In the Expressway towers this is mostly not repair work. The buildings are new, so very little has worn out. What people need is what a handover flat does not include: mesh, balcony glass, mirrors fixed properly, and occasionally a railing. The one thing that genuinely needs care is the balcony, because that is where the society has a say.
The balcony rule, and asking before you order
Enclosing a balcony changes the outside face of the tower, so societies here take a view and it is usually a firm one.
Most have a rule and it is one of two: not permitted at all, or permitted only in a specified system, frame colour and glass so the tower reads as one building.
Ask the estate office before ordering, not after. Where a system is named we will quote that system without argument - it is a rule that is far easier to follow than to fight. Ordering the wrong system means either being turned away at the gate or being asked to remove what has been fitted, and both are expensive.
What a balcony enclosure will and will not do
Where you do have a choice of system, the honest conversation is about weather rather than about glass.
A sliding system on an open track keeps out most rain and much of the dust, and it will not keep out either completely. That is a property of an open track, not a fault.
A properly sealed system does considerably better on both, and on noise, and costs more.
On the Expressway side of a tower, where wind-driven rain and road dust are both real, the sealed system is usually worth it. On a sheltered internal face it often is not. We will show you both and say which we would choose for your face of the building rather than quoting the cheaper one by default.
Mesh at height
Mesh is the most common addition in these towers and the choice deserves more thought at height than at ground level.
The types are the usual ones: fixed is cheapest and permanent, sliding runs on the window's own track, pleated and roll-up fold or wind away when you want the opening clear.
The difference at height is wind. A large pleated mesh on a high floor takes real pressure, and the cheaper mechanisms do not survive it - they distort, then jam, then have to be replaced. So on upper floors we will say where the sturdier mechanism is worth paying for, rather than quoting the lowest number and letting the wind decide.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
