Balconies are always an attractive feature of a building. They help your property to sell better, make it easier to let and offer designer living which is why they are in greater demand. But balconies are exposed constantly to the extremes of the elements, year after year, and this is the reason why they are on the renovation “to-do” list of almost all owners of such properties; property management companies, housing associations etc.

The type of properties which are particularly affected are those where the balconies were built with exposed concrete. After years of service, frost has left its toll by breaking up surfaces and necessitating costly renovation work in order to maintain their structural soundness. Also affected - although to a lesser extent - are buildings constructed with pre-cast concrete. Constant weathering caused by penetrating moisture and temperature fluctuations (from sub-zero temperatures in the winter to as high as 70° C building surface temperatures in the summer) result considerable damage and expensive renovation work in the long term. Although the balcony elements supplied by Solarlux cannot remedy the damage caused, they can offer lasting protection and are therefore a preventative solution.

A further plus is offered by our modular system in the form of curtain walling. Construction from the 1960s until the late 80s means that concrete cantilever slabs were not usually separated from the remaining building structure by thermal insulation, thus forming a permanent “cold bridge“ over which heating energy is wasted. In such cases the Solarlux curtain walling type modular systems can also reduce energy loss.

Individual balcony solutions for new and old properties

If you are wanting to increase the value of your property and provide more comfort and convenience to its occupiers, you will find that balcony glazing is the perfect answer.
You will be able to see a variety of modern balcony renovation methods which are on offer today, systems which are economic and which will provide reductions in energy costs for tenants and landlords alike. Solarlux, a manufacturer who specialises in this field, manufactures their systems in Germany and are certified according to ISO 9001 and offer systems, including test certificates from reputable national and international institutes such as ift Rosenheim, Architectural Testing, SHR etc.

Solarlux, the system developer, offers a comprehensive portfolio of balcony glazing systems for any specification - from cold glazing to thermally insulated modules in accordance with the latest energy saving regulations. With well-engineered and well-proven profiles and fittings, the company offers innovative glazing solutions for almost all balcony types. Uninsulated, transparent glazing or panels with extremely slim frame profiled glazing ensure maximum transparency and can be installed on existing parapets without difficulty. Within this thermally insulated system you can turn your balcony into an extended living space which can be used all year round.

Large openings – maximum flexibility
Solarlux´s glazing features generously dimensioned and variable openings. When opened, the original balcony character is restored, when closed, an additional room is created, protected from wind and weather. In addition, the feeling of comfort markedly increases as the enclosed space gained by the glazing acts in winter as an effective heat buffer. Energy savings that can be made in this way reduce the cost and help the environment.
Noise pollution, due to large traffic volumes, can be substantially reduced since the glazing has effective sound absorbing qualities. Without insulation the sound attenuation amounts to more than 20 dB (decibels), and with thermal insulation to as much as up to 44 dB.

Uninsulated glazing systems

Within the range of uninsulated systems there is a choice of three systems: the slim line slide and turn elements (SL 25 and SL 25R) and the SL 35 folding facade system.
The SL 25 system is an elegant, frameless all glass system whereas the SL 25R system is a glazing system with slim panel frames. The slide and turn panels are provided at the top with two horizontal ball bearing runner assemblies which can slide around any balcony angle over 90°. Thus, both glazing systems are suitable for straight and angled configurations (seen in plan view). The high performance runner assemblies ensure easy sliding of the glass panels and are flush and inconspicuously integrated into the design of the system, as with the locking system and the window furniture. The glass panel can be opened effortless towards the inside so that the outside glass pane can be cleaned from the inside of the balcony.
The profiles which have a depth of 27 mm can be fitted with standard glazing (single pane safety glass) of 6, 8 or 10 mm thickness. Both variants are provided with trickle ventilation, are protected from driving rain, and achieve a noise reduction of up to 17 dB or up to 25 dB respectively. A noise reduction of 10 dB is perceived by the human ear as a noise reduction by half.

In contrast to the slide and turn panels, the uninsulated SL 35 facade is opened up like a concertina. The opening direction can be chosen to be inwards, outwards, to the left or to the right. The folding facade features a thickness of 35 mm, a slim frame and slim panel profiles as well as high stability tongue-and-groove joints and solid corner connectors. Standard glazing is of 5 mm float glass but the system is capable of accepting sealed unit thicknesses up to 24 mm. Ventilation of the uninsulated folding facades is classified as class 2 and its impermeability to rain as class 7 A.

Thermally insulated balcony glazing
Increase your conveniences and comfort, conserve heat, use less energy. By contrast to cold glazing, thermally insulated folding facades, which can be mounted in the same way on existing balcony parapets, make things more comfortable and offer greater savings in energy - not only due to the additional air space which acts as a heat buffer, but also due to the heat-insulated parapet panels in combination with the heat-insulating glass. Thus, the balcony can be used all year round as a living space - a completely new concept which can be realised not only in the case of balcony renovations but also when building new balconies. The entire unit - the thermally insulated Solarlux profiles, the parapet panels and the glazing meet the stringent requirements of the German energy saving regulations EnEV. In terms of sealing, the statutory requirements are even surpassed.

The smooth and easy operation of moving the folding facades is achieved by high performance ball bearing runner assemblies. The panels can be folded inwards, outwards, towards the right and / or the left and stacked at the side out of the way without taking up any significant space. Thus it is possible to fold up a 10 m wide glass wall to as little as 1 metre. It is also possible to have the folding facade combined with tilt and turn panels. If the outer glass panes need cleaning, removable pins can be pulled out of the special door furniture so that the outside panes open towards the balcony in order to be cleaned from within with little effort.

Shortest installation times due to modular balcony system
For new balconies – as well as on existing residential property – Solarlux has developed a modular system which links the balcony parapet to the glazing in a unique manner. The balcony modules are designed predominantly as curtain walling, are pre-assembled in the works and delivered to site as complete units and installed in this way. Thus it is possible to reduce scaffolding and installation time at the site by up to 40 per cent. Parapet panels and glazing can be installed in subsequent stages of construction. The advantages of this SL type of modular construction by comparison with the conventional method (railings and glazing) are evident:

• visually attractive
• short installation times due to the streamlined installation of modules
• wraparound connecting joints  - covered at the inside and outside
• highly transparent –allowing maximum light, additional glass panels in the balustrade
• face of concrete components protected
• retrofitting of glazing on the parapet is simple
• easy replacement of parapet panels with GL system (glazing bar)

Single source tailor-made balcony solutions
Building work - whether it involves new buildings, refurbishment or face-lifting - always requires substantial organisational input on the part of the client. In order to reduce this work to a minimum, the manufacturer offers “single source balcony renovation or glazing” which means that all the work - from the survey to scaffolding and final installation - is carried out by one company. Housebuilders therefore have only one single contact for comprehensive renovation projects and this contact with his experienced project team, not only works out individual glazing solutions for the building to be renovated but also co-ordinates and handles all stages of the work and acts as facilitator between the architect and the property management company. Thus the prompt and smooth operation of all projects is ensured.

Balcony glazing - a worthwhile investment

Whether the payback for glazed balcony is achieved in two, three or five years depends on which system is used and which factors are used in the equation - whether energy saving, improved letting opportunities, increased value of residential property etc. For the property, the owner and the tenant the investment is always worthwhile.