Types of cold glazing of balcony windows, which one is better to choose, installation features

Knowing the options and the ins and outs of their installation can help you make an informed decision when it comes to selecting the best kind of cold glazing for balcony windows. Windows that offer insulation and weather protection without the need for internal heating systems are referred to as cold glazing. These choices are especially important for balcony windows, where it’s crucial to maintain weather resistance and temperature control.

Polycarbonate and acrylic panels are the two most used forms of cold glazing for balcony windows. Acrylic panels, commonly referred to as Plexiglas, are a popular option for aesthetic reasons because they are lightweight and provide good clarity. Although they can scratch more easily than other materials, they offer respectable insulation. Polycarbonate panels, on the other hand, are strong and resistant to impact, which makes them appropriate for locations that frequently experience severe weather. While they might not be as clear as acrylic, they provide superior insulating qualities.

Your priorities will determine which of these options—weather resistance and durability or clarity and aesthetic appeal—to choose. Installing cold glazing normally entails locking the panels into a strong frame that slides into the window opening. In order to guarantee efficient insulation and defense against moisture and drafts, proper sealing and alignment are essential.

Cold Glazing Type	Features
Single Pane Glass	Simplest form, consists of a single glass pane. Provides basic insulation but offers minimal thermal efficiency.
Double Glazing	Consists of two glass panes with a gap filled with air or inert gas. Provides better insulation compared to single pane, reducing heat loss.
Triple Glazing	Features three glass panes separated by air or gas-filled spaces. Offers the highest level of insulation among cold glazing types, reducing noise and enhancing thermal efficiency.

It’s important to know the different types of cold glazing and how they should be installed when selecting it for balcony windows. Glass panes, polycarbonate, and acrylic are common choices for cold glazing. Every variety has its own advantages: polycarbonate offers superior durability and insulation, acrylic is lightweight and impact-resistant, and glass guarantees clarity and aesthetic appeal. Considerations for installation include things like cost-effectiveness, weather resistance, and ease of maintenance. Based on the unique requirements of your balcony, such as the desired level of durability and the climate, you can compare these options and make an informed decision that improves the look and feel of your living area.

What it is?

In a frameless modification, cold glazing consists of glass in a profile or on guides without any components that provide thermal insulation:

1. rubber (silicone) cords;
2. without cameras in the frame;
3. thermal inserts;
4. thermal breaks;
5. thermal bridges;
6. other similar parts.

In other words, this is the simplest frame.

Cold glazing typically consists of a single glass set within an aluminum frame. However, it can also refer to any window, whether it has thermal breaks, thermal bridges, or insulation loops—or not, in the case of highly ineffective windows.

One-leaf wooden windows, for instance, are categorized as cold because they lack additional insulation. These also include PVC structures that are installed for internal openings and have one or two chambers in the profile, with a maximum of two glasses.

When is it appropriate and when is it not??

In these situations, cold glazing is used:

• There is no need to retain heat or there is a need to do this only at the most minimal level. This is how unheated, uninhabited locations are decorated.
• No special other insulating properties required. If you take frameless glazing, then the sound insulation is at a minimum level, there is even a slight airflow, since there is a gap of 2…4 mm between the glasses.
• Only protection from wind, precipitation, dust, combined with excellent aesthetics is required. The latter quality is especially pronounced, since the profile is thin, less inconspicuous, and in frameless modifications it is not present, which is especially suitable for panoramic (French, floor-to-ceiling) windows.
• If there are previous requests and preference is given to the most practical, simple, lightweight, cheap (except for frameless solutions) design with simple controls and settings that require minimal maintenance.

A more comprehensive form of cold glazing is available as well: an aluminum profile featuring two glasses, or a double-glazed window equipped with a camera. The insulation level is marginally higher in this configuration. Rubber sealing tape and insulation can even be installed on the profile. However, the quality will still be far lower than that of a fully developed heated product. The highest temperature that can be attained with it is ten degrees warmer than outside.

Balconies and loggias are typically filled with panoramic glass, but cold glazing, which is ideal since it doesn’t obstruct the view, has a thin profile or is only present as slats (frameless modification). This is a great option if we take into account light transmittance and appearance, especially if tinted.

When the fit is off:

1. When the balcony, loggia is heated. Such cases are rare, since these locations are not heated due to their purpose, and they are usually uninhabited most of the time. Such objects are heated and insulated, for example, only in cases where the owner likes to sit there enjoying the scenery, or when this part of the house serves as a meeting place, etc. P.
2. Requires sound insulation, high tightness. Cold glazing is usually with single glass, it often has no insulation at all. Of course, there is no need to talk about the listed properties. This is especially true for frameless modifications.

Cold glazing is appropriate for balconies and loggias that are used infrequently during the colder months of the year and do not require heat retention.

Panel MKDs are a common example of such premises. Conversely, since apartment owners use storage balconies to dry laundry, store food, and use as a refrigerator, low temperatures are occasionally required or not especially significant.

Warm filling will be useless in cold areas, so there’s no use putting it there to keep the temperature high, no matter how good it is. Thus, cold assembly is the most sensible and practical option for these kinds of objects.

The neighboring room’s ability to insulate against heat loss is not significantly impacted by the availability of the proposed solution because it is typically enclosed by a wall that has only doors and a completely dependable internal window block. However, there are situations in which every watt of heat counts, such as in the north, in which case a cold window is unthinkable.

Balconies that were designed when warm plastic double-glazed windows were uncommon provide a striking example of windows without insulation. Since the 1990s of the previous century, a large number of these outdated fillings have been effectively serving their intended purposes. These are classic, conventional wooden frames with a single, thin (4 mm) glass set in more prestigious aluminum and steel (thin slats) frames.

These goods were frequently handmade. Furthermore, despite windage and wind loads, the glass was installed on the upper floors without adhering to height restrictions. But generally speaking, a lot of vertical jumpers broke through these kinds of structures, preventing them from being squeezed out or loosened.

The primary feature that determines whether a structure qualifies as a cold type is its profile; if it is such (sometimes referred to as a façade), then the product as a whole is not warm.

Types and types of glazing

The primary classification of cold windows is based on the profile material and available options.

• Metal. In the vast majority of cases, aluminum alloys, less often stainless or galvanized steel. Al profile – a certain standard, the most common for cold windows. This material is ideal, since it is possible to build the thinnest possible frame from it. Aluminum is extremely strong, durable, does not corrode, and is superior to PVC and wood in this parameter.
• Tree. Such profiles are put by adherents of environmental friendliness. A very good choice, but you shouldn’t expect it to be cheap – the price is comparable to aluminum. Disadvantages: less durable and strong than Al (however, such framing often successfully serves for decades), the planks are somewhat thicker, not suitable for the frameless option, there is a need for painting, impregnation with strengthening substances, more difficult to install, since you need to know how to work with wood work. Advantages: great look, natural material, nice texture, warmer, better insulating properties.
• Aluminum profile with wooden overlays. The advantages are the same as those of Al, but the specified improvement is added, which slightly increases the insulating properties, appearance and significantly increases the price.
• PVC. This is a profile reminiscent of that in warm window systems, but thin, without or with one to two chambers in the frame and with a maximum of two glasses. This material is almost never used for cold glazing of balconies; there is no point in it for the purpose under consideration: it is fragile, the frame, frame (bars of the post-transom system) will have to be made wide and dimensional so that they can withstand wind loads. In addition, additional additions will be required in the form of status enhancers, temperature compensators. That is, it’s better to pay a little extra and install a warm PVC system – the price will differ minimally.

The ideal material for cold glazing profiles is aluminum. This is the norm by default. Advantages: stronger than all other options (except steel, which is used less frequently), smaller in size, light, thin, and with narrow slats that can support a substantial weight of filling. This option is the most robust; it lasts for eighty years. Although a warm Al profile costs significantly more than a PVC profile, it is still affordable when cold glazing is used.

Glazing:

• Single. Most cold systems are supplied with one thick glass.
• Two glasses. One of the goals of warmly filling an opening is to reduce the cost and simplify the design, so this is usually the maximum. Theoretically, you can install packages with three canvases, that is, with two cameras, but they don’t do that. Together with a cold profile, their potential will not only be excessive, but a lot of problems will arise: condensation will certainly appear, since the frame is without insulation, and the price will also increase, the complexity of maintenance and installation.

A cold window has increased requirements for glass thickness, which is 6…8 m, sometimes 10 mm. More solid fabric means better insulating properties, which is very important in this case. The glazing area of ​​balconies is large, especially for panoramic solutions, as is often the case, so a more durable, dimensional material is required.
For the above reasons, as well as in connection with safety requirements, tempered glass, triplex, and other impact-resistant types are used. However, they also install multifunctional, energy-saving varieties, especially if the design has a double-glazed window: for example, the outer one is tempered, the inner one is multi-layered with an energy-saving layer.

There are two categories based on whether a frame is present or absent:

• Frame structures, post-transom assembly, cells with individual pieces of glass. The filling has a full-fledged binding that strengthens the entire structure.
• Frameless. The canvases are attached only to some kind of frame, or rather, to guides (slats) at the top and bottom, sometimes on the sides. There are no jumpers between them, and if there are, then they do not perform amplification functions. From a distance, such a balcony looks like an aquarium.

With frameless glazing, there are two different kinds of glass fastening:

1. clamping profile;
2. point fixation (with drilling holes in glass).

Additionally, the following kinds of frameless glazing exist:

• lower-support;
• suspended, top-hung;
• stationary (solid, showcase).

While there are other options for openings, the most widely used versions are the rotary, tilt-and-turn, and sliding styles. These styles are perhaps even more common, which is why cold glazing is frequently referred to as "sliding."

What is parking (give an example of how to describe a system that uses it): Accordion: Let’s enumerate every change:

1. Sliding. A very typical type for cold glazing, as it is most suitable for its technical parameters. Most systems are like this. There is little space on the balcony, as well as possible gusts of wind, so the sash, which does not take up space inside the location, is not subject to additional shocks due to windage – an ideal option. Subspecies:
2. for frameless modification: slider (cascade), accordion, book (without or with parking);
3. for the frame type, the more common classic parallel-sliding (the sash is pulled toward itself, then to the side) and sliding methods, and also a lift-and-slide option is possible, accordion/
4. More standard types: swing (swivel), transom, tilt, turn-tilt. These are also quite common options for frame-type cold assemblies.
5. A combination of blind and opening doors and different types of movement is possible.

The parallel-sliding method (you have to pull it towards you and move it to the side) and slider (each blade moves into a groove in the rail when it opens, making it parallel to each other) are shown below: Conventional cold glazing, which is frequently inferred by default in this design, consists of a single panel that is 8–10 mm thick and is mounted on an aluminum profile. It has a hinged or sliding type of opening. It must be acknowledged that, in this instance, the first option is becoming more and more conventional than the second.

Since frames for cold glazing are typically made of aluminum, even though warm aluminum profiles also exist, it is widely accepted that when the name of this metal is applied to windows without further specification, we are talking about cold glazing.

Because of its exceptional thermal conductivity, which causes the temperature of the building’s frame to be nearly identical inside and outside, aluminum was initially thought to be cold. However, as we’ve already mentioned, there are warm profiles that work incredibly well.

Additionally, there is non-removable, remote glazing, but this is more related to the balcony or loggia’s actual design. In the first instance, this is the object’s expansion as a result of the installation of a metal beam frame, which is supported by a square profile.

Requirements

Systems of glazing that are not insulated must adhere to specific guidelines:

• Glass. Thickness 6…8 mm. You can use 4…5 mm, but usually it is used only if there are many jumpers (solid panels are small) or if they install a double-glazed window with a camera. However, even in this case, at least 6 mm is highly desirable. There are also designs with 10…12 cm, especially in frameless assemblies. If aluminum is used, the maximum is almost unlimited.
• As standard, only safety and/or impact-resistant glass is installed: tempered, triplex, float. At the same time, such a canvas can be energy-saving, but in our case it is not necessary, since it will not greatly increase the thermal capacity of the glazing, which is cold by nature, and even more so in the same unheated locations;
• Film tinting or material tinted in the mass is often used, and the best option is with magnetron sputtering.
• Alloy. AD31 is considered the highest quality, as well as pure aluminum with magnesium and silicon, which impart strength without increasing weight.

A distinct lower section is typically always constructed in panoramic windows, and the glass in it is typically stronger and thicker. It is best to use actual product examples when considering aluminum profile parameters.

We’ve compiled the following traits:

• total thickness – 40 – 90 mm (for warm ones the minimum limit is about 70 mm), supports glass 4…10 mm or double-glazed windows 18 – 30 mm;
• service life declared by the manufacturer is 80 years;
• smooth surface;
• metal strength – 22…15 kg/sq.m. mm;
• preservation of properties at -50…+80° C;
• powder coating. All shades of the RAL palette are possible;
• profile wall thickness 1.5 – 2 mm.

Examples of cold aluminum profiles that are more precise:

1. Alutech (Alutech):
2. C48. Specially made for balconies, terraces. Without thermal insulation insert. Installation width 48 mm. Thermal insulation level Ropr = 0.61 m2∙°C/W. Sound insulation – up to 33 dB. Double-glazed windows up to 33 mm wide are supported;
3. f For mullion-transom fillings of facade openings, including balconies, loggias. Air and water permeability – class A. The posts (visible width) are narrow, however, like most aluminum products of this type – up to 50 mm. For filling with a thickness of 4…56 mm;
4. Sial (SIAL, domestic brand):
5. KP 40, 45, 50, 50K. Especially for balcony windows, similar structures (vestibules, shop windows). KP 40: for filling thickness 3 – 24 mm, installation depth – 40 mm. KP 45: Good versatility. Infill 4…24 mm. KP 50: for glass 6 mm, single-chamber double-glazed windows up to 24 mm, double-glazed windows up to 32 and 43 mm. It is possible to fill with panels of the same thickness;
6. Gearbox 45 GOS-S. System specifically for sliding, lift-and-slide assemblies.

As with all windows, the dimensions of solid glass are extremely hazy, particularly for single panels. However, we have estimated an average standard for frame-type aluminum assemblies:

• Width 600…1250 mm (this is the maximum that manufacturers often indicate) without vertical imposts (racks), and if they are present, after 900…1200 mm is not standardized.
• Height 500…1800 mm. If higher, then horizontal jumpers will be required.
• Much depends on the thickness, the level of amplification, multi -layer. That is, if the thickness of a simple impact -resistant (not tempered) glass is 6 mm and it is located on the upper floors, where the load is large, then smaller sizes are desirable, for example, 900 mm wide in height of 1500 mm. Otherwise, such a canvas can bend. If they take hardened filling in 8 mm, then the frames increase – 1200×1800 and even more than we indicated above.
• An example of a specialist advice: for hardened glass 2×2 m, 6 mm is enough for a simple shock -resistant with such sizes – 8 mm.

How to choose the right?

Let us outline the key points to consider at each stage of the customer’s decision-making process. There’s no need to mistake an aluminum profile intended for balcony windows for one meant for interior partitions. It ought to be a facade product for them.

Glass, size ratio, load

Better still, the glass and profile should be thicker. You can install a double-glazed window with one chamber; the insulating properties will be very apparent. The maximum amount of the particular type of filling is two glasses.

You can accept 4.5 mm if they install just one, but this is an extremely undesirable minimum and should only be used for sashes that measure a maximum of 600 by 1000 mm (W by H); otherwise, it will bend. It is advised to take 8 mm if the recommended 6 mm is exceeded. There is a risk associated with a segment width of more than 1.5 meters and a height of 1.80 meters.

When it comes to double-glazed windows, 4–5 mm is acceptable because the spacer frame stiffens the structure. Typically, the outer glass is installed stronger and thicker—for instance, tempered 6 mm—while the inner glass is 4–5 mm and impact-resistant. Nevertheless, triplex is more frequently used.

If you install a “sliding” or hinged cold system above the 5th floor on a large loggia, for example, on an opening 6 m long and 1.8 m high, not to mention solutions when the glazing is made into the floor, then the sashes and frame (jumpers) must be reinforced. This figure is general; it may vary depending on the quality of the product. Experts recommend asking the seller about it and asking him for a statistical calculation of the loads. It should be taken into account that the windage is large, and the glazing on the loggias is usually panoramic. With large solid glass, that is, if there are few jumpers, the structure installed on the upper floors (on which the gusts of wind are significant) can literally fly away. There is a risk that it will loosen, press inward, the canvas may crack from vibrations, bending. This is also why thick glass 6…8 mm and impact-resistant are recommended, as we described above.

Occasionally, there is a belief that there are limitations on the number of floors that can be "sliding," such as windage, meaning that they can only be placed up to five or eight stories. This is incorrect. A profile with stiffeners, a lot of racks, and thick filling all work to mitigate the effect of wind loads.

Options

Customers frequently request, for instance, glazing with six sashes for their seventh-floor windows, but the installation company declines and suggests instead installing eight segments, failing which they will not provide a guarantee. This is not necessarily a ploy to drive up the price (the OIA rises with the number of racks); rather, this suggestion ought to be regarded carefully.

Studying the experiences of neighbors who own similar windows in similar areas (with similar wind loads) is also a good idea. For instance, there are many cases where an aluminum cold system with six rather than eight sashes is installed on the ninth through thirteenth floors, and no issues are reported. Here, a lot is determined by the installers’ professionalism, dependability, and quality profile. The limitations listed above are lessened if you install a single-chamber double-glazed window rather than a single glass one.

Cold glazing examples include:

• Initial data: rectangular opening, width 6 m, height 1.80 m, that is, filling not to the floor, Moscow region (moderate wind loads), 7th floor, 9-story brick apartment building.
• The customer wanted 6 sashes, but the installation company recommended 8 sashes with a width of 75 cm, otherwise they would not give a guarantee. The problem is that the opening is on the east side, the lintels will reduce light transmission.
• We considered the Provedal C640 (cheap, very popular) and SLIDORS systems, the manufacturers of which stated a maximum sash width of 1250 mm, that is, suitable for the customer’s requests (each segment will be 1 m).
• As a result, SLIDORS was installed with 6 doors, but reinforced: slats, lintels must have thick walls 1.5…2 mm, with stiffeners, glass 6 mm. The design works without problems, but the installers did not give a guarantee for it.

Solid glass should have a maximum aspect ratio of 1:2 (W:H).

Another illustration of a product selection process:

• Let"s take as an example the same Provedal C640 with max. sash width 1250 mm. Ratio of canvas dimensions 1:2 (W:H). Sash specific gravity 12 kg/sq.m. m. Seals: brush (for sashes), as well as felt and EPDM – light-ozone-frost-resistant synthetic rubber, quite high quality, reliable, much better than TPE.
• Such a system can be installed for 4…5 floors., but if higher, then it should have a reinforced profile and even with it, for example, on the 7th floor. it may not be suitable, since its strength level is not particularly high (this is an average quality product). That is, if doubts arise, then you need to focus on more reliable brands, for example, the same Alutech ALT100 has reinforced doors that are 1.5 times more powerful than C640

Selection of profile material

Aluminum is the only option available when it comes to the profile material itself:

• Wooden frames placed on any floor, but the maximum width of the sash is approximately 1×1.5 m and this is an extremely strict limit. Moreover, the racks are not narrow, but at least 2 times wider than aluminum, the profile itself is also thicker. That is, you can glaze a large opening, make a panoramic filling into the floor, but the number of partitions will increase, they will interfere with the view, and light transmission will decrease. In addition, they do not install status bars and temperature compensators on wood, and if such elements are used, they are not so effective. There is a risk that the frame will rattle during gusts of wind, and cracks in the glass are possible. Wood wears out faster and is definitely not suitable for frameless modifications. Nevertheless, mullion-transom systems with a profile made from it are found quite often due to the high aesthetics of the texture, the naturalness of the material, and besides, their heat capacity and insulating properties are much higher. This is a great option, but it has the described features.
• Aluminum with wood overlays. It has the same qualities as a profile made simply from Al, the heat capacity is slightly higher, that is, it is recommended without any reservations. But the price of such a product will be many times higher.
• PVC Definitely not recommended for cold glazing. You can, of course, install a cold plastic profile with 1…2 chambers in it, but there is no particular point in this, since you will have to take an additionally reinforced product, install status bars, temperature compensators. In this case, the thickness of the racks will still not be enough, you will have to increase their number. It’s better to pay a little extra and install a full-fledged warm PVC system.

For balconies, loggias, and panoramic openings, cold glazing without reservations is only available in aluminum profile, and less frequently in steel profile. Only frame construction, lots of sashes (at least 8 with an opening width of 6 m), and relatively small sizes (up to 1 x 1.5 m) are appropriate uses for wood.

Frameless

If frameless modifications are taken into consideration, then the primary retaining elements and guides are made entirely of steel or aluminum; the use of other materials is not even mentioned.

Conditions for fillings without frames:

• Glass is usually 8 mm, sometimes 10…12 mm, here the extreme undesirable minimum is 6 mm. Hardened or impact resistant.
• Profile: aluminum or steel only. The same fastening elements, main functional parts (roller base, hinges).
• Glass width – 500 … 800 cm. Maximum – 1000 cm for opening sash and 1200 cm for deaf glass. Height – up to 3000 cm.
• There are no restrictions on the number of storeys, but at the height of the sash from 2 m, as well as after 5 floor. Recommended glass with a thickness of 10 mm. If these parameters are smaller, then 8 mm. With a large wind load, fabric is placed in 12 mm.

Features of the installation of frame type

Think about the "from scratch" method used to establish cold glazing in a new building. The structure is installed on the floor and has a swing sash with a single glass.

1. A hole for the hook is drilled on the balcony plate, it is driven and screwed, fixed on it and on themselves a safety cable.
2. The place is cleaned of dust, garbage. The segments of the frame are carried out, they are joined, while the assembly has not yet been fixed, that is, it is worth it, leaning on the wall of the opening (photo 3).
3. They join parts from below, from above, in the middle. The frame blocks have projections that fit into each other, these connections are secured with bolts (the holes for them are already made during the production of these parts).
4. The frame is fixed with a safety rope, using the same hook driven into the slab. They move her to the edge, where she should end up. Leave about 1 cm (photo 2) from the edge of the slab to the protruding end of the vertical profile, but then in the process of correcting the position make it flush with the edge. The cable is fixed with tension.
5. We install the side segment, it is also joined, there may be an overlay at the junction – remove it. After joining, lightly press the parts with your hands and tap with a little force. We fix (stabilize) with a special clamp, clamp. In the attached profile, holes are made for self-tapping screws: in the front through through, in the side – through the reinforcing tab, but without going beyond the boundaries of the outer wall, so that the fasteners do not stick out into the street. Step – according to the usual pattern: from the imposts 15 cm, between parts – 60…70 cm or a little more often. We screw in the screws, thus connecting these segments. Use long anchors.
   Below shows the distance from the side of the slab and from the wall of the opening to the frame. We check the evenness of the position with a level, a corner (ruler) along the entire vertical and horizontal, and correct it by gently tapping it with your hand.
6. We fasten the plates to the concrete slab (to the floor) of the balcony and to the walls of the opening using concrete expansion anchors (with a sliding metal body and a threaded bushing, photo 2). Drilling is done. Then the fasteners are inserted, driven in with a hammer, and tightened. First, fix the frame on opposite edges; after fixing on one side, you can slightly adjust the evenness of the position on the other. You can attach several levels to a profile and observe the evenness of the position online.
7. After securing the two opposite ends, we fix the remaining plates. During the process, you can lightly tap, preferably not with a hammer, as in our example, but with a rubber mallet, to adjust the position by a few mm. Do not forget to check evenly all the time.
8. We attach the top. From below, opposite the same place of fixation from above, you can unscrew the screws of two to three plates screwed to the frame, which will make it possible to correct the situation by several mm. And so gradually do throughout the process of fixing this part. To correct the gap from below, we use blades, linings for unpcimentation. The level can be fixed with stake or thread, tape in each place of screwing anchors for online monitoring. We fix the top in the same way, as we described – spacer dowels by concrete.
9. After fastening the top with dowels, below, we adjust the gap by laying any convenient items, check with the level and, with this fixed state, we screw the screws that we have removed (see. above) compound plate/frame.
10. Thoroughly cleaned with a brush or fan place of dust from dust. We fix the ebb (it is made of aluminum or steel), before that we mark it, adjust it: apply it to the installed structure, cut it with a grinder or metal scissors.
11. We fasten the ebb to the frame with short self-tapping screws, a step of about 50…70 cm, and from the imposts (from the vertical partitions) – 15 cm. We decorate the entire perimeter in a similar way and make a canopy (upper ebb). We seal gaps and joints with silicone sealant.
12. We install external decorative overlays on the sides of the frame, hiding the joint near the wall (the pitch of the screws is about 30 cm). We moisten the installation gap and foam it.
13. We install the lower, upper and side internal sealing strips, before this we mark, cut them, and glue the sealing tape (PSUL) onto them. We fasten it to the frame with short self-tapping screws, step: from the imposts 15 cm, between the screws 50…70 cm.
14. We snap off the glazing beads, clean the groove from dust, put the wedging pads there (included with the system), insert the glass, snap them into place, push in the seal, preferably made of synthetic rubber (EPDM). In some places, the glass can be pushed back with plastic inserts inserted between the glazing bead and it in order for the material to fit in.

Last glance:

Installation of frameless

Think about a parking system that slides. identifying the opening and putting in guides (slats) based on measurements taken from above and below. For concrete, use self-tapping screws or long expansion dowels.

The procedure is easy to follow:

1. The upper and lower guide rails, custom-made to fit the dimensions of the opening, are fastened with hardware, then the glass is inserted into it.
2. The ends of the bar have rubber stoppers.
3. The glass is equipped with a strip with rollers at the top and bottom.
4. A special brush strip seal is inserted into the groove, covering the moving edge, preventing dirt from entering.

In our example, the guides are fastened to the walls directly—that is, without passing through plates—using concrete screws. The installation gap, which is foamed and formed by analogy, as we explained in the previous example, is also visible in the picture (with decorative strips with a seal).

Here, we have a "book" opening mechanism with parking: the central segments move and can be parked close to the outer doors, which swing open and have a handle.

The aperture where the outer blade is inserted into the groove is visible below; it has a stopper (square segment on top). This sash is secured with a plastic tab in the rail cutout, which is pushed all the way under the roller, to ensure that it stands steadily (see photo 4). The doors can be opened and moved thanks to unique-shaped wheels. It is possible to move the central panels, rotate them at the end, and fold them vertically.

Put in limiters: Mechanism operation: The sash can also move in a more conventional sliding manner by moving parallel to other segments that are similar. The procedure for installation is essentially the same: tighten the guides, place the roller-equipped shutters inside, tighten the stoppers, and tighten similar fittings.

Features of setup and adjustment

The cold glazing system has very limited adjustment capabilities if it is sliding, but this is not necessary for this solution. As they move along slats with a groove—which are, of course, perfectly stable—the sashes do not warp, have gaps, loosen, violate geometry, or experience pressure. There is no need for extra care; the only thing you need to do is periodically check to see if dirt has gotten lodged in the rack’s groove and into the rollers.

If an assembly permits it, more conventional systems, such as rotary, tilt-and-turn, and swing, can be adjusted, just like traditional warm PVC or aluminum structures. For instance, the image below shows a swing-out door system made of cold aluminum.

Keep an eye on the binding and the scissors—they resemble the warm filling, respectively, and might be similarly adjustable. If a seal is present, it must be cleaned and lubricated on a regular basis (every six months); otherwise, the maintenance is the same.

Advantages and disadvantages

Only cold glazing is suitable for areas that aren’t heated, like loggias and balconies. Installing a warm system on them is not particularly advised because it will be inefficient and unnecessary to use the assembly’s potential. Benefits of cold glazing

• Installation is much faster and easier.
• There are special convenient design options according to the method of operation: sliding, parallel-sliding, slider, book.
• Among the design options, there is a variety that is excellent in aesthetics and comfort – a frameless system. It looks especially impressive with tinting.
• The profile is narrow, and in the frameless version there is no binding at all, which is well suited for panoramic glazing of a loggia.
• Maintenance and setup easier. The profile is aluminum, so the frame is more rigid, the risk of distortions, bevels, and geometry violations occurs much less frequently. The frameless version does not need to be adjusted; you can only occasionally clean the groove for the rollers, but this will be required extremely rarely, since it is closed with a special strip seal.
• The system is lightweight, so it is suitable for old houses with unreliable balcony slabs.
• Aluminum is non-flammable, environmentally friendly, resistant to corrosion, its thermal expansion is negligible, so status enhancers and temperature compensators are not required. You can fill openings of any complexity without much difficulty.
• The assembly from Al will last 80 years or more, any shades are possible (the entire RAL palette).

Drawbacks:

• Low heat capacity. The temperature inside the balcony will be a maximum of 10 degrees higher than outside. But cold glazing is installed in unheated, uninhabited, non-residential locations, so no special thermal insulation is required. However, in such a frame filling there is a certain level of this quality and tightness.
• Low noise insulation.
• If the filling is frameless, then there is poor tightness, and such a system is sometimes also a little ventilated, since there may be a gap of 2…4 mm between the panels.
• There are some restrictions on the size of the sashes (solid glass) due to windage. On high floors, a reinforced frame and an increase in the number of racks will be required.
• In winter, glaciation of the valves is often observed.

Average prices

What influences prices are the following:

• Profile solidity: overall and wall thickness, presence of stiffeners, reinforcements.
• Number of jumpers: the more there are, the higher the cost. On upper floors it is recommended to reduce the area of ​​​​solid glass and increase the number of racks, so such systems are usually more expensive.
• Thickness and quality of glass: the more solid the material and the better its quality (tempered. tinted), the more you have to pay.
• Additional work: ebb and flow, canopy, dismantling old filling, finishing the balcony, window sill. Installation is often considered separately, especially for frameless glazing.
• If the filling is frameless, then the cost is influenced by the manufacturability of the design and its positioning as “prestigious”.

As an illustration:

• Glaze an opening 5.23 m long with the Provedal aluminum sliding frame system (middle and slightly lower price segment); 1.42 m high (not panoramic filling), 7 sashes, plus a canopy, ebb and apron on the outside (20 cm) will cost about 40 thousand. rub. along with work.
• For a balcony 3.1 m long, with a central wing width of 80 cm, side leaves 40 cm each, and a height of about 1.5 m, you will have to pay 34 thousand. An assembly with sliding segments will cost approximately the same price – this does not particularly affect it if the type is frame.
• A balcony 3.26×0.8 m filled with a wooden frame costs about 32 thousand.

The cost of cold glazing frames per square meter, plus an additional 3,500 rubles for installation:

• regular – 5600;
• with take-out – 6500;
• panoramic (French, floor-length) – 7600 rub.

The price of the frameless sliding solution is as follows (per square meter):

• slider (cascade) – 16 thousand.;
• book – 16 – 22 thousand., with parking – 21 thousand.;
• accordion – 24 thousand.;
• stationary (solid), clamping profile – 9 thousand.

The average cost of frameless sliding cold glazing is three or even five times that of framed glazing. In this case, technology and inflated prestige have a greater influence on the price because installation is occasionally even easier and requires fewer materials.

Without completing and insulating the roof and balcony (which is important if the property is on the top floor), we examined the costs.

There are various types of cold glazing available for balcony windows, each with unique benefits and installation considerations. You can choose wisely for your balcony by being aware of these options.

Without the option to open, fixed cold glazing offers a constant defense against the elements and outside noise. It’s perfect for colder climates or noisy environments because it’s easy to install and provides excellent insulation.

Conversely, sliding cold glazing provides flexibility in cleaning and ventilation by allowing for partial or full opening. It can improve airflow and balcony accessibility, but its installation must be done precisely to guarantee smooth operation.

The flexibility of folding cold glazing systems allows the panels to fully fold back, creating a completely open balcony area. Although it offers maximum flexibility in use, this option requires careful installation to ensure proper folding and weatherproofing.

The ideal kind of cold glazing for your balcony windows should be chosen after taking your climate, preferred ventilation, and maintenance needs into account. Every variety provides distinct advantages that can improve the coziness and efficiency of your living area.

Video on the topic

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