Rejuvenate the balcony: a project of the season!

To take full advantage of the summer, there is nothing like a balcony suited to your tastes and needs. Subject to weather and heavy traffic, yours may have need of a youth to begin the new season.

The balcony as the terrace is an outdoor extension of the home appreciated. (Photo courtesy APCHQ)
To guide you in your project, the banner Reno Master of the Provincial Association of Home Builders Quebec (APCHQ) suggests some ways to make your balcony living space pleasant and safe.

Planning

Whatever your motivations, renovation of balconies requires a minimum of planning. While you're there, its dimensions still appropriate for your needs? In general, a balcony 10 feet by 12 offers enough space to comfortably seat four people and accommodate a barbecue.

"If you want to enlarge, check first with your local municipality, as it may be that the regulations restrict the size, prevents André Gagné, director of technical expertise APCHQ. Also, if you are thinking possibly transform your balcony or terrace three seasons incorporate a spa, plan now foundations and structure of sufficient bearing capacity. "

In terms of support, it is recommended to place the platform on dormant blocks. Under the effect of freezing, they will tend to rise and, eventually, to deteriorate the anchors that attach the balcony at home. The screw piles, concrete columns or poles 6 inches 6 treated wood installed at a minimum depth of 1.2 meters, more resistant to frost.

Security

Fall prevention should be at the top of your priorities. Moreover, the rules are there to remind you. As soon as the platform of your balcony is 24 inches above ground level is, you must install a guardrail. Whatever it is made of wood, aluminum, plastic or wrought iron, it must have a minimum height of 36 inches. Your staircase has three or more risers? You must also provide a handrail.

You want to combine business with pleasure by combining balcony and pool? Standards are more stringent in this regard. You will provide a barrier between the pool and balcony. This should be a minimum of 42 inches tall and has a self-closing system and a safety lock installed on the side of the pool to prevent it from being handled by children.

Materials

After experiencing its heyday, treated wood is losing ground among consumers because of its toxicity. If the structure of your balcony is made of treated wood, it is not necessary to dismantle everything. Adding a new surface coating, such as fiberglass, will do nicely.

"The Western Red Cedar is also a good alternative to treated wood, says André Gagné. Its high tannin content makes it well resist rot. As the fiber is denser than hemlock, western red cedar is less likely to delaminate. Its surface is smooth and produces less sides. Also found recently on the market for wood treated with an environmentally friendly agent, alkaline copper quaternary, safe for health. "

But there is a downside to the use of treated wood: Although durable, it requires the application of a protective coating to preserve its appearance. As for composite materials made of plastic and wood fiber, they also represent a cost-effective solution even if they are much more expensive. They do not and will alter their color to stand the test of time.