To plan your wooden balcony you first need an architect, master craftsman or carpenter who is authorized to submit a building. He will create the planning together with you, if he comes from your place, he knows the too applicable regulations of your state building code and any local regulations that may have to be observed Design statute. You should also inquire whether there are building regulations or restrictions according to the development plan.
There are basically two construction options
In the case of a cantilevered slab, the load-bearing beams pierce the outer wall of the house. This balcony construction carries the risk of causing energy losses through thermal bridges, and structural damage can quickly occur at the openings. So this is more of a construction that you find in old buildings, where it is often replaced by a more energetically favorable construction in the course of a facade modernization. Nowadays, a balcony is usually more favorable in terms of building physics and also cheaper so that it stands freely in front of the facade. In this way, the building envelope remains untouched, and the balcony is acoustically from the same
adjoining room decoupled. This is a simple construction: the balcony stands on vertical supports that support horizontal beams on which the formwork that forms the floor rests.Planning a wooden balcony
How big your balcony should be depends on the planned use. If you have a garden available, the new balcony may only serve as an exit. Then a small area is enough to catch a breath of fresh air, to ventilate the beds or to bathe in the sun a little. If the children live downstairs, the balcony may be a little larger if the older generation would like to have breakfast here in peace. However, anything that protrudes more than three feet will shade the windows below. In extreme cases, this can even cost additional heating energy in the lower room. When choosing the shape and size, one must of course also consider that the balcony completely redesigns the facade. So it should be carefully matched to the style of the house in terms of dimensions, material and construction. You should of course also include the position of the sun in the planning. It depends, for example, on whether the balcony
later an additional awning is needed because the sun on the south side brings unbearable heat in summer.Next, the railing is planned. It can be mounted on the floor or attached to its side or just to the pillars. In any case, railings should not be attached to the house wall, this can lead to cracks. What the railing looks like largely determines the future effect of the house. You can choose between open or closed forms, a wide variety of materials are possible: aluminum or glass, wood or steel or combinations of these building materials. The shapes offered are also very diverse, it is even conceivable that you can design your own balcony railing. The height is mandatory and depends on the height of the floor.
The final considerations in the planning are for constructive wood protection, if we have a construction method called that a non-waterproof material such as wood is already protected from damage by its construction protects. A basic idea of constructive wood protection is that wood is best not to get wet at all. Where water hits, such as with exterior components, the construction method should ensure that the water runs off and the moisture dries quickly. For your balcony construction, this means that the vertical supports on a concrete base at least 30 centimeters high and shielded with metal cladding so that water does not splash on the wood can. The balcony can also be covered; a sufficient overhang of the roof almost always keeps it dry.
Open floor or floor sealing?
The floor of the balcony must withstand water. If there is no running surface underneath, the floor can be left open
that water just flows through. If the area below is to be used, the balcony floor must be constructed like a flat roof: The area has a slope of 2 to 3 percent and is sealed at the bottom. For this purpose, a seal made of bitumen or plastic or as a liquid seal is applied directly under the pavement. The sealing material not only has to be weatherproof, it should also be able to withstand exposure to microbes. Your carpenter can show you the right materials and maybe also reference projects where they are already in use.If the floor area is a closed level, it should be sealed so that it forms a watertight basin. This prevents infiltration into adjacent components if, for example, the drain is blocked. Then the slope should lead away from the structure, an overflow possibility with rain gutter must also be planned. If the construction is carried out according to regulations, all types of wood can be used that are classified as at least moderately durable against weather damage. Normal timber could also be used, but then preventive wood protection with appropriate means is necessary.
Otherwise, it is up to you whether the balcony will last a long time
You should regularly clean the floor so that no wet deposits build up. The wood should also be checked every season and given additional protection if necessary. Once the planning is done, your balcony must be approved; the building application is submitted to the building authority. The building application contains the building description, a site plan, views and a floor plan; the statics including bracing must be verified for the docked platform.
