Apartment Complex Balcony Bids

Repair of large apartment building balconies, especially multistory (two stories and above) is definitely a job for professional contractors. The safety and construction challenges encountered repairing or replacing balconies are not for amateurs and the tools required exceed most handymen’s tool supply.

Balcony Support

In large complexes the exterior balconies are usually stacked one above the other and the support begins on ground level with support posts that must be aligned and plumb to the roof of the top balcony. Aligning the supports is important as the supports distribute the weight from all the balconies to the ground.

Replacing a balcony support post can pose serious safety challenges because the support posts affect so many other elements in the construction of the balcony and no one except a licensed and insured professional contractor should attempt this repair. Support posts, besides providing support are connected to the floors, roofs and railings and must be repaired perfectly and then all the elements re-connected properly.

Before beginning a major multistory balcony repair check to see if scaffolding will be required. If scaffolding is required it is important the scaffolding be erected securely and properly to avoid any accidents.

Balcony Maintenance

The damage to exterior balconies can be as simple as painting to the replacement of railings and flooring. Painting is usually an ongoing maintenance situation. Railings and flooring deteriorate over time and can become major safety problems if not dealt with by professionals.

Repairing Railings

Railing problems usually stem from the improper installation of the railings to the support post. Sometimes the brackets and screws or nails rust because of the weather or because they were not made of the proper material for outside use. This repair should be done one balcony at a time so as nothing is missed. After each repair the railing should be tested to insure it is strong and secure. It can be assumed people will be leaning against balcony railings and you do not want a railing to give away when someone is leaning on it.

Repairing Balcony Floors and Ceilings

Except for the bottom floor, all other floors are also ceilings for the balcony below and this needs to be kept in mind as the repairs are being done. Water is almost always the problem and the floors must drain properly, but not drain on the ceiling below. Professionals know how to slope the floors correctly to get the water off and keep the balcony below dry.

Leaks and structural problems arise in concrete balconies when the movement of the building or the balcony causes the concrete to crack and cracks often result in a loss of structural strength and leaks. Balconies made of treated lumber or a composite, if installed in-correctly, will cup and retain water which can cause the lumber or composite to deteriorate or rot.

Floors of balconies have supports that must be checked for strength before any floor covering is replaced and this requires a professional who knows what to look for and what the remedy is, sometimes the problem is simple, but all problems need to be identified as balcony repair is major work and you only want to do it once.

Exterior stacked balconies are part of the architectural look and style of a complex and repairs need to be done with sensitivity to the overall architectural look of the complex, again this is where professional expertise is important. A shoddy repair job is affects the value of the property and ultimately the rental rates you can charge.