Frameless glazing of veranda and terrace

Veranda glazing in our country’s climate is a necessity. An open veranda can be used only in warm, windless weather, which is not very often. In inclement weather, people have to go into the house and take things away so that the rain and wind do not spoil them. Everything is different when the veranda is glazed: here you can comfortably spend time from early spring to late fall, without fear of the vagaries of the weather. Read more about the features of frameless glazing for verandas and terraces below.

Design features

Perfect porch fencing:

• low-profile – does not interfere with the view of the surrounding nature;
• can be quickly removed – no need for it in good weather;
• durable, does not require complicated and time-consuming maintenance.

Frameless glazing meets all these requirements. There are differences in the products of different manufacturers, but fundamentally they are organized in the same way. The supporting elements of frameless glazing are compact metal guides installed at the top and bottom. On them on rollers move sashes of thick tempered glass; from spontaneous movement they are held by clips. In order for the fence to be airtight in the closed position, the sashes are joined together with the help of a transparent plastic seal. The width of the fence can be almost any – the number of sashes varies and in some models of glazing reaches up to 18 pieces. The height can also be different – up to 3 meters and more. All sashes are movable, so that in good weather they can be quickly removed. This design provides the fence with several advantages at once:

• due to the absence of vertical posts, the fence is inconspicuous, lets in a lot of light and does not obscure the landscape;
• the width of the opening is not limited – you can close the veranda or terrace of any size, only the number of sashes changes;
• the height of the opening can be up to 3 meters;
• you can turn the veranda into an open one at any time by simply sliding the sashes;
• the buyer can choose a variant of parking sashes – sliding, folding in the form of an accordion or a book;
• to make the design match the architecture of the house or terrace, the guide profiles can be painted, including wood;
• tempered glass construction provides burglary resistance and security.

Disadvantages include:

• high cost of the enclosure;
• significant heat losses through the fence in cold season, condensation on the glass;
• special requirements for installation.

Mounting peculiarities

In traditional glazing methods, the frames are not only used to fix the panes of glass, but they also act as a power frame for the entire translucent construction. They compensate and mask possible irregularities in the opening – this simplifies and reduces the cost of installation. For frameless glazing, the slabs must be strictly horizontal with sufficient load-bearing capacity to support heavy sashes. Verandas and terraces are usually lightweight seasonal buildings. Therefore, before installing frameless glazing, they are further developed: the foundation is strengthened, additional load-bearing elements are laid. It is important to ensure that the geometry of the opening remains unchanged throughout the year, regardless of air temperature and ground conditions. For this purpose, various technical solutions are used: a pile foundation is installed under the glazing below the frost depth, and drainage is installed to drain excess moisture from the ground and reduce the likelihood of frost heave. To take into account all the nuances of a particular place of installation, installation of frameless glazing veranda or terrace is better to order in a specialized company.