How to raise Victorian terrace house balcony height in heritage overlay house?

justaussie

Hi there - I wondered what the options are for raising the height of a wrought iron balcony and ballustrade on victorian terrace house that has a heritage overlay.  Can you raise it from the bottom by using something to raise the height  from the floor of the balcony that doesn't change the look.  Otherwise - what are the options for raising the handrail. Thanks for letting me know - if you've had this subject before and what was done. 

JacobZ

Hi @justaussie,

Have you got some photos of the balcony and wrought iron balustrade? It would be tough to answer your question concisely without seeing it.

Logic would say the only way to increase the height is to put something underneath it to raise its level, but this could then increase the gap at the bottom of the railing. Balustrades come under fairly tight regulations, so we'll have to ensure that any modifications follow the guidelines set out in the National Construction Code Part 11.3 Barriers and handrails. The main concern I have is that by lifting the bottom of the balustrade, you could be creating a gap at the base that will allow a sphere 125mm in diameter to pass through. 

Depending on the construction of your balcony, you may be able to create a concrete kerb to attach the balustrade to. This would increase the height of the balustrade while retaining the same gap at its base.

Due to the safety risks involved with altering a balustrade, it would be worth contacting your local council for their guidance as well as a licensed builder for their recommendations. 

Allow me to tag @Nailbag and @Dave-1 to see what they think.

Jacob