Concrete Balcony Safety

Concrete Balcony Safety

A balcony is an extra space that connects your interior to your exterior. To enjoy such spaces, you must ensure you and your family are safe. The article below will highlight everything you need to know about your concrete balcony safety.

Factors that determine concrete balcony's safety

· Age of the building

· Amount of cracks

· Exposure to destructive elements

· Corrosion on the rails

· Water penetration

Always ensure you are safe and do regular balcony inspections like ordinance sb326 and Sb721 as routine maintenance.

Key issues you need to know about concrete balcony

· Neglected balconies are a NO-go zone

if a balcony has been abandoned, it can be a risk to you or your tenants, your household, and those who live below. A balcony on the second floor can also cause more harm; thus, you should have your balcony inspected annually.

· Falling concrete

If your balcony has not been inspected, do you see pieces of concrete missing? The missing concrete may be found on the ground. The pieces can indicate that your balcony is in bad health. Most people normally discard and ignore the fallen concrete pieces. The dropping pieces can fall on someone below and cause more harm than good.

EEEadvisor is a specialized Engineering Structural Inspection Firm. They inspect and create reports for all types of structural elements, especially for exterior elevated elements (EEE) such as balconies, decks, stairways, and walkways for HOA’s and OWNERS to comply with ordinances SB721 and SB326

Factors that determine balcony safety

A concrete balcony is constructed well and has an extended life span. When influenced by external factors, such balconies can change from the space people are meant to enjoy to causing hazards. Here are some factors that can determine balcony safety.

· Balcony load limit

Most tenants don't know how much load their balcony is supposed to carry. Balconies are small homesteads made to accommodate two to three individuals. If 20 individuals were to use the balcony at once, they would stress the balcony. The stress may cause the structure to reach breaking point leading to serious physical injury to the extent of death.

· Type of concrete balcony

There are two types of concrete balconies/ these are the continuous slab balcony and the one constructed using steel planks extending from the building frame. Balcony railings on the two balconies are either welded or mounted to plates. If they are not checked regularly, they can become a significant safety issue.

· Seasonal climate change

Climate change plays a vital role in how structures behave. If you notice cracks and chips on your damage, you need to call a professional in and have the balcony checked.

· Ponding water

Balconies should be made so that any water that hits it has a runoff to drain it. If your balcony does not have runoff, you will have ponded water, which can damage your concrete balcony.

With plenty of wind and sun, the pounding water dries out by itself. If your balcony is in a shady place, you need to find ways to get rid of the water.

· Rebar in concrete

Balconies are made using a mixture of concrete and rebar. Concrete is to provide comprehensive strength, while rebar is to offer tensile strength. In case of cracks, water can damage the rebar, thus reducing the overall strength of the concrete.

Final thought

You want your household and everyone around you to be safe. You can start by making your concrete balcony inspection by calling EEEadvisor experts. The factors above should help you know the state of your balcony.

Omid Ghanadiof

Omid is co-founder of EEE advisor engineering firm that Specialized Engineering Structural Inspection Firm active in southern California to help owners and HOAs to comply with Balcony inspection ordinance SB-721 and SB-326