Small construction question. I have been visiting Poland for many years now, and I have noticed that in many Houses, Apartments, and Air BnB’s here, there is no way to go and hangout outside without one, leaving the door open behind you, or two, going out the front door and walking all the way around, which then defeats the purpose of the first backyard/balcony door I mentioned.
Currently writing this on a patio which I had to walk through the front door & around the house, as opposed to using the door right here next to me, because I cant close it behind me.
🪰I grew up with my parents telling me not to leave any house door open for too long when entering/exiting, because obviously bugs can get in, & also you waste A/C. Same with everyone else’s house in my area. Its considered rude to just leave the door open.
When I go outside through these patio doors, I always find myself needing to dig my nails between the frame and the glass to pull the door shut behind me.
At first, it looked like an obvious design flaw, but going around the country and visiting many living spaces, l’ve seen that many homes are missing it. As if the norm is to leave the door open behind you while outside.
I saw on another thread that some people didn’t understand my question because they commented things like "for safety" or "so no one gets in?". To that I say, im not talking about having a lock/unlock method on the outside, only inside as usual, but just a way to keep the door closed behind you while you spend your time out there. Then just push it open when you’re done.
So overall, why is this? ls it also in other countries? Is it a culture thing? lf its a price thing, Is it really that expensive to drill 2 holes and put a small metal handle on the outside? Any explanation would be great, just trying to understand.
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1o924ll
Posted by Commercial-Actuary74
45 Comments
I would say that the door is meant to be ‘open’ when you are outside, usually the seal in the frame is good enough that you can close the gap without having a handle and any locking mechanism. You just have to grab the edge and swing it a little harder so the seal catches the door.
I have door like that and never had an issue with it. And people are right, why would you need a handle on the outside is the purpose of the door is only to go chill in the yard? + It’s much easier to get in with your hands full.
I kind of don’t understand why “so no one gets in” didn’t answer your question. to close it we usually use a fabric tape, put it around the handle and close it that way.
I don’t know either, but I can guess it is because of our greatest achievements.
Being an onion and buying the cheapest option.
My second thought is that I can’t imagine a system where you can have a handle from both sides with option to tilt the door. And we use this ability all the time. If it is, I guess it is expensive.
They have them in lots of countries. They are just poorly designed because they are cheap.
I’d put a suction 🪠 type device on the glass to avoid damaging the frame with self tapping screws and a handle.
Some have. My balcony door has this thing, it’s called pochwyt.
so bitch ass bozos trying to be silly dont get in. simple 😛
It was 19,99 zł cheaper this way…
Because most balcony doors are big windows 🤷🏻♂️
IMO patio doors should have. Someone installed cheaper small balcony doors.
As a Pole this baffles me as well, believe me. What I think is happening here is that those “doors” are built like windows hence no handle on the outside. I have sisters who smoke a lot and when we go on a trip I have to lock and open balcony doors for them so it won’t smell in the apartment.
Aren’t those doors that you pull inside and slide behind another window. If so then a handle on the inside might be problematic to achieve that
Noone cares. Same with no AC in 90% of homes. People like to cheap and struggle
Man, I’m with you on this! I’ve lived here nine years, and this still baffles me. Kinda like the bathroom light switch being on the outside of the bathroom 🤷♂️
Well, for me it would be a safety hazard, everyone could break in silently, I guess
How would you prevent people from other side to not open this door?
I guess it It would require the door to have a proper lock instead of the latch mechanism, which would make it more expensive.
I don’t know why it wasn’t popular until recently but most older buildings will not have any handle on the outside of balcony doors. My theory is that AC wasn’t common, so during summer people were leaving doors and windows open. Another absurd idea that comes to mind was the name of such handle as it is called “klamka palacza” which means “smokers handle”.
Either way my flat built in 2019 had it already installed when I bought it from the property developer.
It’s one of those eternal mysteries. I have a sneaky suspicion the doors with a tiny knob or handle (some do have them) are marginally more expensive or have to be requested specially. Anyway, you can buy one for cheap and screw it in, like we did :p https://www.klamki24.pl/uchwyty-balkonowe
At this point I am convinced that OP is either on educational crusade, or just selling door handles “like this photo”.
I don’t understand, what for?
Yeah, I get that it’s a little weird. You could try to explain it by the fact that those doors open inward, so you need a handle to pull them. But from the outside, you can just push, so a handle isn’t required. The real reason, though, is that the windows were made that way (because they’re windows), and the same mechanism was just reused for the doors. You would need to add an actual lock and key to make it work as a proper door from the outside. Right now, those doors are closed when they are closed from the inside.
Some people buy a sticker handle (Uchwyt balkonowy zewnętrzny Biały – is a phrase to find those if you think you want one).
https://preview.redd.it/o5jgla1supvf1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89ceb6b1484f5e2788c68f4e5811b2b04c797b84
If you’re okay with an ugly but functional short term solution, you could just tie a long-ish rope / nylon string around the inside handle and pull the door closed from outside. The lining on the door should seal up well as long as the thread is thin enough.
Functional and short terms being the keywords here.
Why ia this an issue for you op?
U asked 1 year ago : https://www.reddit.com/r/europeanunion/s/qmsoqZ8Byx
https://preview.redd.it/mtatxba85qvf1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6c5baaf6906ae2cb4aee62c908e8b029941b8d2
My neighbor used to lock her husband out on the balcony whenever he came home drunk. It gave him time to cool off, literally and figuratively. He couldn’t get back inside until she decided he was sober enough. Honestly, that’s one of the more practical features of this kind of door design.
Yea it annoys me too. I’ve lived in three places and all were the same. Think it’s a cost thing (probably) and like others have said they treat it like a big window with it being able to tilt too.
On all of the doors I’ve seen, there’s no key lock , which is a nightmare for kids if they should open and wander around on a high up balcony. Also a kid can shut you out on the balcony and you have no way in, and no handle! It happened to me!
Don’t think it would even get past building regulations in the UK, but in Poland it appears not to be a problem :-s
I know! This bothers me a lot. I had to install one myself. Not that it was difficult or anything. Just… Why it’s not there in the first place?
It is not needed.
I think in this case it’s more about security because it’s ground floor 🤷🏻♂️ if you bother enough you can use shoe lace etc and attach it to other handle 😅
Ha I’m just commenting to say I feel for you.
My partner’s apartment in Poland has the same, it’s very strange to get used to as a British guy who always closes the door behind him.
I wish to have problems like this
There is many Poles in Poland. They will steal your stuff if you will give them a chance to get in the house.
If it’s about security I don’t understand either. I live on the top floor only Spiderman can rob me and I have that balcony door too.
It’s for preventing draft, cold, smell, heat… just typical closed door stuff. The design is like this bc these doors open more like a window hence you need to buy the lock with that handle to pull.
Dude. Thank you for bringing this up. This has always boggled my mind too.
I understand that you can get a little stick on handle. But that this isn’t the standard is so odd. The practicality is so obvious yet for some reason this just didn’t catch on here. Instead we have swing the doors shut with some force if we temporarily want to be outside but want / need to keep the door shut. 😆
And some of the replies and down votes you are getting are crazy. It’s like you came in here and shat on the picture of the pope or something.
They haven’t had sliders and screens for they long
That’s only opening door.
The better question superimposed over this photo should be: Why doesn’t the US use quality winded and doors like the do there?
My guy, you asked the same question a year ago, got answered and you still don’t get it?
Forget that.. what I want to know is why so many Polish homes have a window on the toilet door…
use the voice
It is an option, paid option. If the investor did not pay attention during the order, the balcony door comes with a standard equipment. And, the second reason. Smoking outside the flat, on a balcony, is forbidden in Poland. The police will not come until the pleasant neighbor call them.
In case ze Germans come to town
Many buildings were built and supplied using the old designs and equipment. The balcony door with a handle on one side is basically a window in a different shape. And as windows with handles only on inside were already designed and mass-produced locally, so they were the cheapest option. We need to remember that current standard of living relies on local market. Current average wealth was built on local production and local services, their stability and democratization, and that took time. More modern buildings have proper doors now, that open and close from both sides and have a lock in the handle.
Not that solutions for this did not exist, but there wasn’t popular enough. You can close those with simple handle screwed in or just use some skill to close them. But if you are not smoking then you would not have need for that, as you would go outside at the same time as it would be a nice temperature. And most smokers did smoke inside often enough and when it stopped being normalized they just went outside. And less popular it was the less need for the handle outside as you would leave them without perfect seal anyway.
There was also less security back then. Burglary wasn’t uncommon, so the lack of handle was enough to deter petty burglars.
So yeah, it’s a quirk of the construction style. People prefer the window lock system that has ability to tilt, rather than proper doors and don’t need the same mental level of security as much as they did. Because poland kurwa is sejf.
My sister has the same door with no handle on the outside. Reasoning is the clean line look. When they were installed she did have an option to add it but did not like the look plus extra expense. In Poland sliding doors were non-existent until recently. More common are franch doors but also with no handle or anything on it outside. Everyone has trouble sliding it from outside including my sister. Those doors should be sold with the handle or pull on outside as included and not given an option. People do not have enough experience in using those doors to make the correct choice.