Balcony door or balcony unit: what is the difference?
This part of the flat causes more confusion at the ordering stage than any other. The reason is simple: what a resident sees as "the way out to the balcony" can be one product at the factory, or two.
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- Free delivery
- Free installation
- Free disposal of the old window
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Balcony door
A separate door in its own opening. Either there is no window next to it, or the window sits in its own opening, separated from the door by a section of wall. In that case you order two separate products, fitted independently.
The door can be fully glazed or have a solid panel at the bottom. Fully glazed lets in more light; a panel is more practical, since you can lean on it and it does not show dirt as easily.
Balcony unit
A door and a window in a single opening, separated only by a vertical profile, the mullion. From a manufacturing point of view it is one product with a shared frame, and it cannot be split into "the door first, the window later".
This is a common ordering mistake: someone orders just the door, because that is where the leak or the draught is. The fitter arrives and explains that the door cannot come out on its own, because it is held in a shared frame with the window.
How to tell which you have
Open the door and look at where it meets the window beside it. If there is brick or concrete between them, you have two openings and two products. If there is only a white or brown post a few centimetres wide, it is a single unit.
Things to decide before ordering
- Which way it opens. The door should open without blocking the way through or hitting furniture.
- The threshold. A low threshold is more convenient, especially with a pushchair or an elderly person in the household, but it keeps out the cold less well than a high one.
- An outside handle. If you keep things on the balcony and the door can swing shut, a handle on the outside saves some awkward moments.
- A ventilation position. A door that tilts open at the top does the job of a small vent window.
Prices
With us a balcony unit, meaning the door and window together, costs €650 double glazed or €750 triple glazed. The price includes installation, window sill, exterior flashing, interior finishing and disposal of the old door or unit.
Not sure what you have? Send us a photo and we will tell you. +372 5555 1682.