Major balcony repairs - Help!

Discussion in 'Repairs & Maintenance' started by daver, 27th Apr, 2017.

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  1. daver

    daver Member

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    Hi,

    I need some advice on the best way to approach the builder to request major balcony repairs and resultant damage be fixed under warranty before it expires in 6-9 months. The ceiling of my IP is leaking very badly whenever it rains heavily. We are almost 100% certain the leaking is coming through the balcony directly above and will require major repair/rebuild. (possible failed membrane) Once fixed half the living room will need re plastering. Lights are flickering so electrics also are damaged.

    My balcony is also leaking into the apartment below and will require repair.
    The e owner below contacted the builder previously with his building inspection report he had when purchasing, and it took 3 months and threats of legal action to get a response but no action yet. The builder mentioned resealing (rather than rebuilding), which we suspect might only be a temporary fix.

    I am obtaining an an official flood test report from a respectable company on both balconies that will provide proof and list their recommended repairs. I then plan to contact the builder and also ask the owner above mine to do so on behalf of his property. Hoping for any advice regarding contacting/dealing with the builder?

    It looks as though I will soon have no tenant and a property I can't lease or sell until I can get it all fixed and I can't sleep at night with worry! I plan to sell anyway as soon as this nightmare is over!

    Thanks
     
  2. jaybean

    jaybean Well-Known Member

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    Warranty? It's OTP?
     
  3. daver

    daver Member

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    Yes OTP settled end of 2011
     
  4. bunkai

    bunkai Well-Known Member

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    Having been through something similar. It probably does need a rebuild in an ideal world but that is a 10k per balcony proposition. Builder will be reluctant but not necessarily impossible to get them to do.

    Sealing might be okay in the medium term but this is more than just paining a coating over the tiles. You would need to know where the water ingress is likely and fix it all.

    This is probably a strata issue although most will struggle with sorting it out. You need to be on the committee and deeply involved.
     
  5. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like a strata issue - has it been brought to the EC attention?
     
  6. daver

    daver Member

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    The 'strata manager' was previously investigating and they came to the decision the balcony above was a private matter. The owner below me is also the Body Corp committee president and we are considering getting majority committee vote for a building wide defect report with optional apartment reports. That process might take 6-12 months to play out and I can't wait. So I decided to pay for my own leak detection report with balcony flood tests that will focus on my issues more specifically and I'm told will hold up in court/VCAT if necessary
     
  7. dabbler

    dabbler Well-Known Member

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    Terrible to be in this position, but once you know where water is getting in, you can work out the fix, the plaster etc is cheap, stopping water getting in may or may not be.