ᐅ Advice on Balcony Overhang Size for Upper Floor

We have a covered south-facing terrace measuring 8 meters (26 feet) wide and 4 meters (13 feet) deep. The clear height at the front columns is 2.65 meters (8 feet 8 inches). We feel much more comfortable with this canopy than we did before without it. The rooms are definitely bright enough—no one has ever complained that it is too dark. In winter, the sun is low enough to shine deep into the room. In summer, the effect is naturally even more pronounced. We have even removed our blinds because they are simply no longer necessary. Whether you want the balcony is up to you. Here are a few impressions of the lighting conditions…

SuoTam99 schrieb:

What do you think? Can I still expect enough light?
I’m someone who likes to sit in the sun when I’m at home.
What do you think?

In my opinion, the correct sizing of the overhang depends on how much sun enters the room through the windows at different times of the year and how you personally perceive it.
Our architect chose the height and depth of the overhang so that no sun comes through the window at the highest sun angle, and at the lowest sun angle the sunlight reaches all the way to the opposite wall. I think that’s great.

My wife sometimes feels that in winter she is too much bothered by the glare from the sun but still likes the brightness. She also occasionally finds that on warm days in May and September, when the sun does shine through the glass, it gets too hot. Since we can fold the glass panels completely away, this is not a big issue, as then the sun simply enters the open space.
In conclusion: I am mostly satisfied and consider the issue resolved, while my wife’s opinion varies depending on the weather or her mood—sometimes she thinks it’s great, other times “problematic.”

It seems there isn’t a single “perfect” solution that works for everyone.

wiltshire schrieb:

Our architect designed the height and depth of the overhang so that at the highest sun position no sunlight enters through the window, and at the lowest sun position the sunlight reaches across the room to the opposite wall. I think that’s great.

In the photo, I have marked the overhangs of 60cm (24 inches) each. Our room is at the "back." In the center, there is a seating area with a correspondingly larger overhang. The children’s apartments have a wider balcony terrace but still the 60cm (24 inches) overhang. The 60cm (24 inches) works only with the correct height proportions.
The photo was taken on April 11, 2020, at 10:45 a.m. — so at a “medium” sun position.

wiltshire schrieb:

In my opinion, the overhang depends on the time of year and how much sunlight enters the room through the windows, and

whether there are corner or additional uncovered windows.

ypg schrieb:

if there are also corner windows or additional uncovered windows.

That's true, the two narrow side windows in our room have proven practical, but they did not influence the choice of the roof overhang.

For my next house, I would definitely choose an overhang of the upper floor on the south side of about 1 meter to 1.5 meters (3 to 5 feet) above large, tall windows. This way, it doesn’t get too hot too quickly in the summer, and in winter the sun is low enough to shine directly through the windows anyway.
So don’t worry about the brightness!
However, I would seriously reconsider the balcony. If you have a large garden or terrace, people usually don’t sit on the balcony. Also, taking into account thermal bridging and the extra work involved, it can be quite expensive.