Do balcony roofs over interior spaces damage your house?
In a recent article, we talked about the complexities and details of building and waterproofing exterior balconies.
The balcony shown in the balcony below is covered with a rubberized paver, laid and interlocked on top of a single-ply roof membrane. The underlying white membrane is a TPO membrane on top of a polyisocyanurate recovery board system installed with a fully adhered plate mounting system. Seams in this type of system are air heat welded, with an air gun, similar to a torch, but unlike most modified bitumen systems, this type of system does not require the use of an open flame.
This particular picture shows the rear termination at the rear of the balcony, both a floor and a roof at the same time. Since not many membranes are intended to be both a roof membrane and a foot traffic system, special coordination must be considered.
One of the other numerous details or items of complications in making a balcony that is also a roof, is the the waterproofing system of the balcony must also coordinate with a door which accesses the balcony from within the building interior. Pressures for lower quality and higher speed construction at a lower price combined with higher areas of technical requirements also combined with increased complexity make balconies above interior space a perfect storm of potential problems.
There are a few different options for a foot traffic system on balconies. Planks such are traditional pressure treated Southern Yellow Pine boards and synthetic composite deck planks cam be installed over top of waterproof roof membranes. In some cases pedestal systems can be installed to level a framing sunstructure over a low slope roof.
Maintaining A Flat Roof System
Smart proactive replacement, construction, upkeep and maintenance of low slope roof systems requires an enthusiastic interest and understanding of waterproofing principles and building science. Here in Washington DC, historic and modern residential and commercial buildings are extremely expensive and the roof and related systems provide the shield that preserves the building.
We encourage all of our clients, and all readers of this article and to our blog in general, to prioritize the value of quality construction and building maintenance, and develop a relationship with our company. You can learn a lot more on our blog. Feel free to check it out. If you have questions about the roof and related systems of your building in Washington DC, contact us or fill out the webform below and drop us a line. We will be in touch if we can help.
