated in BSEN 1991-1-1:2002.
2 Use materials which minimise maintenance
Balconies, like any external feature, are subject to environmental conditions which can cause material deterioration. You need to choose choose metals which are resistant to various weather conditions – especially in changeable climates like the UK.
3 Consider its effect on the natural light of the building
Choose designs which allow more solar penetration to give interiors a spacious, airy feel – natural light can lift a room’s appearance. Maximum use of glass can maximise the benefits of sunlight.
4 Make sure the flooring provides privacy
The balcony flooring must restrict the view as much as possible to maintain privacy whilst maintaining efficient drainage capability .
5 Consider how easy it is to assemble and install
When you admire a pristine balcony on the pages of a brochure or website, it’s worth considering what was required to achieve the finished article. How easy is it to assemble and will you be expected to supply your own fitters or fit it yourself? For more information please visit our Members Area to download a full guide on balcony design. Alternatively, please contact one of our experts for advice on all aspects of balcony design and installation – call 01653 695721 or enquire via our Contact page.
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balcony glazing perfect delivery for views of the cricket!
neaco’s balcony glazing is helping to maximise the benefits of a unique outlook at a prestigious apartment development in Canterbury, where residents can enjoy views of the action at Kent’s County Cricket Ground.
Designed by Clague Architects and built by Cardy Construction, Lime Tree House is a collection of two-bedroom luxury apartments combining striking contemporary architecture with flexible living space. Set in an outstanding position next to the historic venue – these days known as the Spitfire Ground – the properties are perfectly placed to enjoy county cricket. With their predominance of glass providing unobstructed views out, neaco’s Juliet balconies and balcony balustrade systems were an ideal choice for these high-end homes which also include bespoke designer kitchens, luxury bathroom suites and under-floor heating.
neaco’s UK business development manager, Peter Melia, said: “Maximum visibility is one of the defining features of our balconies. The use of glass panels and minimal or no stanchions has plenty of benefits besides the obvious transparency of the view – it also makes the most of natural light with maximum solar penetration and the minimalist aesthetic compares favourably in style to the cage-like appearance of heavily railed or meshed infills. That’s certainly a feature in keeping with the contemporary, high-end design of Lime Tree House.”
Photograph supplied courtesy Cardy Construction.
Balcony demand reaches new high
neaco are experiencing a major growth of business within the residential sector following the specification of our structural glass balcony systems in a wide range of apartment projects.
The rejuvenation of the UK’s property market and the house-building industry has seen a surge in demand for neaco’s contemporary glass-fronted balconies designed for high aesthetic value, easy installation and durability. The company has completed a series of specifications in the past 12 months and several major orders have been secured for new developments due for completion later this year.
neaco’s UK Business Development Manager, Peter Melia, said: “Demand for our balconies reached a peak almost ten years ago, prior to the downturn in the economy and the housing market, but the recovery of the residential sector has seen demand return to an even higher level in 2015. We recently undertook a recruitment drive for site fitters and our installation team has quadrupled in size in the past two months. We have also recruited another CAD Technician with specific responsibility for managing our ongoing and future balcony specifications.”
“Most of the demand is being attracted from the luxury end of the market with high-specification apartments which require superior kerb appeal. The stylish contemporary aesthetic of our Juliet and walk-on balconies is an ideal match for this type of development. Their eco-friendly construction, with minimal waste and no energy-consuming hot works required for installation, is also a key feature in a sector which values sustainability.”
neaco’s product range also includes balustrade, adaptive bathing facilities and aluminium open grilles for flooring, screening and shading applications.
Glass balcony design gives every storey a perfect finish
Pressured build schedules and a greater focus on sustainability have led to demand for ready-made, environmentally friendly glass balconies which take the headache out of design, specification and construction. Peter Melia, National Sales Manager at neaco, explains…
With multi-storey buildings more prevalent than ever in the new homes market, balconies are an increasingly prominent feature in residential schemes across the UK. Town house designs comprising at least three storeys have become a staple of countless developments and, after a period in the doldrums, the apartment market has experienced resurgence in recent years. For a developer seeking a competitive advantage, a balcony is usually the most distinctive external feature of a building and the right choice of style adds immediate kerb appeal. In the case of apartments, an attractive outside space can also add significant value to the sale price a property. The greater significance of balconies has driven an evolution in balcony design with higher standards in a number of aspects, most notably aesthetics and efficiency of construction.
Traditional railed balconies are often stipulated in planning requirements for refurbishment and conversions, especially when listed buildings are involved, but railing can create an unsightly cage-like appearance, so where possible many architects prefer glass balcony design, ideally requiring minimal structural support. This also maximizes visibility and solar penetration to give interiors a spacious and airy feel – when potential homebuyers step inside a property, natural light can play a crucial part in determining their first impression.
Balconies are invariably one of the last installations to be completed at any residential development and as a result they are often subject to the ‘squeeze’ at the end of a tight build schedule. With that in mind, developers can ease their headaches by sourcing cost-effective balconies which can be easily installed with minimal fuss. Solutions fabricated on site – often with hot works such as welding – are a recipe for waste and mess, consuming unnecessary time and energy. As well as being environmentally unfriendly, these methods can be an eyesore for house-builders mindful of their development’s visual appeal.
Buyers and specifiers now overwhelmingly prefer a more practical alternative offering a high architectural aesthetic: modular balconies constructed from pre-fabricated components, all sourced from one supplier. Providing an easy specification – usually complete with handrails, balustrade, infill and flooring – these systems can be delivered on site and installed by a developer’s construction team or, in the case of some companies, the manufacturer’s own technical support. Mounted to the developer’s supports, they are very straightforward to install with no waste products/off-cuts, minimising construction time, mess and energy consumption. In contrast, balconies which comprise materials from multiple sources can be a scheduling nightmare – if one supplier fails to deliver on time, the whole installation is set back – so all-in-one modular solutions also provide peace of mind.
A smooth, clean finish can further enhance the appearance, so ideally a modular balcony should provide assembly with an internal connection system, eliminating the need for unsightly external fixtures. A popular choice of material for balustrade and handrails is aluminum (which can be powder coated in a colour chosen to fit the development’s design scheme) but satin polished stainless steel provides a luxury-specification alternative. Using suitable manufacturing and treatment processes, both options can provide a rust-free, maintenance-free installation which is corrosion resistant (even in exposed locations) to ensure that the development maintains its aesthetic virtues.
The balcony decking should also be maintenance-free and as a result developers are increasingly shifting away from timber, with its need for ongoing treatment, as the traditional choice of material. Many designers prefer aluminium alloy with its high residual value and durability. For any decking system, the drainage gaps must be wide enough to preventing pooling in heavy rain, but not so wide that they compromise privacy with exposure to views above and below, or induce vertigo by making the drop below the balcony visible through the floor.
With all of these elements in place, modular balconies can combine efficient installation with an attractive appearance which is built to last. By applying similar design principles, the same combination can be achieved with modular Juliet balconies: again, minimum use of rails and maximum use of toughened glass can create a visually appealing feature which allows plenty of sunlight to pass through into the interior. They are even easier to install and, with the better designs on the market, no stanchions are necessary – for example, glass panels can be held securely between a top rail and subtle stem brackets installed below.
From a technical viewpoint, all balconies should meet performance requirements in accordance with BS 6180:2011. With their standard range of components, uniformity in design and single source of supply, modular balconies make these performance requirements easier to check and control; buyers can request written confirmation from their supplier.
With so many practical and aesthetic benefits to offer, it’s easy to see why so many developers are concluding that modular solutions and glass balcony design are the best way to give each storey the perfect finish.
