to juliet balcony or not to juliet balcony - that is the question!

[soupdragon321]

Hi, we are having our south facing loft converted. There will be a false wall in the middle of the room, a dressing area with two velux windows at the back and then the plan is for a juliet balcony facing onto the garden. DH needs to have a window open every night. My worry is that with a juliet balcony, having the door open is too much for normal nights (obvs great in summer). Do you think that opening the velux (which will be behind the wall with the bed) will be enough ventilation instead, or should we scrap the juliet balcony in favour of a big window that we can have smaller opening windows in?

Could you have a 'stable door' o the Juliet balcony with the choice to open half or all? Lofts get really hot so extra ventilation is always beneficial.

HI Bookgirl, will definitely look into that. I;m also worried about rain getting in if the doors are open.

Could you do something like this instead?
www.velux.co.uk/products/roof-windows/cabrio-roof-windows?consent=preferences,statistics,marketing&ref-original=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F

Can you have a juliet balcony with tilt/ turn windows either side? That is my plan, although I'm leaning back to a window so I can put a dressing table against that wall and have the bedroom more private from neighbours.

I’d be frightened of burglars climbing up and strolling in an open door!

It may also invalidate your house insurance if you effectively let them gain access by leaving it open.

You’d need some kind of lock to open it just a smidge and no more. As a pp says, tilt turn glazing would be perfect.

I do love a Juliet though. They are fab.

We had a juliet balcony. The most annoying thing is it meant the window had to open inwards so couldn't have the blind down and open the window at the same time.

i'd go for a larger non french window next time

My DB and SIL had a Juliet balcony put in.
They really regret that although they have plenty of light from a strip window down each side of the opening doors, they did not make those windows openable. It is sometimes too windy to have the doors open overnight, and definitely a security risk at any time. So I would hugely recommend having separate opening windows alongside the Juliet opening doors, if you have room. Those, along with your Velux at the other side of the room, would provide a good through flow of fresh air.

We made the aperture wider and had floor to ceiling sliding doors in our loft conversion - that way you don't have doors opening inward into the space and you can open them a crack for airflow.

The loft company will just offer you the basic budget version but you can put whatever window/door you think best in, as long as it conforms to planning.

Next door have enormous french doors with a Juliet balcony. It’s like having an enormous watch tower next door, all of our garden is overlooked. The man stands there after a shower, wrapped in a towel and surveying the garden - ours as well as his.
We hate it. But love the summer when it gets so swelteringly hot in there that they have to keep the blinds down all the time. No small window to open or veluxes. Must be most unpleasant

Top marks for best thread title I’ve read all week OP

We've got French door and a Juliet balcony in our bedroom. As PP mentioned, tilt and turn doors are your friend. It means we can safely leave the door on tilt (top of the door tilts inwards) completely safely. We have probably only actually opened the door half a dozen times in 15 years but we have it on tilt a lot, brilliant in the summer

Just to say loving the title of this thread! 😁

I don't understand Juliet balconies. Is it just so you can lean out further without falling? Who really does that?

Glad the thread title is getting some love ! We're very lucky in that no-one will really be able to see into the loft room - our garden overlooks trees only. Re security, the loft will be the fourth floor up, so if anyone wanted to break in that way they'd have to be very very determined (and probably stupid as it would be far easier breaking a door down on the ground floor!). Had a chat with DS last night about a big window with opening side windows last night and he is adamant that he wants the doors - and to be fair it's me that has say over every other style choice in the house so I suppose I will have to let him have his doors unless I can persuade him otherwise!

Sorry, had a chat with DH, not DS (who doesn't give a stuff what we do - he hadn't even noticed that we had decorated his brothers bedroom until five months after the fact!)

Add a thin window above the patio doors?

I'd definitely want to be sure rain can't enter if the window is left open. Do you have space to have side panes next to the doors?