Common Balcony Pitfalls on Double-Storey Kit Homes

Charles Christodoulou: The only tricky part – and I’ll warn you now – is where a lot of people come unstuck with double-storey builds: the balcony and waterproofing it.

Charles Christodoulou: That’s a nightmare. When I say nightmare, I mean it – don’t take any shortcuts. You’ve got to do it exactly as per specifications. We used a product called SikaFlex – you can find it at Bunnings. It comes in a tube, like silicone, but it hardens very well. It’s a grey compound, and it’s excellent. You’ll need to use quite a lot of it – don’t skimp on that.

Water will find its way through places you can’t even imagine. I know from experience.

And another thing – when you’re building the balcony, especially if it’s a small one, make sure you include plenty of noggins to support whatever you’re using to enclose it, whether that’s glass panels or railings. Make sure you’ve got enough support to fix everything securely. That’s very important – don’t forget that.