Technical Insights
Practical advice, specification guidance and technical articles for architects, contractors and developers designing roof terraces and balconies.
Roof Terraces on Listed Buildings and in Conservation Areas: Why Reversibility Matters
Conservation officers give weight to alterations that can be removed without harming historic fabric. A guarding system that does not fix into the roof makes that argument easier to evidence, but it does not remove the need for consent.
Non-Penetrative Roof Terrace Over a Bauder Membrane in Leighton Buzzard
A new-build annexe needed a terrace balustrade that could not penetrate, or be adhered to, its Bauder waterproofing. See how BalcoDeck® simplified the detail.
Roof Terrace Condensation or Leak? Causes, Diagnosis and Insurance Claims
Water staining directly beneath a balustrade post looks like a leak. Often it is condensation formed at a fixing that passes through the insulation and vapour control layer, and many buildings policies treat that very differently.
Roof Terrace Snow Load: What You Need to Know Before Installation
Wind loading on a roof terrace balustrade gets checked, because it is the obvious and visible force acting on a large glazed surface. Snow loading on the deck [...]
How Certified Fixing Methods Reduce Specification Risk for Roof Terrace Systems
Professional indemnity exposure sits behind almost every specification decision an architect makes on a project, even when it is rarely discussed openly in a design team meeting. A [...]
Roof Terrace Drainage: Coordinating Falls, Outlets and Freestanding Decking
Drainage strategy on a flat roof is normally worked out before anyone thinks seriously about the balustrade system and decking that will eventually sit on top of it, [...]
What a Loss Adjuster Checks First in a Roof Terrace Water Ingress Claim
A water ingress claim on a property with a roof terrace follows a different investigation path from most other buildings insurance claims, because the question a loss adjuster [...]
Why Penetrative Fixing Details Are Still Common in Roof Terrace Specifications
Ask most architects why a roof terrace balustrade gets specified with a penetrative fixing and the honest answer is rarely because it is the best technical solution available. [...]
Can a Roof Terrace Affect Flat Roof Drainage?
Yes. Any roof terrace system should be designed with the existing roof drainage strategy in mind. The position of drainage outlets, the roof falls and the way water [...]
