While leaking balconies are common in Australian homes, you wouldn’t like to have one as the owner. Particularly, if you reside in an apartment, multi-storey building, or older home, you would look out for professionals for leaking balcony repairs Melbourne sometime or the other. Before water leakages aggravate to more expensive damages, it makes sense to work with the experts to fix the issue.
Leakages in balconies happen due to several reasons like the lack of proper planning or inspection. Issues with the membrane of the waterproofing material can also lead to these leaks. As soon as you detect a leak in your balcony, make sure to address the issue without leaving it for your home renovation.
Common reasons leading to leaking balconies
All balconies tend to develop faults at some point in their life span. Over the years, waterproofing and construction techniques have significantly evolved. This has an impact on the effectiveness of the membranes you use for waterproofing. For instance, in modern multi-storey apartments, several balconies come with minimal falls. These balconies have higher chances of pooling moisture and water between the tiles and membranes, leading to ‘ponding’. At times, the waterproofing material might not be strong enough to resist ponding water. Eventually, it breaks down, leading to damage to your balcony.
Here are some of the common reasons leading to leaking balconies.
- Improper planning before construction of the property
- Poor maintenance of the building
- Improper drainage facilities
- Breakdown of waterproofing membranes
- Development of cracks due to natural movements of buildings
Why does a leaking balcony require immediate attention?
In case you have a leaking balcony, make sure to reach out to accomplished professionals for waterproofing Melbourne. Ignoring the issue can invite several risks. Some of these include:
- Structural damage of the property, resulting in breakdown or collapse of the balcony
- Expensive repair expenses, including membranes and other elements
- Health risks due to the formation of moulds and mildew
- Disputes between landlords, property owners, and other residents, leading to litigation
Eventually, this can lead to loss of value of your property, besides causing safety hazards and financial losses.
What do professionals look out for in a leaking balcony?
In the first place, the experts would carry out a thorough evaluation to find out any maintenance issue or abnormality in the property. In case they detect leakages by pouring water over the tiles, they might recommend you replace the waterproofing membrane. Here are some of the common signs of water leakage that experienced professionals would look out for.
- Water stains under the balcony
- Signs of leakage in the internal ceiling
- Missing or cracked grout
- Issues with closing or opening the doors of the balcony
- Splitting or peeling of paints
- Weakening of structural joints in the posts and railings of the balcony
Once you find out that your balcony is leaking, make sure to reach out to a reputed contractor to work on the membrane. The experts would evaluate the cause of the leak and do the needful to fix the issue. This would prevent the property value from depreciating faster than usual. Besides, timely repairs would prevent structural damage to your property.
