{"id":2838,"date":"2017-08-29T03:54:02","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T17:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.houspect.com.au\/wa\/?p=2838"},"modified":"2018-09-06T13:43:15","modified_gmt":"2018-09-06T03:43:15","slug":"tiled-balconies-wa-critical-information-property-owners-managers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.houspect.com.au\/wa\/tiled-balconies-wa-critical-information-property-owners-managers\/","title":{"rendered":"Tiled Balconies in WA \u2013 Critical Information for Property Owners and Managers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tiled balconies are a feature of many homes and strata units in WA. However, there are some critical elements that need to be checked during construction, warranty periods or purchase evaluations.<\/p>\n

1 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0What are We Talking About?<\/h2>\n

Balconies are a common feature for a variety of styles of homes and strata units in WA. Given their exposure to the elements, many have ceramic or stone tile floor coverings.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, rain\/storm water will land on these balconies and this water needs to be directed off the balcony or into a drain. The water cannot be allowed to pond on the tiles.<\/p>\n

2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Where are We Talking?<\/h2>\n

Balconies can be located on a ground floor of a home or unit which may or may not overhang the natural ground level or it could be on an upper floor or it could be 15 floors up on a multi-level apartment building. Balconies are literally everywhere and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.<\/p>\n

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3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How are They Made?<\/h2>\n

The majority of balconies these days are constructed usually via a suspended or cantilevered concrete slab. Given the durability of tile and stones finishes, most balcony floors are covered in ceramic or stone tile of some description.\u00a0 As with internal wet areas of a home or strata unit, the tile joints between these ceramic or stone tiles are generally filled with a grout. Given the concrete slab below the tile (which encases the strengthening steel) is a porous material, a waterproofing membrane must be laid beneath the tile covering so as to ensure water cannot not enter the concrete slab and penetrate the steel, \u00a0which can cause the steel to rust and hence contribute to the development of concrete cancer.<\/p>\n

4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Simple Really – There can\u2019t be that Many Issues Then?<\/h2>\n

Sadly, there are a significant number of issues associated with the incorrect construction and or poor maintenance of balconies.<\/p>\n

4.1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No Drains and Incorrect Falls<\/h3>\n

Given the importance of removing water from the floor of tiled balconies from both a health and safety perspective but also the need to ensure water does not pond on the balcony, it is important that the balcony floor levels fall away from the building off the balcony or toward floor drains so as to remove water. It is surprising how many balconies and balcony passage ways are constructed without floor drains and or the fall of the installed tiles is actually toward the building and not toward the balcony edge or drain.<\/p>\n

4.1.1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The floor tiling in the example below falls towards the apartment and not towards the floor wastes.<\/em><\/h4>\n

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4.2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No Fall to Drains<\/h3>\n

Having drains is one thing, ensuring water flows toward those drains is another! There are very specific requirements in relation to the required floor level falls on tiled surfaces to direct water off the balcony or into the installed drains. Sadly, we come across a large number of balconies where there is little or no fall in floor tiles toward installed drains. Where water does not fall toward drains, the potential is that the water will pond on the balcony surface. Apart from being a safety issue the water may start to permeate the grout toward the slab.<\/p>\n

4.3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Insufficient Fall to Drains<\/h3>\n

There is insufficient fall to the floor tiles towards the floor wastes, the minimum fall required is 1 to 100 (1%), the fall as measured on site ranges between 0 % and 0.4 %.<\/p>\n

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4.4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lack of Puddle Flanges to Floor Drains<\/h3>\n

Even if there is a floor drain and the correct fall in the floors toward those drains, that does not mean the actual drain has been installed correctly. One of the key elements of a floor drain is to ensure that puddle flanges have been correctly installed.<\/p>\n

4.4.1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There is no puddle flange installed at the junction to the floor wastes and the storm water inlet as required and the pipework is approximately 65 mm below the floor waste inlet.<\/em><\/h4>\n

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4.5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lack of Flexible Sealant to Joints<\/h3>\n

Given that walls and floors can expand and contract at different rates during temperature changes it is important that joins at this critical junction have an extra layer of protection through the application of flexible sealant at the joint.<\/p>\n

4.5.1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There is no flexible sealant joint at the junction between the floor tiles and the skirting wall tiles as required.<\/em><\/h4>\n

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5 \u00a0 \u00a0 Intermediate Movement Joints<\/h2>\n

In larger areas of balconies where the expansion of the slab and tiles can be more extensive during the summer months, it is important that expansion joints (think railway tracks) are installed so as to ensure cracking to the protective tile cover can be avoided.<\/p>\n

5.1.1 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0There are not sufficient intermediate movement joints to the floor tiles as required.<\/em><\/h4>\n

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5.2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Balcony Penetrations<\/h3>\n

The area below the balcony was checked for signs of moisture ingress through the suspended concrete slab balcony specifically at the area around the gutter downpipe waste area. There was cracking and moisture with a high reading on a moisture meter detected to gutter downpipe waste area.<\/p>\n

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5.3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What is All the Fuss About? – Failure or Lack of Waterproofing Barriers!<\/h3>\n

If water manages to seep between the tiles or through cracks in the tiles the waterproofing membrane is designed to protect the slab from water ingress and the potential onset of concrete cancer.<\/p>\n

Once again, we come across a large number of balconies where there is no waterproofing barrier or that barrier is defective and water that manages to escape the tiles and or grout will start to seep through the concrete slab through to the floor below.<\/p>\n

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When steel rusts it can expand up to six times its original size with such force that it can crack concrete!<\/p>\n

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6 \u00a0 \u00a0Solving the Issue<\/h2>\n

Prevention is the absolute best solution hands down! When a balcony is constructed, home owners and strata companies must ensure that the key elements mentioned above are all correctly installed.<\/p>\n

If there are any signs of water ingress then this should be tackled as earliest as possible.\u00a0 The two most common options include:<\/p>\n