Leaking balconies in Hills district strata buildings
How we trace water from a failed balcony membrane to the unit below.
In short: Balcony leaks in apartment buildings usually come from the membrane, the floor waste or the tile bed. Tracing the path is the job.
The symptom
Water on a ceiling, efflorescence on a wall, paint bubbling below a balcony. The owner below notices first.
What we found nearby
On a strata investigation in a nearby suburb, several balconies showed cracked tiles around floor wastes, open grout and water getting into the bed beneath. One unit had an active leak running from the balcony above.
Membrane failure
Most balcony leaks trace to a membrane that failed at its edges, at the floor waste or at balustrade penetrations.
Moisture from outside
Not every damp wall is a balcony leak. A garden bed higher than the inside floor can push moisture through a wall, and the investigation tests for that too.
What the report gives
A plain account of the likely path and the further work needed to confirm and repair it, for the owners corporation or lot owner.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Rouse Hill. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.
