How do you close a gap in our balcony to stop our Puppy from falling through? the gap is about 5 inches. We are in a 12-floor building and have gaps between the floor and the Glass railings.
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Martin2020. It's fantastic to have you join us and many thanks for your question.
I would be hesitant to recommend anything other than a permanent solution. This would most likely include a solid piece of 140 x 19mm KD Select Grade Merbau Decking - Linear Metre which is fixed in place with Buildex 8-18 x 30mm Climacoat Countersunk Ribbed Head Metal Tek Screws to the upright posts of the fencing. Anything less than a solid barrier similar to this I would be concerned in suggesting under these circumstances.
You might be interested in viewing this discussion- How do you close a gap in our balcony to stop our chihuahua by @bill1. Perhaps @bill1 could let us know if they ever found a solution that worked.
Let me also mention @JDE, @Stuardo, @redracer01 and @Brad to see if they had any suggestions.
Mitchell
Hi @Martin2020
The first thing I thought of was Gutter Guard fixed into place with cable ties around the posts. There is black plastic or galvanised wire which you buy in a roll, see below. I used it around the bottom of my fence to stop the leaves from next door being blown under the gap into my place and it is very sturdy.
Cheers,
Stuart
@Stuardo,
Any thoughts on fixing that gutter guard along the length of the gap? My only concern with just fixing it to the uprights is that the puppy could push its way underneath it mid-posts. That Saxon gutter guard is fairly flexible. The Whites 190mm x 10m Fire Guard Gutter Mesh might be slightly more rigid than the Saxon plastic variety, but I'd still be concerned they would get under it. From experience with my own dogs, they can be fairly persistent when trying to nuzzle under something to escape. Sometimes spending several hours trying to squeeze under fencing etc.
If it wasn't for the extremely large fall and the possibility of the puppy being left there to forge an escape plan, I'd think gutter guard would be a good solution.
A strip of merbau decking would certainly provide a more secure barrier. I'd also give it a couple of coats of Weathershield paint to match the colour of the railing so it blends in and less noticeable to the eye.
Yeah Mitchell you are probably right with the gutter guard, it would need something more solid like timber.
Stuart.
Thank you so much MitchellMc
I got these panels I have secured this balcony opening and our puppy and now go outside safely.
Hi @Martin2020,
I'm glad you have managed to secure the area for your puppy and many thanks for sharing your results.
If you would like, I trust our members searching for similar solutions would appreciate seeing the panels fixed in place. Would you mind sharing a picture?
hi Mitch, see above image. I used a combination of ideas here. Rather than screws, I used cables ties as there is small openings Between the glass and the metal frame. Tx
@Martin2020,
Many thanks for sharing your solution, I trust our members will find it very helpful.
This looks great. Can I ask what product/material it was you used to block the gaps at the bottom? I need to so the same for my puppy
Hello @vlp
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. Thank you for joining the discussion.
Let me tag @Martin2020 to make them aware of your kind words and question. Looking at the second to the last post, I believe they used the 140 x 19mm L/M Decking Merbau SpecRite Pre-Oiled KD Select. Then used cable ties to secure it to the bottom of the balcony railing.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Thank you Eric
This is the balcony and I am looking for better ideas on how to block the gap under the railing for puppy’s safety. The garden trellis is ok but impacting the beautiful view and I fear he may climb it or try to get underneath it (though he is never out here unsupervised). Would love @Martin2020 to advise ho he secured the deck panels with cable ties
thank you
Thank you so much for posting photos of your balcony. Your metal railing is so similar to @Martin2020's that you would think it came from the same builder. I suggest placing the Merbau panel in the same manner at the bottom of the railing. The cable ties go through the gap between the glass and steel post and past the steel horizontal bar. It then goes back down at the bottom of the Merbau panel and then locks at the top.
You can use multiple cable ties for a more secure fit, they also placed a flower pot stand in front of the panel as an extra measure to hold the panel in place. However, if you want to fix it in a more permanent fashion you can use Zenith 10G x 30mm Galvanised Wafer Head Metal Screws. Please make sure to drill pilot holes in the Merbau panel for easier mounting to the steel.
Hi Martin,
Can you please give more details about how you did that? I have small bunnies and a similar balcony so would like to do the same to prevent them from falling.
Thanks,
Nadia
Hello @Nadiadima
Let me tag @Martin2020 to make sure they are aware of your question. The 140 x 19mm Merbau SpecRite Pre-Oiled KD Select Decking is being held in place by cable ties which were looped around the bottom railing of the balcony fence. A more secure method would have been to drill through the Merbau panel and then cable tied into place. This will prevent the panel from moving.
I've placed an image below to give you an idea of where to secure the panel. This will prevent the panel from tipping and rising should the bunnies venture near it. Please have a look at the diagram and tell me what you think.
