Balcony Reno

[balconyorbust]

Hi, 1st time post so hope i am in the right area. I have recently sourced quotes on a balcony reno that i need some advice on - Current structure was built in 1980 and has 4 90x90 posts spanning front of house at 3.6 metre intervals, balcony floor above is 15mm thicksheet and will be waterproofed and screeded with tiles over. Roof structure above protrudes out under eaves and is metal sheet. Builder tells me this does not meet current building regs and will need to have 5 posts - the problem here is that the additional post will be directly in front of entrance door. Can anyone tell me what is the best course of action - what is maximum span allowed between posts and what is preferred size of fascia to meet requirements???
Cheers.

[journeyman Mick]

The allowable span between posts depends on the size of the bearers and their distance from the house and whether or not the metal roof is supported by the balcony structure. Also, if the structure met the regulatuions at the time it was built you can leave it as is if you are not altering the structure.

Mick

[balconyorbust]

The allowable span between posts depends on the size of the bearers and their distance from the house and whether or not the metal roof is supported by the balcony structure. Also, if the structure met the regulatuions at the time it was built you can leave it as is if you are not altering the structure.

Mick

The structure does support the metal sheet roof, the joists are 200 x 38 and protrude through the brick wall and extend out 1500mm from the house(450mm centres). The bearer is 300 x 50 supported by 4 90 x 90 posts at 3.6mtr intervals. Builder has suggested 5 losp posts at 2.6 mtr intervals, 290 x 45 permapine bearer and 90 x 45 laminators??
Does this sound correct??

[journeyman Mick]

So just to clarify:
How is the roof supported? Do the 90 x 90 posts carry the bearer and continue up to support the roof beam or do they stop at supporting the floor and then there's a structure built on top of the balcony which supports the roof?

Does the bearer run parrallel to the brick wall at 1500mm distance?

What do you mean by "laminators"/where are they going/what are they supporting/how are they fixed?

Is the current structure in good condition? (No rot or termite damage, bowed or cracked members)

Mick

[balconyorbust]

So just to clarify:
How is the roof supported? Do the 90 x 90 posts carry the bearer and continue up to support the roof beam or do they stop at supporting the floor and then there's a structure built on top of the balcony which supports the roof?

Does the bearer run parrallel to the brick wall at 1500mm distance?

What do you mean by "laminators"/where are they going/what are they supporting/how are they fixed?

Is the current structure in good condition? (No rot or termite damage, bowed or cracked members)

Mick

There is a post up to the bearer and another that continues above to the roof beam, yes the bearer runs parallel to the wall.
The posts and bearer have some rot and need replacing, i have also noticed that some of the joist ends have rot and i think the laminators are to be attached alongside the joists to provide a suitable fixing to the bearer. Hope i havent completely confused you?
Cheers,
Glenn.

[dazzler]

For those of us who are more visual some photos with the info on them would help for advice

[journeyman Mick]

I may be wrong here as I'm a carpenter and not an engineer/designer/architect, but I'd say that the bearers aren't supporting a roof load as the posts are sitting one on top of the other. As such a 300 x 75 in any grade from F4 up would suffice as a bearer over a 3.6M span with a 1500 spacing. The tables don't show any bearers at 50mm width, so it would be safest to assume that you can't use them.

For a 1500 span a 125 x 38 joist F4 or better will suffice, but they may have been done in 200 x 38 originally to match the rest of the joists in the house. If the posts are sitting on stirrups in concrete or another well built and sound arrangement it may be more economical to replace them and keep the 3.6M spacing as this will save having to build new footings. You'd need to use a 300 x 75 bearer, but you'll need to use a 75mm wide bearer even if you reduce the span unless the builder can find an engineer to sign off on a 50mm wide bearer (doubtful).

I'm really not sure what the laminators are and where they are going.

Mick

[barney118]

joist span 1500, bearer span 3600.

Not sure what your old pergola is made from, maybe oregon?? A/S 1684.2 says 2x240x35 F7 will do the job for the bearer max 3.7m. 120x35 F7 will do the joist. Sometimes its better/cheaper to go to the available size eg 140. Not sure how high this is off the ground and if the current bearer is continuos or single span to be able to recommend best fix option. If you are looking at replacing the bearer as a whole then see your local timber yard and a laminated beam might be more cost effective. Obviously needs some protection eg paint. You have lost me on what a laminator is, I think you might mean joist hanger?? you can eliminate these by having the bearer under the joists and using a triple grip to join (provide tie down for uplift forces and not as many nails needed for the same result. Need to also check bracing if high off ground.