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As the days get longer and the temperatures slowly but surely rise, we spend more time outside again. For many homeowners, this is the time to think about how you could design and/or enhance your garden, seating area or balcony differently. In addition to plants, this includes structural measures. For example, a fireplace with a bench in the garden, a roof over the garden seating area to protect it from wind and weather, or a (larger) balcony for older condominiums. Metalworkers can help you with all these and many other projects.
With metal, you can skilfully set the tone in your garden. For example, with a water basin made of raw steel or chrome steel, with a fire bowl and firewood rack made of raw or galvanised steel, or planters made of rusty or stainless steel. Especially stainless steel is very trendy at the moment because it is modern and archaic at the same time. A great advantage of metal outdoors is that the material is robust and durable and requires little care or maintenance. That's why you can also use steel well for edgings or setting straps and thus set even more accents.
When you sit outside, you probably want to have some peace and quiet, relax, read a book, listen to music or talk to someone without being disturbed. But the peace and quiet is soon over if your neighbour is louder than you would like or your garden seating area is adjacent to a busy road. With seating area glazing, which the metal builder also plans, designs and installs for you, you effectively protect yourself from noise, but also from prying eyes and above all from wind and weather. You simply remain seated and relaxed when a thunderstorm is approaching or the sun is setting and the wind is blowing around the corner.
Thanks to glazing, you can use your seating area or balcony longer and be outside more often. There are basically two types of glazing for the balcony or garden seating area:
In principle, insulated glazing is also suitable for the garden patio or balcony. However, such profile systems are quite complex and expensive and are mainly used for heated conservatories. They are triple-glazed with heat-insulating glass, so the conservatory can be used as an additional living space all year round. Even when it is stormy or snowing outside. What could be nicer than sitting on the sofa in a cosy, warm conservatory on a cold winter evening, drinking a hot cup of tea and watching the snowflakes fall from the sky...?
In our article "Planning a conservatory: location, material, glazing and costs" you will learn everything you always wanted to know about conservatories but were afraid to ask.
If you only want to protect yourself and your garden furniture from any precipitation, a patio cover is sufficient. This way you can stay seated when it drizzles or rains and put on a jumper if it cools down. With a steel and glass construction that looks delicate and is resilient at the same time, and slats or blinds, you control how much or how little light and sun you let in - and with a lighting system integrated into the roof construction, you can stay seated in the evening for as long as you want.
If there is always a draught around the same corner of the house, sometimes simple side wind glazing is enough to protect you from the wind and cold. This is especially useful in spring and autumn, when it would already or still be warm enough to sit outside and relax in the lee.
You can read about how to ideally protect yourself from the sun in your balcony, garden seating area or conservatory in our article "Sun protection: How to shade your home and enjoy the sun".
A pergola is an extension or porch, a gazebo stands freely in the garden. In the past, they were built of natural stone and dense climbing plants protected them from the sun. Today they are mainly built from aluminium or metal. The roof and sides are open and can be glazed afterwards. Alternatives to the open roof are, for example, a glass roof with blinds or vertical blinds or a slatted roof with aluminium sun protection slats. For larger pergolas or pavilions, it makes sense to use electric slats or blinds that are integrated into a smart home system with sensors and, for example, raise automatically when it storms. Pergolas and pavilions can be built up and extended in a modular way, for example with LED lighting, sliding glazing or side shading.
Wood rots, turns yellow and becomes brittle over the years. Metal is robust, easy to care for, durable and less costly to maintain. That is why metal is particularly suitable for pergolas and gazebos.
Do you own a condominium with no balcony or a small one, or a house with a magnificent garden but no balcony in front of your bedroom? In the past, a small balcony was enough to grow herbs or smoke a cigarette. Today, there must be room for at least a table, chairs, a barbecue, plants as well as a garden lounge. Here, too, the metalworker can help. He plans balcony extensions or balcony enlargements, calculates the statics, draws plans, builds the balcony and installs it. Naturally with railings and, if necessary, protected from wind, rain or noise. The effort is worth it: on the one hand, you improve your quality of life and living, on the other hand, you increase the market value of the property. This is especially true for older condominiums with small or no balconies.
In condominium ownership, balconies are considered common because they determine the external shape and appearance of the building. Therefore, the co-owners must agree. It makes sense to plan balcony extensions or enlargements for all flats at the same time.
Metalworkers also plan, build and install carports, because the construction is comparable to conservatories or roofings. Especially in the Central Plateau, where temperatures rarely drop below zero in winter, carports are an alternative to the garage. They protect vehicles from precipitation and offer storage space for tools, tyres and bicycles in the tool shed. Carports are covered single or double parking spaces and are available with flat, mono pitch or gable roofs. You can have a photovoltaic system installed on the roof, for example, which produces solar power for your electric car.
If you don't want to leave your vehicles outside or in a carport, you need a garage. And every garage needs a garage door. Metal builders can help here, too. Most offer doors from well-known manufacturers and custom-made individual solutions. The most common are folding, swing, tilt-up, rolling and sliding doors and rolling grilles. In addition, metalworkers repair broken gates that do not close properly after an accident, for example, and replace drives, springs or rails.
