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urban balcony deck! DIY

H

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I'm sure some of you in this forum would be knowledgeable about this. I would like my condo concrete balcony (6'x9') to look more deck like. So here is the plan:

- Laying down 2x2 pressure treated pine at 1ft. intervals. (I will not attach them to anything, only lay them down)
- Placing either 2x6 or 1x2 deck planks of western red Cedar in the opposite direction, screwed to the 2x2.

I am not sure if I can get 1x2 planks or if I should just have Home Depot cut the 2x6 to 2x2 for me.
In order to keep the water draining under the deck I will leave a half inch space between planks, and I am also thinking of either having the 2x2 notched from the bottom or just using smaller segments with space in between just so that I am sure water can move freely in all directions.

So the whole 6ft x 9ft deck is one piece but it is not attached to anything, just friction and its own weight keeping it down.
I’ve estimated this should cost around $200 which is much less than any of these products, but it is not a reusable module of course.

Any ideas, pros, cons, any potential problems with this?
Will it survive consecutive winters and summers (warping, cracking, etc..)
 
This is exactly what I did 4 years ago. It will greatly improve your enjoyment of your balcony.

My balcony is 6' by 20' and I don't think the whole thing cost more than $300 to do. Home depot has 6' boards so I didn't have to do any cutting at all.

I do find I prefer to restain it each spring, but that's not a big deal. Also, any dirt from planters etc gets trapped quite easily.

One other issue is a safety one according to my superintendant. There is some sort of law about how high the balcony railing must be and I violated that law since my balcony floor was raised by a couple of inches when I made my own deck. Nevertheless, everyone looked the other way.
 
I'm sure others have more expertise, but I have a feeling this would probably warp over time. 2x2s tend not to be very sturdy or straight to begin with. It might be a bit bouncy to walk on, too; and if warping began you would have a sort of catapult situation going on where stepping on one end would flip up another end (then again that could lead to some fun times).

Maybe you could just live with the concrete floor and spend your money/time focussing on the furniture, railings, and plantings instead? I've seen some beautiful urban balconies covered in fast-growing green vines, etc.
 
Deck boards are a common dimension. IIRC, 5/4" x 6", in 6 8 10 12 16 foot lengths.

Sometimes you cannot find 2x2 pressure treated. If not just use 2x4 on laid on the side. These are runners, not joists so they are not structural. You can 16" centers or less.

For the most resilient type of lumber use IPE, which is similar to Teak.
 
PukeGreen said:
I'm sure others have more expertise, but I have a feeling this would probably warp over time. 2x2s tend not to be very sturdy or straight to begin with. It might be a bit bouncy to walk on, too; and if warping began you would have a sort of catapult situation going on where stepping on one end would flip up another end (then again that could lead to some fun times).
Click to expand...

I know a number of people who have installed this type of balcony flooring - both DIY and professionally installed. I have never seen warping or problems with wear; it's completely sturdy and not "bouncy" at all. FYI: the pro installers my parents hired did a sh*t job.

299 bloor call control. said:
A couple friends of mine added outdoor carpet to their balcony for the summer.. Cost roughly $40 and it looks and feels amazing.
Click to expand...

Carpet/turf on apartment or condo balconies is usually illegal according to owner or tenant contracts. Carpet/turf holds water, which can hold salt, and the water cannot drain or dry quickly. This results in deterioration of the concrete underneath, which eventually leads to the expensive restoration and rebuilding of the balcony floor. If you've ever had to live in a building where they are doing these repairs, the concrete drilling reverberates through the entire building, making your home uninhabitable between 9:00 - 5:00 for months on end.
 
Supposedly its some new space aged, high tech, diddly doo super turf that doesn't hold water.... that's what they said at least.
Maybe I should give them a heads up ;)
 
Recently I finished building my deck on my balcony and made me recall this thread so here are some photos!

deck1.jpg


deck2.jpg
 
^ That is *really* nice, killer view as well. We've outfitted our balcony with something called Kwik Deck. You do need to cut individual pieces, but it isn't difficult. And we've placed a tarp underneath it, which should address water issues, although we had it last year with no tarp underneath (and it was a rainy summer last year) and there were no seepage problems. Didn't see any evidence of warping either, you just need to apply a stain once a year and you're good to go.
 
BuildTO said:
Carpet/turf on apartment or condo balconies is usually illegal according to owner or tenant contracts. Carpet/turf holds water, which can hold salt, and the water cannot drain or dry quickly. This results in deterioration of the concrete underneath, which eventually leads to the expensive restoration and rebuilding of the balcony floor. If you've ever had to live in a building where they are doing these repairs, the concrete drilling reverberates through the entire building, making your home uninhabitable between 9:00 - 5:00 for months on end.
Click to expand...

I've heard that too about carpet/astroturf but some new products dry fast and don't hold dampness for long. That's what I bought but it wasn't cheap, it cost me about $250 at Home Depot for a 6' X 22' balcony.
I went through the balcony restoration at 40 Alexander Street in 1999/2000 and it took 10 long months. It was HELL. Especially because I work until midnight-1am and sleep until 10-11am. But not for those 10 months.
 
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