Balcony Repairs

[PFMcFarland]

The balcony replacement project required by the new owners insurance company finally got around to mine in December of 2018, and they have now (January 12, 2019) completed the demolition phase. Rebuilding is supposed to start on Monday the 14th, but since it is snowing, and will be at least through that morning I think the date will be pushed back a bit.

Here are some photos from the ongoing project.

General view showing how they shored up the upper deck, and blocked off the patio and balcony doors. My unit is the upper left.

Well Along by P F McFarland, on Flickr


No, there is not supposed to be a gap between the deck pans, and the support channels.

Eye Opening by P F McFarland, on Flickr


Balcony removed, nothing left but the uprights and railings.

All Gone by P F McFarland, on Flickr

The rest of the photos are at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmzaVpd3

PF

[GrahamS]

You seem to be living in the middle of a construction project lately. Why did the balconies need replacing?

[PFMcFarland]

You seem to be living in the middle of a construction project lately. Why did the balconies need replacing?

Yes, Graham, heavy equipment and jackhammers all day long! As you can see from the second photo the deck pans had rusted away until the only thing holding up my balcony deck was the concrete in the support channels, and the support channels were starting to rot out too. Other things the insurance company has required are fire extinguishers in all the hallways, pressure relief valves on the water heaters, and ground fault breakers. The rents went up shortly after the inspection, so we are already paying for the improvements, though with the additional costs of the balcony repairs, they will likely go up again soon.

PF

[GrahamS]

All of those things are statutory requirements over here. Believe me, there is good reason for them.

[PFMcFarland]

Quite understandable, Graham. It's just that these buildings were put up long before all that became mandatory, and the laws mostly applied to new builds. It's the insurance company pushing the issue that is getting the work done. If the new owners had bothered to get a proper inspection, I doubt they would have bought the place.

PF

[PFMcFarland]

UPDATE: Five more photos uploaded today, the new decking is on!

PF

[alexvaras]

That's quick!,

[PFMcFarland]

That's quick!,

Mine is the sixth one to be rebuilt, Alex, so the decking company is getting pretty good at putting on the new parts though they did have to tow their truck out of the mud pit the area has become with all the wet weather.

PF

[PFMcFarland]

The balcony repair project is finished! The flowers have been potted and hung, and now the only thing to do is wait one more week to plant the tomatoes and herbs.

The flowers:

Northeast View by P F McFarland, on Flickr

Tomatoes and herbs:

Southwest View by P F McFarland, on Flickr

My begonias:

Begonia by P F McFarland, on Flickr

For more details about what flowers were potted, and how the closet rebuild went, go to https://flic.kr/s/aHsmzaVpd3

PF

[alexvaras]

Congratulations, Phil, it looks like very nice and cozy.