A balcony can add more elegance to the overall exterior aesthetics of your homes. Balconies are great venues for family and friends gathering, weekend barbeques, relaxing, enjoying the views, and watching the world go by.

If you are considering adding a balcony structure at home, do you already have a design ready? Or do you know what balcony decking design is suitable for your home?

Below are the different types of balconies that will help you come up with the balcony structure that will work best for your home.

 

Hung balconies

This type of balcony structure is made of stainless steel cables that are fixed on the edges of the balcony. The large plate is connected to the building at a 45-degree angle.

It is as simple as fixing the steel cables on the walls, attach to the plate, and hang the balcony. The method works by using the bolt strength at the wall 50% shear and 50% pull out forces. The design is minimalist and is not commonly used.

 

Stacked balconies

Balconies on pillars are the most common and popular balcony decking design due to its simplicity. Apart from that, these stacked balconies only have a minimal load on the building or structure. Stacked balconies are not connected to the building; it is in fact a separate structure to the building.

Stacked balconies are supported using vertical posts or pillars. Concrete pads are erected on the ground, where the weight of the stacked balconies is transferred from these vertical posts or pillars.

Some balconies on pillars or stacked balconies are made of aluminum materials that give a smooth and uniform appearance on buildings or apartments.

Stacked balconies are commonly used in apartment and residential buildings due to its unified appearance, simplicity of structure, and ease of implementation.

 

Cantilever or projecting balconies

Cantilever balconies are platforms added to a building in a manner that the balcony is projected from the face of the building without any visible support. The weight of the balcony decking is support by cantilevering the structure off the wall.

Cantilever balconies are pre-designed and cannot be added on existing building or structure as projecting balconies demand larger point loads on the building where these are going to be attached to.

Traditional cantilever balconies are made of steel or concrete. But modern designs innovative materials and ways to have these projecting balconies add more aesthetic results.

Projecting balconies are usually made to 1500-1800mm depth. Although this type of balcony structure has the most artistic result, users sometimes complain about the movement that they experience when they step out on this platform.

Cantilevered balconies tend to bounce due to its depth. The smaller the depth, the less bounce you can expect.

 

Balcony Decking

Balcony decking needs several considerations to achieve the best and appropriate design. These considerations include the material, color, government, and local code requirements, who is going to use it, and how it would complement the building in the end.

As these considerations affect the final design of your balcony installation project, it is best to consult a professional balcony contractor.

 


WICR Waterproofing & Decking is Southern California’s premier waterproofing and decking specialist covering Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. We are trained by all the major manufacturers of waterproofing systems so that we can install or repair any waterproofing project. Please visit us at www.WICRWaterproofing.com