French balcony: types, features, arrangement

Let’s talk about what a French balcony is, how it differs from the structures we are used to, what advantages and disadvantages it has. Let’s talk about the types of French balconies, give examples of their use and arrangement.

French balconies have a long history. Even in Shakespeare’s tragedy “Romeo and Juliet”, “juliet balconies” is mentioned, that is, a balcony “which cannot be reached.” The classic French balcony is, rather, just a French window, about which we wrote in detail. For safety, such floor windows are fenced with wrought iron railings. It turns out a fake balcony without a balcony area at all.

But French balconies are also called small areas behind panoramic windows. And this is also a classic. There is little space on such a balcony, usually you can’t even put a chair. But you can still go out with a cup of coffee, although the area traditionally does not exceed 30-50 cm.

The easiest way to recognize a classic French balcony is to use a wrought iron fence. Such railings are the hallmark of French balconies, a striking distinctive feature.

We recognize that nowadays, any balconies with glazing to the floor are often called French. Such a modern version also has the right to bear this name, although you cannot call it a classic. This is a standard-sized balcony, which differs from the usual only with panoramic glazing, French windows.

If the balcony is so small or without a platform at all, does it make sense? Certainly. This is an excellent decoration for the facade of any home, in addition, large windows in the floor let in a lot of light, the rooms will be well lit.

The advantages of a French balcony include:

1. Beautiful appearance;
2. Saving on electricity due to increased light transmission capacity;
3. The room visually looks larger, the border between the living space and the surrounding landscape is erased;
4. There is no need to spend energy and money on capital arrangement – the balcony is either fully open or fully glazed. In the case of a classic balcony, a small concrete or metal platform does not need flooring and insulation.

Cons of a French balcony:

1. Panoramic windows are not cheap;
2. Turning an ordinary balcony into a French one means changing the size of the opening, enlarging it, dismantling part of the wall and the old parapet;
3. A large glazing area implies regular window care, it takes a lot of time;
4. In summer, it can be hot outside the panoramic windows, and colder in winter than behind an insulated wall;
5. If one of the residents of the house has agoraphobia (fear of open space) or acrophobia (fear of height), the French balcony will become a source of stress;
6. The safety issue is particularly acute despite the presence of a fence.

Arrangement of a classic French balcony usually ends with landscaping. The balcony is very small, so there isn’t much to do with it. And flowers will be a great decoration.

If we are talking about a standard balcony with panoramic French windows, then they are often tinted or curtained so that there is no feeling of an aquarium. This is especially important if the balcony is on the first or second floor or the neighboring houses are too close. Without tinting or curtains, blinds, it will be impossible to ensure privacy.

Despite its shortcomings, French balconies are still popular. This is not surprising, because even a classic wrought-iron fence in a window or doorway becomes a wonderful decoration for the exterior of the house, allowing you to expand the boundaries of the room and enjoy all the benefits of a beautiful view.