What Is a Glazed Balcony? A Guide for Metairie Homeowners

A glazed balcony is a balcony, porch or covered patio closed in with glass panels, usually panels that slide or fold aside so you can open the space fully on a nice day and close it against blowing rain and pollen on a bad one. In Metairie, where afternoon storms and humidity cut short a lot of outdoor evenings, glazing turns a balcony you use a few months a year into one you can use far more often.

We install balcony glazing systems across the metro, and the questions we hear first are about the words: what the glass is called, what “glazing” even means, and how a glazed balcony differs from a sunroom. This guide answers those plainly. If you’ve already decided you want one and are choosing between systems, our earlier post on balcony and patio glazing as a sunroom alternative compares sliding, folding and guillotine designs in depth.

What is a glazed balcony?

Picture an open balcony with a roof or a balcony above it. Glazing fills the open sides between the floor, or the railing, and the ceiling with glass. The structure that already exists carries the roof; the glass only closes the sides. That’s the main difference from a sunroom, which is a new enclosed room built from the foundation up.

Most balcony glazing is designed to open. Common layouts include:

• Sliding panels that run on tracks and stack behind one another.
• Folding and sliding panels that slide to one end and fold flat, like the folding and sliding glass system we offer.
• Guillotine panels that move up and down, often used where a low wall or railing stays in place.

Some systems are frameless or nearly frameless, so when the panels are closed you see mostly glass, not metal. Others have slim aluminum frames that add stiffness and better weather seals.

What is balcony glass called?

You’ll hear several names for the same idea: balcony glazing, balcony enclosure, glass curtain, frameless balcony glass, or sliding glass panels. They all describe glass panels that close in a balcony. The glass inside those panels has its own names, and these matter more for safety and comfort:

• Toughened glass, also called tempered glass, is heat-treated so it’s much stronger than ordinary glass and breaks into small granular pieces instead of sharp shards.
• Laminated glass bonds two layers of glass to a plastic interlayer, so a broken pane tends to stay in the frame.
• Insulated glass, sometimes called double glazing, seals two panes with a gap between them to slow heat moving through the glass.

Railings are a separate piece. If your balcony railing is part of the plan, our railing systems can be matched to the glazing.

Does balcony glass have to be safety glass?

Often, yes. The residential building code Louisiana adopts statewide is based on the International Residential Code, which treats glass in doors, and glass in some spots near doors, floors and walking surfaces, as hazardous locations that call for safety glazing such as tempered or laminated glass. Exactly which panes on your balcony fall under that rule depends on the layout, so we confirm it during design, and your permit office has the final word.

What is glazing on a building?

In construction, “glazing” simply means glass set into a building: the panes in windows, glass doors, skylights, storefronts and glass walls. The word also names the job of installing it, and the tradesperson who does it is a glazier. So when someone says a balcony is “glazed,” they mean glass has been fitted into its open sides. When a window is “double glazed,” it has two panes with a sealed gap.

You’ll also see glazing used for systems beyond balconies, such as glass walls under a patio cover or a pergola. Our glazing systems page shows the wider range.

How long does it take to glaze a balcony?

The install itself is the short part. Glazing panels are made to measure, so the process starts with exact measurements of every opening, then fabrication, then installation and adjustment of the tracks and seals. Any repair to the floor or beam has to happen before the final measure, since the glass is cut to the opening as it stands. If a permit or a historic review applies, that runs alongside fabrication. We lay out the full sequence at the estimate so there are no surprises about timing.

Why do Metairie homeowners glaze a balcony or porch?

Metairie’s climate is the main reason. Summer brings long stretches of high heat, heavy Gulf Coast humidity and frequent afternoon thunderstorms, and hurricane season adds wind-driven rain. An open balcony is lovely in the spring and fall but gets soaked and dusty the rest of the year. Glass lets you keep the view and the light while shutting out blowing rain and much of the pollen and road dust.

A few points we talk through with every Metairie homeowner:

• Heat buildup. Glass on a west-facing balcony can trap heat in summer. Panels that open wide, insulated glass and shade inside or above the glazing all help.
• Moisture. A closed glass room in our humidity needs airflow. We plan for panels to open, or for ventilation, so condensation and mildew don’t take hold.
• Storm prep. Glazing isn’t a hurricane shutter. Before a named storm, follow the manufacturer’s guidance for that system.

Do you need permission to glaze a balcony in Metairie or New Orleans?

This depends on where the house sits, so treat what follows as general information, not a ruling on your property. Most of Metairie is unincorporated Jefferson Parish, so building permits there run through the parish. Ask the parish permit office whether your enclosure needs a permit before you order anything.

Across the parish line in New Orleans, historic districts add a step. The Vieux Carré Commission must approve exterior work on properties in the French Quarter before a permit is issued, and the Historic District Landmarks Commission oversees exterior changes in the city’s other local historic districts, where its approval comes before the building permit. Glazing a balcony that faces the street in one of those districts is the kind of change these commissions look at. If your home is in New Orleans, check with the City of New Orleans before you plan anything, since approval can take time and may shape the design.

When we walk a Metairie balcony, we look at what will carry the glass: the condition of the floor, the beam or balcony above, and how water runs off today. Glass needs a level, solid track to seal well, and old wood framing sometimes needs repair first. See where we work on our Metairie service area page.

Thinking about glass for your balcony or porch? Call Big Easy Patio at (504) 384-8978 or reach us through our contact page for a free on-site estimate in Metairie.