Balustrade Assessment

eZED have recently been involved in investigating falls from balconies in Queenstown.

Older balconies, balustrades and decks may have issues which increase the risk of serious injury or death. Even if they’ve been signed off as ‘safe’ in the past, these balconies might not conform to current safety standards.

We believe no one should get hurt from leaning on a balustrade. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to reduce the risks.

Safety assessing balconies and balustrades

If you have a property in Queenstown or the surrounding area and would like your balcony and balustrade assessed, please get in touch and we will come and take a look.

We do professional engineering assessments and safety checks on balconies, decks and balustrades. During our assessment, we’ll check the age of the structure, the quality and look for any issues or signs of degradation. We can also check council records for information, including any alterations which may have happened before you bought the property.

If any issues are found during our site visit, we can provide the designs and technical information your builder needs to complete the work.

The first step is to get in touch to book your assessment.

How to check your deck (or balcony)

Here are some easy things you can do yourself to make your deck or balcony safer:

Prevent people from climbing on the balustrade or railings

• Remove any climbable objects like tables from next to the balustrade

• If there are horizontal rails, cover them so they can’t be stepped on or used to climb up

• Check that the gaps between railings aren’t wide enough for children to climb through

• Prevent the top edge from being used as a seat.

  Check the condition of your balcony

• Glass balconies – check for chips, and seating of the glass into posts.

• Timber balconies – check for rot and damage to screws and bolts.

  Weight check

• Check that your balcony has been designed for the weight of whatever you’ve put on it. It’s common for people to put a spa pool on their balcony, but the balcony may not have been designed to accommodate the weight of a full spa pool.

Balcony assessments are important

Many of the balconies we’ve seen in Queenstown and the surrounding areas are quite old and do not conform to current standards.

If you are renting your property on Airbnb, or have visitors coming who aren’t used to the property, it’s a good idea to make sure the area is safe for them.

Check your balcony and/or deck, and if there’s anything you’re concerned about, contact our friendly team of experts for a professional assessment.