Have you been thinking about expanding your living space for a long time?by adding a loggia or balcony to a room? Don't know how to coordinate everything correctly so that there are no problems? Today we will tell you in detail about all the intricacies of this process. There is never enough space in the house, so when we have a chance to have our own home, even if it is only a few square meters, we certainly want to take advantage of this opportunity. Therefore, adding such spaces as a loggia and a balcony always excites the imagination of homeowners. And although by law these are non-residential premises, nevertheless, many people try to make them habitable. But what awaits us if we decide to engage in such an addition, what pitfalls will we encounter along the way? We turned to architects Tatyana Morozova and Ruslan Kirnichansky and with their help we will help you understand all the intricacies of this very complex process. Tatyana Morozova, architect Tatyana is the head of the architectural bureau ARCHdesign and has appeared on the pages of our online magazine more than once. You can find out more about her . archdesign-tm.ru Ruslan Kirnichansky, architect-designer Ruslan is the head of the architectural bureau Fabbrica Immagini, we have already written about one of his projects, you can find out more information about it . fab-im.com
Loggia and balcony: what is the difference
Although some people consider these words to be synonyms,There is a difference, and it is noticeable. Unlike a loggia, it protrudes from the wall of the building and also has some kind of protective fencing. In turn, a loggia is an integral part of the building and is located inside the house, in no way protruding outward, which means it has a fence on at least three sides. But there are also more subtle technical aspects. A balcony and a loggia are different structural elements of a building. The fastening system of a balcony slab is designed for a smaller weight relative to a loggia, so most often you can get permission to combine a loggia and a room. However, in some cases it is possible to add a balcony to the living space, but this is so difficult that, as a rule, the game is not worth the candle. Ruslan Kirnichansky, architect and designer: - I do not recommend combining a balcony with a room, since it is economically expensive and time-consuming (coordination and permissible strengthening of the slab). In addition, adding a balcony does not solve the problem of space deficit (balconies have a modest area), with loggias the situation is more interesting, and combining them is economically justified and effective. fab-im.com Tatyana Morozova, architect: - Often the "native" glazing of the house is panoramic, with glass directly from the upper floor slab. This means that when ordering new glazing, you will have to reduce the area of this glazing (the insulation will take up those same 15-20 cm from above too), which will lead to a decrease in illumination. In our climate, this is an important factor. archdesign-tm.ru
Options for joining a loggia/balcony to a room
There are several ways to connecta balcony or loggia to an apartment. The first consists of glazing the added area, if there is none, as well as its major insulation. After this, you can dismantle the balcony door together with the window. This is an easier way, although it should be remembered that even such changes require permission and registration. The second option involves partially removing the outer wall of the building, which is much more problematic. Moreover, this is difficult not only in technical execution, but also in paperwork, since such a redevelopment will necessarily need to be agreed upon and then approved by the relevant authorities. Each specific case must be considered individually, because your changes can disrupt the supporting structure of the entire house. Tatyana Morozova, architect: - When deciding whether to attach or not, you need to realistically look at your situation. Sometimes the loggia or balcony is not very wide, which means that after insulation (which will take 15-20 cm from each wall, excluding the internal wall of the house) there may be a very narrow and small space left, where you can only place wall cabinets. archdesign-tm.ru
Dismantling the threshold and window sill block
From a technical point of view, this is the main point,which directly depends on the design of the building. For example, in brick, block or panel houses, the section of the window sill block in the wall can be part of the supporting structure, therefore, no one will allow it to be cut or even removed, and unauthorized reconstruction will be a direct violation of the law. In monolithic houses, this matter is easier, because usually the wall facades in them are not supporting, so expanding the opening will not be a problem. With the threshold, too, not everything is simple, often it serves as a fastening for the balcony slab, or hides the inter-panel joints, or prevents the room from freezing. In any case, like the window sill block, it should not be removed under any circumstances and will require special permission from the competent authorities. Ruslan Kirnichansky, architect and designer: - Removing the lower pier of the balcony door and window is permissible in exceptional cases. If the house has a panel system, then dismantling fragments of the external walls is strictly prohibited, since this work negatively affects the general building frame. If the house is monolithic brick, then the lower piers can be dismantled, but I recommend doing this after conducting a study of the building structure and obtaining approval, which will describe the algorithm for strengthening the structures. fab-im.com
How to coordinate and legalize
must be properly executed andlegalized. Therefore, to attach a loggia or balcony to a room, you should first contact the BTI to order a technical passport for the apartment, which will then need to be presented to the Moscow Housing Inspectorate for capital homeowners or to the Department of Construction and Architecture of the urban district for residents of any other city. In addition, you will also have to find a design organization, necessarily a member of the SRO, which will make a plan for the future redevelopment for you. At the same time, the company's specialists must conduct a technical inspection of the house and only then begin making changes. But that's not all, get ready to visit the sanitary and epidemiological, gas, fire and other services to coordinate your secret desires for redevelopment with them.
The next step is perhaps the most important.Now you need to collect all the documents together and submit them to the same Moscow Housing Inspectorate or a similar authority in your city. And in order not to get lost in all these papers, here is a list of the necessary documents:
Well, only after doing all this, you can move ondirectly to the redevelopment. Although even after the work is completed, you won't be able to breathe easy. You'll have to go to the housing inspection department again so that they can check. The employees of the authority must make sure that you haven't destroyed half the house or built anything extra for yourself. And when they make sure that you've done everything in strict accordance with the approved project, they'll issue you a certificate of completion of the redevelopment of the premises.
Insulation and heating
Transfer of engineering equipment outside the perimeterload-bearing walls of the building is prohibited. Balconies and loggias are considered auxiliary space of the apartment, they are non-residential space, and even if the loggia is combined with a room, it will not be possible to obtain permission to move the radiator (this contradicts the "Code of Rules"). Loggia insulation is required: lower and upper floors, walls. In addition, the glazing must be replaced with winter glazing. Since moving the radiator beyond the perimeter of external, load-bearing walls is prohibited, an electric option can be used to heat the balcony. This can be an electric heater. Tatyana Morozova, architect: - As a rule, heated floors are installed on attached loggias. This is correct, since a loggia, even attached and insulated according to all the rules, is the coldest and most blown place in the apartment. It must be remembered that the installation of a warm water floor is excluded (as well as water radiators). Only electric ones. When calculating the number of heating devices per cubic meter, the warm floor is not taken into account, since it is not a heating device, but only an auxiliary device! There is also such a method as heating with infrared radiation built into the suspended ceiling, floor and walls (if necessary). This method has its fans, and here's why: 1. The air humidity does not change (unlike traditional heat sources). 2. Silent. 3. Eco-friendly. 4. Does not affect the aesthetic appearance of the room (since it is entirely under the finish). archdesign-tm.ru Ruslan Kirnichansky, architect and designer: - For energy-intensive equipment, provide a separate cable with a machine from the panel (to ensure fire safety). Not only floor convectors can be used as a heater for the former loggia. I recommend installing an electric heated towel rail on the wall of the former loggia, it is convenient and does not take up much space. The configuration and style of modern electric heated towel rails are varied, and this equipment can be elegantly integrated into the interior. It is important to remember that a heated towel rail is a heating device, and only then is it equipment for drying textiles. When summer comes, it can be turned off. fab-im.com
Evgeniy Kulibaba, siruk-design.ru, sunwavestudio.ru, fedorova.ru, fab-im.com, int2architecture.ru,
