Balconies

All home and commercial property owners should ensure their balconies are regularly inspected and maintained.

What can affect balconies?

There are many items you as a building owner should be aware of that can affect the structural adequacy of a balcony over time. These may include:

Termites – Timbers can be affected by insect attack. In areas of termite risk, the appropriate timber and treatment are needed, regardless of whether the council has declared the area likely to be subject to termite attack.
Wet rot – Timber is affected by water. Wet rot occurs when a timber member is in constant contact with the ground or another timber member in the presence of moisture.
Seaside and corrosive effects – Corrosive environments can affect unprotected steel structures, reinforcing steel and fixings such as bolts and fixing plates particularly in areas near coastlines.
Loadings – Large pots, water features and the like, provide additional loads for a balcony to support, for which the balcony may not have been designed.

Owners actions

As a safety measure, all home owners and commercial property owners with balconies should ensure that:

It is constructed following the issue of a building permit
It is inspected on a regular basis for any warning signs of potential collapse
A maintenance program is introduced to extend its design life
Where there is a doubt or a problem, an inspection by a structural engineer or other suitably qualified building practitioner, and remedial measures, as necessary, are arranged.

Balcony inspections

There are a number of building practitioners who have the skills to inspect balconies and provide advice on their safety and maintenance. These include: