Units for mounting balconies in panel housing construction. Balcony fasteners: hinged and capital, features and methods of fastening concrete slabs. What determines the allowable weight for a balcony

Then in the old fund, often, the balconies are in disrepair and pose a danger not only to the owners, but also to passers-by, so major repairs are required.

To avoid falling out of pieces of concrete or collapse of the structure, it is necessary to reinforce, strengthen, correct the roll, close up gaps or restore the slab again. Next, we present detailed instructions how to conduct an examination, we will tell you at whose expense the examination and restoration work is done, and we will analyze in detail the question of how to repair a balcony with your own hands.

Who should do the repairs

The balcony slab is a common house property, the management company is responsible for its condition. Everything inside the balcony is the property of the owners of the apartment, so the burden of responsibility for the repair and maintenance of these useful areas lies on your shoulders.

Emergency balcony, what to do?

If you notice:

• that the balcony leaned, and the normal slope to ensure the natural outflow of precipitation is 3% from the outer wall to the inner;
• gaps appeared at the junction between the slab and the bearing wall;
• pieces of concrete fall off the slab or reinforcement is exposed;
• rusted parapet and staggers.

You should urgently write an application to the housing and communal services with a request for repairs, in which all the problems should be reflected in detail. If you do not do this, then the entire responsibility for accidents will lie with you. A response to your complaint should follow within 4 weeks: a commission is created, an examination of the balcony is made, and an act on the emergency condition of the slab is drawn up.

After the examination, a conclusion is issued, as a result of which you will simply be forbidden to use this design. Although all the costs of repairing the stove should be borne by the management company, they will notify you in writing of the lack of funds for this purpose, and you will simply lose part of your usable area. Therefore, repairs will have to be done on their own and at their own expense. To get back the money spent, you need to collect all the checks, and demand reimbursement of expenses through the court.

Balcony repair, photo of the slab before reconstruction

How to start repairing a balcony

If a decision is made to repair the balcony with your own hands, first of all, you will need a project that can only be completed by a design organization that has permission for these types of work. Specialists go to the site, assess the condition of the extension, on the basis of which the necessary measures for the restoration of the slab are determined, and an estimate is drawn up. It is important to note here that it is better to carry out work related to the reconstruction of a balcony through an agreement with specialists. Only in this case, you delegate all responsibility to them, even if during the repair process something falls off and falls down, causing damage to property and health.

Of course, the involvement of professionals in the repair entails significant costs, so many refuse services and restore the stove on their own. And then we will analyze in detail how to repair the balcony with your own hands, step by step:

• restore the plate;
• reinforce the structure
• close the gaps;
• fix the parapet.

Balcony repair in panel house by reinforcing the console with a reinforced concrete beam

How to properly prepare a balcony slab for a major overhaul

Before you make repairs on the balcony, you should clear the area, take out the trash. Then with an ordinary hammer, with a handle about half a meter, we begin to knock on concrete, the blows should be of medium strength. Such manipulations will remove all the weak solution. Listen to the sound of impacts, it should be deaf, if a rumble appears, then inside the void, in this place we break the concrete in order to subsequently eliminate the defect.

When the entire surface of the slab is cleaned, we examine the cracks using an ordinary metal ruler. We put it in the joint, if it rests, then the gap is superficial, and does not pose a danger. And if, after increased pressure, it slips deeper, then a fracture is possible, so you will have to not only repair, but also strengthen the plate.

Repair of loggias and balconies, photo how to increase the usable area when restoring the plate

How to strengthen a balcony slab

If, after the examination, you are convinced that the slab does not have significant damage, it is enough to scald its perimeter with metal corners, and strengthen the interface with the wall with anchors.

How to make repairs if the stove is tilted

In the case of a slab slope of more than 3 degrees, and most likely a crack has appeared at the junction of the wall / slab, reinforcement of the balconies is required:

• Installation of supports is possible if the balcony is located on the lower floors. A concrete platform is poured under the balcony or columnar foundation. Metal poles with a diameter of 100-150 mm are installed on it, a circular piping is made along the upper heads with a corner, this design will support the slab.
• If repair of the balcony on the upper floors is required, you will have to mount the upper or lower brackets or mensols.
• The upper reinforcement is a strand of a metal cable with a diameter of 20-24 mm, which is fastened with long anchors on the sides of the balcony. One end is fixed on the outside of the plate, and the other on the wall at a height of 900-1200 mm from the floor. The slab/wall joint is additionally tightened with a metal corner.
• The lower reinforcing mensols are preferable, but they enter the territory of the neighbors, so you will need to get their consent in order to install the fasteners. Rectangular corners are cooked from a metal profile, which are fixed with long anchors to the wall.

Ways to repair a balcony slab

How to repair a balcony if part of the slab is lost or completely destroyed

If you need to restore the lost slab or in case of expanding the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe balcony, the best way out is to introduce channel walls into the body, which will become the basis of the extension. For these works, it is necessary to involve specialists, since the integrity of the supporting structure is affected. 2-4 deep holes are made in the wall, a channel or high-strength reinforcement is inserted into them, then concreted, and a steel sheet is usually welded on top, which serves as the basis and at the same time a formwork for pouring a new concrete slab.

How to make a new reinforcing frame to repair a balcony

Balcony repair technology if reinforcement is exposed in the slab

The destruction of the concrete slab is inevitably associated with the exposure of the reinforcing frame. After the surface is cleaned, all signs of rust are removed with a stiff brush, you can additionally treat with vinegar. After that, the rods are treated with an anti-corrosion primer and poured with concrete.

If some of the rods are lost, you should especially pay attention to the strength of the reinforcement at the wall / slab junction, then the metal frame will have to be welded. For repair, remove the concrete layer to the reinforcement with a perforator, cut off all metal parts damaged by rust. Punch a few holes in the wall. Then insert new rods into them, concrete and weld to the remains of the frame. Next, a concrete screed is made on top, and for strength, a reinforcing mesh can be additionally laid.

To hide the reinforcement along the edges of the slab, it is recommended to scald the perimeter with a corner, make a formwork and pour the structure with concrete.

Preparation of the slab for the screed

How to close the gaps on the balcony

The gap between the slab and the wall is best sealed in a complex, together with the neighbors from below. And if the repair of the balcony is in Khrushchev, then the roof of your balcony is the floor of the neighbors from above, so in this case you will have to use them, so you can not only restore your own balcony, but also avoid leaks during precipitation.

The joint is well cleaned and embroidered in a V-shape, smeared with liquid bitumen, on which a fiberglass or roofing felt tape is glued, with a 100 mm approach to the slab and wall. The patch is again smeared with bitumen, a metal corner or a galvanized strip folded at an angle is laid on top, which is drilled onto the anchor for strength. Next, you can do a general waterproofing of the slab and further repairs.

Balcony repair, photo example of how to properly close the gaps to ensure tightness of the structure

Parapet repair

If the parapet is dilapidated, and especially in front of the balcony glazing, it must be strengthened. As a rule, this is done using an equilateral metal corner:

• scald the slab around the perimeter;
• fasten several vertical posts to the bottom trim - be sure to fasten 2 on the sides with anchors to the wall, and 2 on the outer corners of the slab;
• scald on top of the vertical racks with railings from the corner.

Repair of a balcony, a variant of the reconstruction of the parapet with the subsequent removal of glazing

To expand the balcony, the racks are not welded vertically, but at an angle. Under glazing, the upper railing is recommended to be made with a width of 100 mm or more. Below is an instruction on how to repair a balcony, the video will help you understand the parapet reinforcement technology.

How to equip a balcony with your own hands

To turn outdoor balcony into useful and well-maintained meters, after the restoration of the slab, the parapet should be sewn up from the outside with a profiled sheet or siding, and protective curtains should be hung.

If a closed and warm balcony is planned, after glazing, the extension is insulated inside with stone wool or polystyrene boards. To make cosmetic repairs, it is enough to close the heat-insulating layer with a vapor barrier membrane, make a crate, and, if necessary, conduct light

Spaces formed by speakers horizontal structures buildings belong to the summer premises. It is advisable to place open summer rooms (balconies) in the temperate climate zone in the common room and kitchen, and in the southern regions and in the bedroom.

The depth of summer rooms should be at least 90 cm for medium climatic regions and at least 120-180 cm for southern ones, since beds and places for eating are often placed there in summer.

Balconies, bay windows, loggias significantly increase the comfort of apartments due to the connection with external environment and at the same time they enrich the plasticity of the facades. The rationality of their use depends on the climatic features of the construction area. In hot climates, balconies and loggias shade interior spaces from excessive insolation.

Bay windows, giving an increase in illumination and insolation of the internal volume of the room, are good to use in the northern regions.

The arrangement of open spaces - balconies and loggias in residential and public buildings of mass construction is carried out from standard factory-made structural elements.

During the construction of buildings on steep slopes or a facade plane yielding in depth, they arrange open terraces located above the exploited volumes. The floors of such terraces serve as exploitable roofs of overlapping volumes, which requires careful attention to waterproofing issues.

The design features of balconies, loggias, bay windows are multivariate and depend on the construction and structural systems of the building.

Balconies- open cantilever platforms with a removal of 90-120 cm from the plane of the wall, having fences up to 1.0 m high on three sides. The shape of the balconies can be varied - rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, curvilinear, sawtooth, etc.

Balconies perform two main functions in the apartment: they serve for relaxation and as a place for performing various household chores (planting flowers, drying clothes, airing things, storing food).

In design practice, balconies are used open with windproof walls, and loggias are built-in, remote, as well as remote and built-in loggias-balconies.

According to their static scheme, balcony slabs can work:

as a cantilever plate that transmits the bending moment and vertical support reaction to the wall structure and the building floor;


as a beam slab, which has alternative solutions for supporting the sides: - on cantilever beams, suspension to the internal transverse walls of the building or resting on outriggers.

The interface of the balcony slab with the outer wall and ceiling must satisfy not only the strength requirements, but also provide thermal insulation. Therefore, when making balcony slabs from heavy concrete, thermal insulation is laid in the joint between the balcony slab and the floor slab. The balcony slab can be a remote cantilever part of the floor panel molded from lightweight concrete.

Balcony structures: a - from reinforced concrete slabs; b - on reinforced concrete consoles; 1 - balcony slab; 2 - floor slab; 3 - insulation; 4- cement strainer; 5- waterproofing carpet; b-sex; 7-drain, 8-beam

Balcony railings are usually made in the form of a metal lattice. The most critical are the places for embedding fence posts into the slab and handrails into the wall.

Steel parts of balconies must be protected from moisture. To protect the beams from corrosion, they are concreted. Cement-sand or gypsum parts were used as architectural decorations for balconies. Fastening parts are most susceptible to destruction, so special attention is paid to their protection from atmospheric influences.

The balcony slab has a smooth bottom plane or ribs protruding along the contour, but in all cases, along the bottom of the outer edges of the slab, a drip should be arranged to prevent the outer surface of the building wall from getting wet. The upper plane of the balcony slab is made with a slope of 1-2% from the facade plane of the wall.

A waterproofing carpet is laid on top of the slab with its top mounted on the wall of the building. On the waterproofing layer, a cement or asphalt screed is used to lay a floor made of ceramic tiles, located 50-70 mm below the floor of the room to which the balcony adjoins and 100-120 mm below the level of the door threshold.

For the arrangement of balconies, special balcony slabs are used. Such slabs in large-block buildings are fastened by pinching the slab between transmission, wall and window sill blocks with welding of steel anchors with embedded parts of the lintel block and balcony slab.

The upper reinforcement of the balcony is concreted in the channels of the prefabricated slab with a step through one channel.

In large-panel buildings, depending on the structures of the outer walls (bearing, non-bearing) and ceilings, various schemes for arranging balconies are used.

Overlapping of loggia-balconies is performed from balcony slabs, floor panels, as well as from special slabs with a reinforced facade rib. The overlapping of the built-in loggias-balconies is supported on the outer side walls of the loggias, and the external loggias and loggias-balconies are supported on special attached or hinged concrete walls - “cheeks”.

Railings for balconies and loggias consists of a metal grate and blind or lattice fences attached to it - screens.

The railings of balconies and loggias are made of metal gratings fixed in a concrete slab of the loggia (balcony) floor. The fence can be deaf with a lattice sheathing with decorative sheets of fiberglass, corrugated metal, etc., as well as with a brick wall a quarter of a brick thick.

The floors on the balconies and loggias are made of ceramic tiles, cement ironing of the surface, asphalt.

Loggias can be built into the volume of the building or protrude beyond the facade plane - remote, but in both cases they have a deaf side railing. With loggias built into the volume of the building, the installation of adjacent insulated side (end) walls is required.

In the ceilings of the loggias, wound up on the outer wall, in order to exclude cold bridges, heat-insulating gaskets are installed.

The design of remote loggias is carried out with the help of additional load-bearing or hinged side walls perpendicular to the facade, protruding consoles of the frame columns or pinched in the transverse internal walls ah cantilever beams.

The load-bearing side walls of the loggias are used only for mid-rise buildings. At the same time, to ensure the joint settlement of the loggias and the walls of the building, the side cheeks-walls of the loggias rest on the sections of the foundations of the transverse internal walls, which are placed beyond the plane of the facade.

Designs developed sliding glazing loggias, which to the greatest extent meets the requirements of comfort in the middle and northern climatic zones of Russia. When glazing balconies or loggias, a significant drawback arises, which is expressed in a decrease in the luminous flux by an average of 15-20%, since the wide vertical and horizontal imposts of the fencing frames prevent the passage of the luminous flux.

According to the constructive type, a loggia is a room open on one or more sides, included in the total volume of the building and fenced from the outside with a parapet. The loggia can be a separate structure or a type of balcony recessed into the building. Loggias are based in old buildings mostly on slabs or floor beams, in modern construction- on protruding pilasters. The flow of water from the loggias is carried out through the discharge holes. The slope of the loggia floor must be at least 5%. Loggia floors are usually waterproofed with rolled roofing or other insulating material.

Loggias and terraces: vertical section - a) loggias, b) terraces; 1 - fencing blocks; 2 - floor slabs; 3 - layer forming the slope; 4 - vapor barrier; 5 - crown insulation element; 6 - anti-damp insulation; 7 - cement coating layer; 8 - finishing layer; 9 - layer forming the floor and underground layer; 10 - concrete tiles

Frameless glazing eliminates this drawback. It is a frame assembled from four aluminum profiles, which, with an accuracy of 2 mm, repeats the dimensions of the opening of a balcony or loggia. The upper horizontal aluminum profile is load-bearing, with shelves along which a pair of double roller bearings roll, carrying sheets of tempered glass.

The lower profile is a guide. Vertical profiles with brush seals provide a tight abutment of glass to the walls of the loggia (balcony). All elements of the frame are attached to the walls, ceiling and railings of the loggia or balcony. The finished glazing is a solid wall of tempered glass 6 mm thick without frames and vertical posts. For ventilation, a mechanism for fixing open doors is provided.

Bay window— the volume of the internal space of the building, taken out of the facade plane, provides an increase in the insolation of the usable area of ​​the room and aesthetically enriches the interior. In terms of bay windows, they can have a different configuration - rectangular, triangular, trapezoidal, semicircular, etc.

The bay window is an active means of the composition of the building, it emphasizes the articulation and plasticity of the facade plane. It can be a separate compositional accent, it can be rhythmically repeated along the vertical plane of the building, or, alternating with flat sections of the wall and sunken loggias, create an active light and shade plasticity of the facade.

The walls of the bay windows can be both load-bearing and non-bearing, they can be made in the form of a three-dimensional element hung on the building structure.

With load-bearing walls, bay windows are installed on foundation structures. With a hinged system, the bay window volume may not reach the foundations, interrupted anywhere along the vertical.

Non-load-bearing lightweight outer walls of the bay window rest on various types consoles of internal load-bearing structures - consoles of frame columns, beams pinched in internal walls, consoles of floor slabs.

In hinged bay windows, it is necessary to observe the conditions for thermal protection of its lower and upper floors, which are external enclosing structures.

An industrial three-dimensional bay window element has been developed, intended for use both in new construction and in the overhaul and reconstruction of residential buildings.

The three-dimensional bay window consists of an external reinforced concrete three-layer wall and one upper load-bearing floor, it is manufactured according to bench technology and delivered to the construction site with the maximum degree of prefabrication.

Bay windows are designed with load-bearing, self-supporting and non-bearing external walls. The load-bearing and self-supporting walls of the bay windows are installed on an independent foundation and designed similarly to the structures of the outer walls. The non-bearing outer walls of the bay windows are supported by special cantilever floor slabs that repeat the shape of the bay window plan.

	Bay window design: a - section along the bay window; b - bay window plan; 1 - lightweight outer wall; 2 - overlap; 3 - cement floor; 4 - slag; 5 - parquet; 6 - black floor; 7 - backfill; 8 - reinforced concrete slab; 9 - plaster

Brick vaults, which are the load-bearing filling between metal beams, were usually laid out on lime mortar, which, when moistened, quickly collapses with time.

Bay window - a part of the room enclosed by external walls, located behind the outer plane of the facade wall (closed balcony). The bay window increases the useful area of ​​​​the room and somewhat improves insolation. In addition, it serves as a compositional means for the vertical division of the facade.

The bay window consists of a supporting and enclosing structure. The elements of the supporting structure are two or more single-span beams with cantilevers embedded in the outer or inner walls.

The elements of the bay window enclosing structure (walls, ceilings, floor) must have the necessary thermal resistance and low density, so the material for them is usually hollow ceramics, multi-hole or slotted bricks, foam concrete or reinforced concrete panels with an internal insulating layer. The bay window cover often serves as a balcony of the overlying floor - a flat roof.

Due to corrosive and erosive wear of building facade structures, such a useful part of an apartment as a balcony can collapse. In order to prevent such an incident, many apartment owners, on their own or with the help of specialists, strengthen the slab and restore the railing, followed by the installation of a protective frame. After all, if measures are not taken in time to strengthen the destructive structure, you can lose an excellent place for drying and storing things, a pleasant pastime, etc.

From the article you will learn how to strengthen the balcony slab in a combined way.

Photo of the destroyed balcony slab.

Who should repair the balcony?

According to paragraph "2c" of the document of the Russian Federation: "Rules for the maintenance of common property in apartment building”, a balcony slab and a railing are public property, for which, depending on the method of managing the public utilities, a housing partnership (HOA), a housing construction cooperative (HBC) or another managing organization is responsible. Therefore, for restoration balcony structures should only be contacted by the organization that is directly responsible for common property Houses. According to paragraph 12 of the above document, apartment owners are not prohibited from repairing public property on their own.

Mounting options for balcony slabs, their characteristics and possible methods of restoration

For the effectiveness of the work on the reconstruction of balconies, it is necessary to study their characteristics and methods of attachment to the building. Often a balcony and a loggia are the same for the average layman. But in fact, these are two different structures in terms of design. Balcony with (ancient German balko - beam) - a slab with a railing protruding beyond the facade of an architectural building. Loggia (from Italian loggia - covered gallery) - an unheated niche in a building, with an open side (sides) and supporting elements such as columns, arches, slabs, etc. Since the design of the sites discussed above differs significantly from each other, in loggia repair is not considered in the article.

By design, balconies are divided into:

• Console(a) - reinforced concrete slab 90 - 120 mm thick, placed outside the facade of the building and fastened between the bearing walls. The method of mounting such a structure is called pinching.

The plate is installed at an inclination of 10 degrees to the ground. In the absence of protection against precipitation, improper care, improper installation, the plate quickly collapses. Often, cantilever platforms can be seen in Khrushchev-built houses. In the part “Strengthening the balcony slab in Khrushchev”, the option of a major restoration of all elements of the balcony will be considered in detail.

• Beam(b) - beams made of different material(reinforced concrete, metal, wood).

During the construction of the house, the supporting elements are laid in the load-bearing wall to a depth of at least 400 mm, or in installed wall a niche is made with the subsequent installation of beams. In old-built houses, remote platforms are held by reinforced concrete modillions (decorative brackets). But since corrosive wear of the reinforcing layer occurs in the brackets, which reduces its bearing capacity, balconies of this design quickly become unusable.

After the reconstruction and protection of reinforced concrete supports from destruction, the slab was expanded and strengthened with channel No. 10, the entire balcony was additionally fixed with suspensions made of profile pipe combined with railing elements and roof supports.

• Overhead(c) - a metal platform with a railing, connected to the facade of the building with anchor fasteners.

The carrying capacity of such elements is not large, therefore, it is advisable to install the floor from wood, and fill the free space with light things. Since the anchors support the entire structure, they should be periodically inspected for cracks, changes in design position and corrosive wear. To extend the service life of the structure, the balcony elements must be periodically protected with an anti-corrosion coating. In case of fastening damage, it is necessary to install a new anchor nearby, at a distance of 80 - 100 mm. With minor frame defects, worn elements are restored with additional stiffening ribs.

When the wear of the metal structure exceeds 50%, the balcony is considered emergency. The place of movement of pedestrians under it is fenced until the construction of a new structure or the dismantling of an emergency one.

• Suspended(d) - the balcony slab is held by overhead brackets, most often in the form of a right-angled triangle, attached to the wall with anchor fasteners.

The support can be placed under the slab, then the hypotenuse will act as a support, or above the slab, the hypotenuse will act as a suspension. In the first case, the structure will work in compression, in the second case, in tension. More often, the strengthening of the balcony slab is carried out with the help of suspensions, since the neighbors of the lower floors do not allow mounting brackets of a retaining type in their space that violate the interior of the balcony.

Maintenance, actions in case of wear are similar to those listed for overhead balconies.

• Attached(e) – the site rests on columns, walls placed on the foundation.

Structural elements are made of wood, iron, etc. The main load falls on the vertical supports and the foundation, these elements are calculated to hold the design load capacity, taking into account the margin of safety. It is not desirable to fasten the slab to the facade of the building, because when the supports shrink, overturning forces may occur in the bearing slab. With proper care, the design is reliable and durable.

During the overhaul, supports and railings are replaced, the foundation and platform are strengthened.

Let's take a closer look at how to strengthen a cantilever-type balcony slab using an example.

Strengthening the balcony slab in Khrushchev

The photo shows a variant of repairing a balcony slab in a Khrushchev-era building. According to the project, the site is attached to the brick building by pinching. Beams loaded with brick mass are used as clamping supports. To restore the integrity of the balcony slab and increase the carrying capacity, a combined method of fixing the platform and the railing to the walls of the house was used. That is, a technique was used that is typical for beam and suspension systems.

Due to the unsatisfactory condition of the structural elements of the balcony and the height of their placement, the work was carried out with scaffolding. Since the design has standard sizes, the parts used were prefabricated.

Strengthening the balcony slab is carried out according to the following technology:

1. The unreliable railing is being dismantled.
2. Reinforced concrete slab is cleaned from destruction, corrosive wear.
3. In the end part, fastening the platform to the wall, niches are cut out for the installation of channel-type beams.
4. A channel No. 10 is inserted into the protruding longitudinal part of the slab, beams are inserted into the niches, and all elements of the resulting reinforcing belt are welded together.
5. A fence is attached to the channels, made of a metal rod of circular cross section with a diameter of 10 mm and a square profile measuring 20 X 20 mm, a strip of 30 X 3 mm and a corner of 30 X 30 mm.
6. To brick wall metal scarves are fastened with anchors 12 X 200 mm and welded to the lower outer corners of the railing and channels.
7. The gussets are connected to suspensions from a rod with a cross section of 30 mm.
8. Attached to the reinforcing belt from the bottom of the plate a metal sheet 3 mm thick.
9. The floor covering is restored with a screed. In cases of severe wear of the site reinforcement, additional reinforcing rods are laid, followed by concrete pouring.
10. All metal parts of the new product are cleaned of rust, degreased, primed and covered with an anti-corrosion coating.

A balcony is not only a decoration of any home and a comfortable seating area, but also a great place to store small household items. Repairing a balcony slab or strengthening it requires knowledge of the construction of the wall of the building itself, and also depends on the material that was used in the construction of the house.

The main types of plates used for the balcony and their features

A balcony is a slab that protrudes some distance from the wall of a building. For security reasons, it is fenced with railings around the perimeter. A balcony is a structure that includes a horizontal base plate, fixtures and railings.

To date, there are several types of balcony slabs, which differ in design:

Many believe that all slabs are a continuation of the overlap, but this is not entirely true. When building a balcony, a wide variety of fastening methods are used:

• Use of additional support. Mounted on the ground floor, as it requires an external steel, reinforced concrete or wooden support fixed on the ground;
• Pinching in the structure of the wall of the house. A cantilever plate is used;
• Suspension to the bearing walls of the balcony platform;
• In frame buildings, the support rests on the consoles of the internal walls or columns. In this case, there is no load on the wall.
• In panel-type houses, for example, in Khrushchev, balcony slabs are used with ceilings and based on reinforced concrete structures.
• Installation in a brick building is carried out by pinching in the facade of the house. Overhead and underlay elements made of reinforced concrete are immured into it. They form a niche for the stove. The edge that adjoins the wall is thickened. A fairly large entry into the wall of the building is required. It must be welded with steel anchors to reinforced concrete elements.

The main reasons for the destruction of the balcony

As practice shows, the main reason why balconies collapse is depressurization of joints and violation of waterproofing. As a result, moisture enters the room, forming condensate, from which mold appears.

In addition, moisture can act on reinforced concrete, penetrating into it and causing corrosion on the reinforcement. The age of concrete is directly related to the permeability of water. - the older it is, the easier it is for moisture to penetrate inside. Reinforcement that has undergone corrosion loses its bearing capacity and expands, which causes a deterioration in the bearing capacity of concrete.

Also, the destruction of the base of the balcony is caused by high pressure on the slab, sudden changes in temperature and a long absence of major and current repairs, such as in Khrushchev.

The reasons for the destruction of balconies can be errors made during installation. These include: the presence of a reverse slope of the slabs, the absence of drips and drains in the lower part of the concrete slab, and the absence of protective screens protecting the slab from moisture penetration.

There are 2 stages of destruction of the base of the balcony:

• The first includes minor destruction, when it is necessary to strengthen the slab. Such destruction is found in houses whose age is approaching 40 years. You can do it yourself, as this is a minor repair. For example, in cases of shedding corners.
• The second stage is the destructive appearance of the object. These include the collapse of part of the balcony, the appearance of cracks at the junction with the wall, open sections of reinforcement, destruction is observed in the upper layer of the platform or delamination in its lower part.

Who should repair the stove

Due to the fact that the regulations do not specify what a balcony is (living space or part of the supporting structure), it is impossible to clearly answer the question of who to contact and who is responsible for the repair. Ideally, the balcony slab should be replaced and strengthened by the management company, but the railing and parapet should be the owner of the apartment himself. However, it is not possible to answer the question with accuracy at whose expense the repair is carried out. On this basis, disagreements very often arise between the tenants of the apartment and the managing organization.

If the fact of destruction of the integrity of the slab was noticed, then a statement should be written to management company. This document is signed by a specialist and recorded in the appropriate journal. A good reinforcement of your words will be an application in the form of several photos of the destroyed balcony. Neighbors who live down the floor must leave their signatures on the relevant application. The next step will be the decision on further actions. You can wait for utilities, or you can do the repairs yourself or with the help of construction teams. In the latter case, an estimate is needed in order to receive a recalculation of the rent in the future. In the event that none of the options suits you, you can safely go to court.

Balcony restoration stages

In order to carry out repairs with your own hands, for example, in Khrushchev, you need to know in what sequence and what needs to be done.

• The first step will be preparation for repair - clean the balcony of debris, remove all unnecessary items, remove crumbled concrete.
• Bare parts of the fittings must be cleaned of rust. The first layer is easily removed, but the lower ones must be treated with a special tool.
• The mesh of reinforcement is attached to the slab with dowels. So that she, without protrusions, lay down in concrete screed, leave a small gap between the mesh and the slab. Formwork boards are fixed around the entire perimeter of the board.
• Next, you need to prepare a solution consisting of cement and sand, which will be poured onto the reinforcement. In the future, the screed is covered with cement and overwritten, that is, “hardened”. It is important to remember that the thickness of the screed exceeds the thickness of the mesh by two or more times.
• The surface below should be treated with a primer and plastered a little later.

If the reinforcing cage has undergone more corrosion, strengthening the slab will be the best way out. Here it is necessary to carry out a set of preparatory measures.

• The first step is to install steel beams on the sides of the platform and fix them to the wall with a console. Weld a mesh to them and start pouring concrete, the process of which was described above.
• Upon completion of the repair work, the surface should be waterproofed. For this purpose, materials of coating or roll types are suitable.

Conclusion

So, if the repair is done by hand, you should remember that this is not an easy task. This largely depends on the degree of destruction of the balcony. You can do something yourself, and entrust something to professional construction teams. In order not to be mistaken, it is recommended to carefully check the degree of wear of a particular element. If there is no experience in this matter, then it is better to contact an appraiser.

Any balcony slab has its own margin of safety and over time it has to be strengthened around the perimeter or to do this to take out the balcony. If this work is not done on time, then the plate collapses along the edges. And this already poses a danger to health and life.

Perhaps what I will now tell you about strengthening the slab will be somewhat unusual for you, but these are my achievements from many years of practice. So, I share my experience!

Slab for balcony

Rule #1: General Provisions

Despite the fact that the dimensions of the balcony slab can be different, they often have the same problems, this is a weakening of the structural capacity, since it has a removal from the facade and is subject to atmospheric influence.

GOST for balcony slabs 2569783 subdivides them into:

• multi-hollow (only for loggias);
• solid flat;
• ribbed;
• all load in monolithic house or in brick it is transferred to two or one side, pinched in the wall along two edges.

mount in brick house and in the panel, in fact, the same and the same problems also arise, especially in old houses. For example:

• in the well-known "Khrushchev" design allowable load on running meter along the wall was 100 kg, but under the influence of moisture, it decreases over time;
• it is noteworthy that in some houses of this type, over 40 or more years of operation, the cross section of the reinforcement in the slab has decreased four (!) times, therefore, at the moment the allowable load is 50 kg;
• the situation in the "Stalinka" is much worse, since they are older and they need reconstruction for a long time, because the service life of the plates has already come to an end - they are more than 50-60 years old;
• therefore, it is not recommended to allow any additional loads - in some cities collapses of plates were noticed and people suffered;

• so those who are looking for how to properly pour the slab should take into account that this is not a restoration, but excess weight. In addition, the pouring does not strengthen the reinforced concrete structure in any way, but simply lies on top with an additional layer;
• Naturally, the question may arise here, but at whose expense is the repair of a rotten plate? But it already depends on the service contract that you made when buying your apartment. Although any organization will strongly deny such a replacement (I know from my own experience);
• if you need to replace the plate, then it is better for you to contact any private company, since they will dismantle and mount it with the help of special equipment and specialists.

Rule number 2: strengthen the plate

If the top layer collapses, remove it

But, how to make a major overhaul and load calculation if you notice that the slab has begun to collapse? First of all, if the top layer is full of cracks and potholes, then you better remove it when you get to the mortgages and fittings.

But do not rush to fill anything again. If you have the skills of a welder, turner, locksmith or have a technical education, then you can independently determine whether the reinforcement scheme will withstand further loads. However, if you do not understand this, then it is better to take the help of a specialist.

You can knock down the collapsing top layer later, if you are sure that the mortgages are “live” - this, like the reinforcement of the vault - the whole structure rests on. Therefore, you will need to cut the railing flush with the slab.

And weld the 50th corner to the freed mortgages around the perimeter - this will be a reinforcement and replacement of the old edging. But I want to repeat once again that this is possible only if the reinforcement is in good condition, and this can be determined by the state of the mortgages.

If you do not expand the balcony, then in place of the knocked down top layer, after the perimeter is fixed and the fence is installed, you can pour a light screed, no more than 2 cm thick.

But what to do and how to restore mortgages if they are rotten? To do this, along the length of the plate on the wall with anchor dowels, fasten a steel strip 40 mm wide and to it, across the plate (toward the extension), after 60-70 cm, weld the same strips.

After that, each strip in two or three places is screwed onto dowels with screws with an anti-corrosion coating. This will simultaneously play the role of mortgages and reinforcement, and if you fill it, then weld 6 mm wire or thin reinforcement across the strips.

How to repair a balcony slab if it also began to fall apart along the lower part of the perimeter? In this case, weld pieces of reinforcement to the corner that you installed on top in order to grab a similar corner from below to them, as shown in the top photo.

You can make such repairs with your own hands if you know how to handle electric welding and have certain physical abilities. But it is best to do such work together for insurance at height.

Rule number 3: expanding the balcony

Now let's figure out what to do if you need to expand the balcony along the base of the slab? Of course, first you need to carry out its restoration, which was mentioned above.

But if you are convinced that the reinforcing cage is badly damaged, then expansion should be avoided. However, this design, which I propose to do, has a minimal load on the plate, and you will now understand why.

So that the entire load of the expanded structure does not fall on the slab, first of all you need to fasten the profile 20 × 40 mm or 40 × 80 mm to the wall of the house with anchor dowels in increments of no more than 30 cm, only lying down.

Weld profiles 40 × 80 mm to it, installing a welded strip or profile 20 × 20 mm on the front edge of the plate so that they become strictly horizontal. It turns out that one end of the future floor will no longer rest on the slab, but on the wall, thereby weakening the load. Also, supports need to be made between the horizontal profile and the slab - you just weld pieces of metal from the waste there.

Along the edges of the slab, to the corner with which you strengthened the perimeter, and to the profile under the wall, weld one more profile to bring it forward. Now all you have to do is take out the sides.

Temporarily grab the profile before starting to take out for a stop and drill into the wall (hollow cutter with a diameter of 100 mm) by 40 cm, as shown in the photo above. Drive a 40 × 80 mm profile into it, but do not cement it yet so that it remains mobile.

At this point, you have the floor joists protruding forward, and you just have to weld the cross member to the front edge. To do this, you need at least three people - a welder and two helpers who will keep the profile.

Then cement the extreme profiles in the holes (you can add a little tile glue so that the mortar does not crack) and let it dry. Thus, part of the load is transferred to the extreme lags - that's the whole calculation, taking into account the weakening of the plate.

Conclusion

If you live in a new house and your balcony slab is in excellent condition, then repair work you won't need them, because they simply won't make sense. But you should follow all recommendations regarding the expansion.

Finally, I advise you, if possible, always avoid additional pouring of concrete so as not to create an extra load. I invite you to participate in the discussion of this issue in the comments - share your experience!

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