6 Important Things You Should Know About Balcony Inspection Laws
If your apartment (or an apartment that you manage) has a balcony, then it’s important for you to know that there are very strict laws governing their construction and maintenance.
The reason for this is that if a balcony is not properly built or taken care of, then it can become a hazard to anybody that’s walking underneath it or using it.
If this balcony is very high up on a building, then the risk of collapse is amplified significantly. In order to ensure balconies are fit for purpose, they need to be inspected.
This post will tell you six important things that you should know about balcony inspection laws:
Rigorous Inspection
If you are a part of a building’s homeowners’ association or are responsible for managing a building, then you will need to make sure that each balcony is inspected thoroughly.
According to this inspection specialist, performing balcony inspections will prevent you from receiving expensive fines. Rigorous inspections need to be carried out on each of your building’s balconies, at least twice a year.
The inspections that are carried out need to be very thorough. Each balcony should be checked in person, on the balcony, and then from below it.
If any problems are noted with any balconies, then these need to be reported to a maintenance company, who will be able to come in and make repairs quickly.
Collapsed Balconies
The reason that balcony laws are so strictly enforced is because of the potential severity of balcony collapses.
There have been some very high-profile balcony collapses in recent years, such as the Berkley balcony collapse, which resulted in the deaths of six people and the injury of seven others.
If your building’s tenants are standing on their balcony when it collapses, then it could result in them being seriously injured or killed. The higher up a balcony is, the more risk that it poses.
Additionally, a collapsing balcony can be a safety hazard for anybody that’s standing below it and any lower balconies.
Proper Construction
You need to make sure that your building’s balconies are all constructed using high-quality and safe materials.
If you are found to have taken any shortcuts on the construction of your building’s balconies, then you can get into a lot of trouble. Taking shortcuts on building materials can actually result in you being taken to court and prosecuted, potentially even being sent to prison.
If you think that high-quality balconies are going to be too expensive for you to construct, then don’t include them in your building’s blueprint or design.
Make sure that you hire trained and professional contractors to complete your building’s balconies, too.
Qualified Inspectors
In addition to hiring high-quality tradespeople to manage the construction of your building’s balcony, you also need to make sure that you employ qualified and accredited inspectors so that they can properly inspect and monitor your building’s balconies.
If you are found to have hired an under qualified inspector (and then somebody was consequently injured because of their negligence or failure to notice the signs of a collapsing balcony), then you can get into a lot of trouble.
Make sure to research inspectors online, so that you can find the one that’s the most qualified and experienced for the job.
Regular Maintenance
You need to hire professionals to perform regular maintenance on your balconies. If any paint is chipped or there are any problems with your building’s balconies, then hire a professional to come in and make the relevant repairs.
If you repair any problems as soon as they arise, then there is less of a chance that your building’s balconies will collapse. It is when you leave a balcony to seriously deteriorate that problems begin to arise.
A balcony can go from being slightly damaged to collapsing very quickly, so make sure that maintenance is performed routinely.
Signposting Building
Finally, make sure that you properly signpost your building when any repairs or maintenance are being carried out.
You should instruct lower floors that are immediately beneath the balcony that is being repaired to stay off of their balconies while the maintenance is being performed, in addition to signposting the lower areas and putting up a gate to prevent people from walking underneath it.
All of this will prevent people from injuring themselves if any accidents occur, during the course of the balcony’s maintenance. It will also prevent anyone from hurting themselves if any tools are dropped by the workmen.
A balcony can be a lot of fun. It can give you somewhere to eat, drink, and party. A balcony can also be very dangerous if it isn’t properly maintained and inspected.