According to Ramböll*, Scandinavia’s leading construction consultants, there are a whole host of reasons why you should invest in glazed balconies from Balco as an alternative to the usualbalcony and concrete refurbishment.
A combination of oxidation, moisture and the pH value in the concrete leads the steel reinforcement in thebalcony floor to corrode. This corrosion occurs bothearlier and more quickly in an unprotected and open balcony. Glazing in the balcony keeps out a lot ofmoisture/water. This reduction in moisture causes thebalcony to dry out, which in turn almost completely halts the corrosion process. A reduction in moisturelevels in the concrete from 95% to 80% slashes the paceof corrosion by up to 90%! Since Balco’s glazing systemis also mounted on the outside edge of the floor module,the concrete’s exposure to moisture is limited even more effectively.
| Balcony | Concrete´s average moisture content RF (%) | Initiation phase (years) | Propagation phase (years) | Life (years) |
| Oskyddad | > 90 | 30 | 18 | 48 |
| Skyddad | < 80 | 30 | 68 | 98 |
| Skillnader | > 10 | 0 | 50 | 50 |
Glazing in the balcony and thus reducing exposure to moisture also means that the balcony’s interior climateimproves and the air temperature rises. This lowers surfacecondensation on both the concrete floor and the walls,which eliminates the risk of frost damage.
Balco’s glazing system is mounted on the outside edge of the floormodule, protecting the concretefrom moisture.
Balcony glazing acts as a thermal barrier, since it creates a column of air between the glazing and the façade.The effect is equivalent to around 50mm of traditionalsupplementary insulation. In addition, the input air iswarmed before it enters the apartment. When Ramböll’s engineers took measurements at properties where the glazing covered 2/3 of the façade’s area, the results showed energy savings of almost 20%. Thisoutcome is also supported by a similar study carried outby Tampere University of Technology in Finland. It isalso worth noting that Ramböll’s report did not includeour new energy solution – Balco Climate – which addsto the energy savings.
Ramböll’s study shows that a glazed balcony lasts 50 years longer than the equivalent open balcony. This ischiefly due to reduced corrosion and the elimination offrost damage in the concrete, see points 1 and 2. The glazed balcony also provides effective protection for thefaçade and windows against rain, snow and wind. Thiscuts the need for future investment in renovating the façade and windows inside the balcony.
Glazed balconies make the property more attractive and the apartments easier to rent out. This helps to boost themarket value, potentially giving a good return on the investment in the long term.
Less corrosion
The risk of frost damage is eliminated
Reduced energy consumption
Lower maintenance costs
Noise reduction
Higher property value
Fewer people move out
Increased security
Better indoor climate
An extra space
In all, adding glazing from Balco can extend the life of a concrete balcony floor by up to 50 years, compared with an unprotected floor, as illustratedin these two tables.
Integrated glazing with framed panes cuts noise levels considerably. The ear perceives a drop of 10 dB as ahalving of the noise level. Ramböll’s study and previous measurements show that an integrated glazing solution from Balco cuts noise by up to 20 dB.
The windows and air in the balcony act as insulation, meaning that input air is warmed up before it enters theapartment. The effect is a better thermal climate indoors.
*The above is based on Ramböll’s report “Balco, tekniska studier av balkonginglasningar – Inverkan på karbonatisering och armeringskorrosion” (Balco, technical studies of balcony glazing – Impact on carbonation and reinforcement corrosion) from 30.08.2010. UK_report_ramboll.pdf
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