ᐅ What fall protection is recommended for floor-to-ceiling windows? Advantages/Disadvantages

Hello,

we are currently quite unsure about the fall protection for our floor-to-ceiling windows. Originally, windows with built-in separation and fixed glazing at the sill height were planned. However, my wife recently became enthusiastic about a modern French balcony.

The enthusiasm cooled down noticeably once we saw the high price of the stainless steel railings. Now we are facing a dilemma.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two options?

What would be the approximate additional cost for the lower fixed glazing compared to the French balcony?

Purely a matter of personal preference. The general contractor sets the prices.

I wouldn’t have any grilles on the windows; rather, I would avoid the floor-to-ceiling obsession on the upper floor.

We have floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor with a fixed lower section. The drawback I see with this is that in summer you have to raise the shutters above the fixed part to let air in—and consequently, light as well. With the version featuring a French balcony, you only need to open part of the shutters to allow airflow, depending on how sensitive you are to light. This is something to consider.

French balconies can also be made from galvanized steel, which is likely much cheaper than stainless steel.

I see a cleaning issue with a fixed lower window. How is it supposed to be properly cleaned from the outside—the window, the frame, and the windowsill? That’s why we decided to go with stainless steel French balconies, which we also find very appealing visually.

Best regards,
Sabine

We would like fixed glazing on the windows for aesthetic reasons... installed within the reveal or whatever the correct term is. So not attached to the side wall structure.

However, at the moment, our bigger problem is finding someone who can actually install it that way :-(

@Curly I only partly see plastering as an issue. If you put in a bit of effort or have the right plaster materials, it’s actually quite straightforward. We currently have the same situation in our rental apartment. Every balcony or parapet is plastered from the outside like that. Or you can hire a plasterer 3 to 4 times a year.

@World-e Ventilation is less of a problem since we have planned a central supply and exhaust ventilation system.

The annoying part is the acquisition cost. For the parapets, the main contractor would charge about 500 euros per railing, which I find a bit excessive. So my question now is to people who have a two-part floor-to-ceiling window with a fixed bottom section:
How much extra did the whole thing cost compared to a "normal" casement window?