ARCHICENTRE
20 November 2008
NATIONAL RED ALERT ON DECKS AND BALCONIES
Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects has issued a
deadly warning on the state of Australia’s balconies and decks following another collapse
in the Brisbane suburb of Ascot this afternoon.
Women were attending an end of Year 12 mothers' lunch on a balcony at a house in Upper Lancaster Road
when it plunged to the ground about 1pm, injuring 20 people and trapping several.
Archicentre says as a safety measure, all homeowners should carefully check the support beams and posts
looking for soft, spongy sections of compressed timber.
Archicentre's pre-purchase home inspection statistics show that approximately 6% of Australian homes
have a timber balcony or deck and that about 2% of these are potentially fatal.
“These figures indicate around 8,000 balconies in Australia could be life threatening and there is a
need for people to inspect their decks and balconies for rotting timbers and rusty corroding steel fittings
which could lead to life threatening balcony collapses.
“In the last few years, balcony collapses in several states have resulted in a number of injuries and deaths
with coastal properties in the high risk categories because of the harsh environment and salt damage to
metal fittings.”
“The balcony and timber deck has become a major part of Australia’s domestic scene as people love to
enjoy the outdoors and add extra living space to their homes with a view.
“However many of the timber decks of the sixties and seventies were built illegally with inappropriate timber
and were rotting and becoming unsafe, especially with extra weight being placed on them.
“The dinner or party where people gather on the balcony for a drink or a barbeque are high risk activities.”
Archicentre says we urge everyone with a balcony or raised deck, whether it’s timber, concrete or
features steel supports, to check it out carefully for safety, including an inspection for rotting
timbers, shaky hand rails and balustrades, rusting bolts and brackets, rust stains and cracking in
concrete balconies.
“If people find faults they should take immediate action to repair them and if they are not sure to seek
professional advice.
“Many home owners often decide to build a balcony themselves and we are urging them to ensure that they
obtain council building approval.”
Media Enquiries:
Robert Caulfield Managing Director Archicentre 0412 381 306
Ron Tanton QLD State Manager Archicentre (07) 3846 4957 Mobile: 0421 598 233
Ron Smith Corporate Communications (03) 9818 5700 Mobile: 0417 329 201
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