About Balcony Construction And Safety

Introduction

The safety of the balcony is always kept in mind for balcony construction. The ledger is the godfather of the balcony as it keeps it safe and intact. The ledger is a part of the building frame, where the platform of the balcony is attached. If the ledger is the godfather, the railing is the fairy godmother. Railing keeps people from falling down the balcony, it is a must for any balcony, for protection and security.

Beside the ledge, the railing, and the platform, there is much more to a balcony construction. It has a whole history to it. Balconies have been part of the architecture since ages. Balconies have been made famous by the Shakespearean play "Romeo and Juliet." The scene where Juliet appears at her window has come to be known as the balcony scene.

Features

Other than the common balcony construction features, there is more to balconies. Modern architecture has brought many new properties and aspect to balcony designs. some of the many balcony designs include the false balcony, true balcony, loggia, and mezzanine balcony designs. A false balcony is a type of balcony where the balcony entrance is through a door or window but it is hindered by a blockage. This type of balconie are also called the juliet balcony. This type of balcony is mostly for the decoration of buildings and is rarely meant to be utilized for walking on. This type of balcony is often very well decorated with intricate and complicated, but beautiful patterns. These balconies usually serve as ventilators. false balcony doesn't need much support or protection either.

True balconies on the other hand are more functional. they usually feature a deck often with a roof. This sort of balconies need greater support and protection. True balconies do not completely project out of the buildings. Thses balconies, other than the normal ledger support, also need support brackets at their bottoms. These support brackest can be turned into works of art if used properly. A loggia is a covered balcony wchich does not exactly extend outwards but is part of the exterior part of the building. A mezzanine is a typical balcony but the only difference is that is is an indoor balcony as it is made inside a building and not outside it. One thing to keep in mind is that if the balcony is made of wood than the termite attacks have to be battled and checked regularly. Also they have to be protected from wet rot and moisture. Balconies are used for various activities, but if not built or taken care of properly, can be fatal. Many people have been injured by misconstructed balconies.

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