Effective Water Management of Balconies
1 Hour CPD

Our Balcony Water Management CPD explores the various regulations and requirements for managing water on your balconies. We discuss the key differences between piped, free and controlled draining along with key considerations you should be aware of when designing your balcony.

​This includes new recommendations from the recently announced BS 8579: 2020 Guide to the design of balconies and terraces.

You can access the new standard here. Join us for this CPD to explore how drainage can impact balcony design and key considerations you should be aware of when designing balcony drainage requirements.

Why does balcony drainage matter?

Different balconies have differing requirements for drainage. Concrete balconies tend to be treated like a flat roof and normally have a waterproof membrane and drainage outlets.

Any water collecting on a balcony from rainfall or plants should be addressed in the design to ensure it doesn’t drip onto balconies below.

The new BS8579 has clarified and amended the drainage methodology for balconies and terraces. According to the new standard, there are some notable considerations to comply with the new changes. These include incorporating some form of water management, assessing the volume of rainfall and ensuring edge drainage follows the set principles. 

We recommend that all balconies include soffits which not only provide a neat appearance but enable easy water management & drainage. Soffits can be in 400mm panels with neat butt joints, which reduce the risk of puddling and blocks. Each soffit has a gradient, usually sloped to the front of the balcony, so that rainwater will flow towards the front of the balcony, where it can freely drain.