Another overdue recap today, as I continue to clear out the backlog. Thanks for your patience! While drafting Tuesday’s “balcony view” post it struck me that I’d promised a balcony rehabilitation postmortem back when Glen wrapped up almost a year ago, but I never quite made good on that promise. Bits and pieces, but no comprehensive overview. I vowed to tell the story asap, but decided that there might be a more compelling alternative to the narrative I started drafting last spring.
10 years ago today I stepped out of our bedroom onto our balcony and looked west toward the carriage barn and the icehouse, toward the snow covered meadow where our garden and orchard slumber, toward the many meadows and forests where trails invite us to snowshoe and cross-country ski on a day like today. Layers upon layers of reawakening still ongoing… (Source: Rosslyn & Reawakening: A Balcony View)
Now let’s rewind even further. The cedar decking that we installed on the balcony outside the master bedroom in 2008 has unfortunately absorbed and retained water resulting in rot and fertile conditions for airborne seeds to germinate and take root. Periodically at first and eventually seasonally (each autumn) it was necessary to remove weeds and other organic matter from the interstices between deck boards, around the perimeter of the balcony, etc. Five years ago we decided that it was time to replace the decking altogether. But COVID. And then a backlog of other projects like the deck repair, the boathouse gangway repair, the waterfront staircase repair, and the icehouse rehab / conversion took priority. And the balcony rehab was pushed back. Then started. Then deprioritized and stalled. Then restarted. Then… Finally finished! So this post is an attempt to sum up the scope of work, account for the some of the field notes, and generally offer a wrap-up for future reference.
[In] October 2022… we accepted that weather’s relentless wear and tear had gotten the best of the balcony’s decking. It was time for a balcony reboot. (Source: Balcony Reboot)
The timeline for this project was drawn out over many months (a couple of years!) and several people (Pam, Hroth, Tony, and Glen). It never assumed top priority, instead getting squeezed in between others. So the journey meandered, started-and-stopped-and-restarted more than once. So I’ll recap a bit differently, offering you some of the artifacts from this project to review firsthand. What follows is a punch list and Trello thread from this project. I’m thinking that it just might offer an interesting twist for the balcony rehabilitation postmortem. Let me know what you think!
Project Punch List:
- Lift and remove the 3-4 cedar decking panels from the rubber membrane ensuring no damage to the membrane and no damage to the railings
- Transport these panels (carefully) through the house and outside to evaluate if they’re rotten or usable in another application (i.e. repurposed for making compost bins)
- Clean out the debris, moss, weeds, etc. from the membrane
- Clean the railing to evaluate condition and repairs
- Execute railing repairs, prime, paint
- Record accurate dimensions for new decking and evaluate garapa pre-assembled panels (I’ll add a link)
- Hopefully order and receive new garapa panels
- Modify (is/as necessary) and install new garapa panels
- Repair and reassemble (or modify, recreate) base skirts for posts.
- Touch up all paint if/as necessary
- Troubleshoot anything outstanding that might have slipped through the caps
Trello Thread:
Geo: Sep 13, 2018, 4:46 PM
Please check master bedroom balcony for weeds and other organic matter that need to be removed. Thanks.
Geo: Jul 22, 2021, 4:26 PM
Pam, I’m evolving this card from ongoing weed removal and cleaning (for the time being) so that we can address the rapidly worsening situation on the master balcony. Decking and railing need to be addressed asap, so I’m considering the possibility of grouping this with the deck rebuild in autumn 2021. Let’s discuss.
Geo: Oct 7, 2022, 2:34 PM
I think it’d be worth prioritizing this in the fall/winter. Specifically, we need to to do a few items in the short term to ensure that we’re able to tackle the re-decking come spring. As I see it, there are a couple of short term priorities:
1) lift and remove the 3-4 cedar decking panels from the rubber membrane ensuring no damage to the membrane and no damage to the railings
2) transport these panels (carefully) through the house and outside to evaluate if they’re rotten or usable in another application (i.e. repurposed for making compost bins)
3) clean out the debris, moss, weeds, etc. from the membrane
4) clean the railing to evaluate condition and repairs
5) execute railing repairs, prime, paint
6) record accurate dimensions for new decking and evaluate garapa pre-assembled panels
7) order and receive new garapa panels
8) modify (is/as necessary) and install new garapa panels
Let’s have a quick discussion about this the next time we talk?
Pam: Oct 13, 2022, 5:13 PM
We worked on the master bedroom balcony today. Unfortunately the panels were too rotten to keep (as you’ll see in the photos). The railing is very sturdy but the perimeter board is rotting as well (there is a photo of that as well). There were 5 sections. The north and south panels were 39”x 65”. The remaining middle three panels are 49”x65”
Geo: Oct 13, 2022, 5:28 PM
Well done! Thrilled to see that progress. So the perimeter board is still in place? But rotten? As I recall we mounted the railings to the perimeter board. Might be worth getting some closeup photos of the bottom of posts, the areas where the perimeter board “drains” to the roof, and other helpful indications of the situation as it is now so that we can plot a path forward.
As for the dimensions, thank you. What I actually need is the overall dimension of the place where replacement panels will be installed. In other words what’s the measurement between the wall and the long perimeter board as well as the length? My guess from your measurement of three panels is that our overall area is 65″ x 225″ but I’m hoping that you can confirm.
I’m hoping that we can replace the large panels with smaller garapa “deck tiles” like these: Ipe Wood Deck Tiles.
The deck tile options would be 20″ x 20″ tiles and 12″ x 12″ tiles, so once we figure out how we want to deal with the existing picture frame / perimeter board, we can determine which size tile, how many, and probably a new inner picture frame to pull everything back together again.
Pam: Oct 13, 2022, 6:35 PM
Perimeter boards are still in place and yes, rotting. I will get more pictures and measurements tomorrow. I was melting in the rain 😂
Pam: Oct 14, 2022, 1:25 PM
Balcony is 222.5” x 65.5”. The old panels ran under the house trim. However In front of the door it is 64.5”. As you will see in the pictures. There is a standing water issue to address.
Geo: Nov 2, 2022, 1:45 PM
Thanks for the photo updates. Hoping to get some more, and might even be helpful to set up a FaceTime video call when you’re up on the balcony sometime when things are dry and sunny. For now I’m going to work with decking dimensions of 222.5” x 65.5” and I’m hoping you can help me understand this balcony rectangle a little better since I’m off-site some details that would be obvious if I were on-site are not so obvious. So, for example:
1) Does the overall dimension (222.5” x 65.5”) measure between the rotten cedar picture frame boards on three sides and the actual house sheathing (ie. the wall behind the trim/siding)?
2) I don’t really understand the discrepancy between the normal width of 65.5″ and the 64.5” dimension in “front of the door”. Can you help me visualize this discrepancy? What accounts for the difference?
3) Can you take a vertical photo (looking downward from above) where the water is standing showing me the outside details of where the cedar picture frame intersects with the standing seam roofing?
4) Can you take a close up of the cedar picture frame at the bottom of a post helping me understand the relationship between the rubber membrane (ie. is there any wiggle room between them since I recollect that we did not attach through the membrane) and the cedar, any indication of if/how we secured the post to the cedar picture frame, and whether or not we shimmed the bottom of the posts to meet the cedar?
5) Can you take a closeup photo of the doorway threshold showing gap between the bottom of threshold and rubber membrane, ideally with a tape measure to show the space? Also would be helpful to understand the clearance/gap between the house trim and the rubber membrane as well as any difference between this clearance/gap and the one underneath the threshold.
Not sure if any of this made sense, but we can discuss by telephone.
Pam: Nov 2, 2022, 5:33 PM
I will work on this on Friday if that would work with your schedule?
Geo: Nov 2, 2022, 9:05 PM
Yes. That’d be perfect.
Pam: Nov 4, 2022, 1:53 PM
Inside frame of the balcony is 222.5” on the west side 223”on east side. The center measurement is 64.5” wide. The north Is 65” and south. Sides measure 64 3/4 from wood wood. The old decking was under the house trim which was putting a lot of pressure on the membrane. There’s actually some play in the membrane, is floating but doesn’t look damaged (it’s only floating under the house trim). Measurement is between the cedar boards on three sides of the house trim. The new measurements do not go under the sheathing like originally measured. The discrepancy may be from a bow in the wood. Also the north cedar is 1/2” from the house. The two pictures of a tape measure are below the door, showing the distance between the trim and the membrane. With the membrane floating there is a half inch discrepancy.
Geo: Oct 11, 2023, 10:21 AM
Many thanks for asking Glen to work on the balcony. Really hope we can make some progress on that! And he might actually even be the perfect person to work on the sections that will become the floor. Let’s discuss.
Geo: Nov 13, 2023, 4:05 PM
I’m thinking it would be helpful to onboard Glen to this card. We could use it as a trial to see how comfortable he is working in Trello. And I’ve added a couple of images to give a little bit of context for what I’m picturing with the composite bases and the 4×4 post extensions. Another phone call to get 100% in the sink wouldn’t make sense. Did you say that we have extra pieces of the rubber membrane to place under the composite bases? If so, enough for all five?
Pam: Nov 14, 2023, 9:10 AM
I’m heading to Vermont to pick up paint. Glen is going to move forward with this. We do have extra rubber membrane sold. There’s plenty for the 5 bases.
Pam: Nov 29, 2023, 8:16 PM
Glen, feel free to update and/or add photos etc. as often as you would like. Usually we add photos and updates as we are working through the various steps of the project. A lot of the times they are posted daily, especially when Geo’s off site. There are also items in the check list section that need to be marked “Completed” as the project progresses forward.
Geo: Dec 13, 2023, 7:56 AM
Glen, I’ve been impressed with your methodical progress on the master bedroom balcony. Thank you. I’m hoping that the weather will afford us the opportunity to wrap this up ASAP. Let’s discuss today what remains, and the best plan for completion.
Glen: Dec 13, 2023, 8:55 PM
Thanks. I think some of this can be completed in next 2 weeks. What remains:
- adhere middle post skirt trim that came off while attaching tile to spacers.
- fill seams/gaps then sand where needed.
- touch up paint (need 40 degree plus air temp for 4 hours).
- caulking any gaps will need to wait until 50+ degree temps and 24hr dry weather for “picture perfect” scenario.
Geo: Dec 13, 2023, 11:35 PM
Many thanks for the update, Glen. That sounds spot on. And let’s add to that list, ensuring that no paint or caulk gets onto the tiles. I’m sure that’s implied, but just want to make sure that we go the extra mile in that regard. Thanks!
Geo: Jan 2, 2024, 2:52 PM
Glen, any chance temperate weather conditions are favorable enough that we can tackle this project? Let’s keep our eyes open for unseasonably warm/dry days to see if we can put this to bed.
Glen: Jan 5, 2024, 11:12 AM
Geo, next week will be warmer, if it stays dry I can glue and clamp the trim back on.
Geo: Jan 6, 2024, 1:45 PM
Glen, I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Not only for this reason, but I am definitely concerned about the lake levels if we get additional precipitation.
Home Stretch
Unfortunately winter stalled the remaining balcony work, and it languished for months. Once spring arrived there were other projects to juggle, but eventually Glen was able to re-prioritize last few loose ends. On May 8, 2024 he finished reassembling the base skirts for posts and touching up all of the paint. Eureka!
Thank you, Pam, Tony, Hroth, and Glen. Job well done!
What do you think?