Balcony over the garage

Kazi · Apr 11, 2016 4:39 pm

Anyone building a house with front balcony over the garage?

Is it allowed in New South Wales or just not all builders do it for water leaking issue? If proper waterproofing is done should it be a huge concern still?

MrsJM · Apr 11, 2016 5:39 pm

I think there may be waterproofing issues building a balcony over an enclosed section of the lower storey. I could be wrong but I feel like I remember having that conversation with a builder

LetThisBeAGoodIdea · Apr 12, 2016 12:57 am

We are. Our balcony sits over the garage with eaves from the edge of the balcony over the front of the garage. Guessing that resolves any water issues.... maybe??

oneJohn · Apr 12, 2016 1:15 pm

You can build a balcony over a garage or even living space, but it does complicate the waterproofing, and increases the risk of greater damage if there is leakage. So expect greater costs, and you want to have good trust in your builder doing the job right. If there's roof cover over the balcony and eaves overhang it would reduce the risk a bit, but you can still get wind-driven rain

I think there are also aesthetic reasons why builders tend not to have designs with balconies above built-in areas.

Beetaloo · Apr 12, 2016 1:45 pm

The other issue is structural. A double garage will mean large unsupported spans and large pre-cambered steel beams will be required. In addition a balcony is designed for a live load of 4kPa whereas a room inside a house is designed for a live load of 2.5kPa (I think)

Kazi · Apr 13, 2016 9:08 pm

Thanks everyone. I will check with my builder.