Balcony Fire Remediation project in Hampshire in partnership with Approved Installers Unique Outdoor Living Group, aluminium decking replaces combustible timber on balconies

In the wake of the changes in fire safety standards and regulations in recent years, there has been a pressing need to bring multi-occupancy buildings of all sizes in line with current requirements. Many conscientious building owners and property managers have begun to seek non-combustible and futureproof alternatives for their balconies, with AliDeck’s range of aluminium decking and balcony components proving the de facto standard as a cost-effective solution for balcony decking replacement works.

Unique Outdoor Living Group, an AliDeck Approved Installer based in Poole, were contacted to replace the combustible timber decking and subframe with our A-Rated, non-combustible AliDeck Senior Flat boards. The leaseholders at the low-rise property were not only wary of the fire risks that the existing materials posed but were also deterred from using their outdoors living space due to the visual eye-sore they had become due to the rot and decay of the timber boards.

The multi-occupancy complex saw 12 balconies undergo a fire safety remediation process. The existing decking and subframe were swiftly removed, replaced by our Low Joists installed into the steel frame safely supporting our Senior Flat Aluminium Decking Boards.

Timber is a highly flammable material, linked to many balcony fires across the UK each year. Due to the stacked nature of the balconies, the existing decking would have posed a severe fire risk and would have allowed any balcony fire to spread to and envelope the external walls.

A specification by the customer was for drainage channels to be installed within the balconies, so we supplied our Senior Drainage Channel which is designed to fit between our 30mm Senior Boards. The channels are installed between every decking board to capture and direct rainwater to the board ends, thus removing the chance for puddles to form and eliminating drip nuisance to balconies and areas below.

AliDeck aluminium decking boards are compliant with combustibility requirements in Approved Document B, being Fire Rated to A2-s1, d0 standard, including the highly-durable powder coat finish. Our products are placed through a range of testing, such as fire resistance, slip resistance, deflection, and drainage flow rate among others.

The decking boards were finished in one of our standard colours, RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey, our most popular option. The balconies will be resistant to all elements including heat resistance, when compared to its more traditional counterparts (as proven by a recent heat test experiment we recently undertook at our head office).

In all, 150m² of aluminium decking was required, with the project completed on time and within budget. Unique Outdoor Living Group have once again produced fantastic results using our aluminium decking boards and their work was well received by the residents, who were full of praise for the overall aesthetic and feel of the new balcony decking.

By switching to aluminium, the property manager will also benefit in the long term due to the 60-year life expectancy and 30-year manufacturer guarantee that AliDeck provides. Timber and Composite Decking, meanwhile, requires careful maintenance and re-painting, and even then usually needs to be replaced every 10 years or sooner, ultimately falling foul to the wear and tear of time and exposure to the elements. Aluminium offers a robust and future-proof alternative that is increasingly recognised as the way forward across all of construction.

If you would like to discuss fire safety remediation with us or you wish to make an enquiry about or aluminium decking and balcony components, please contact us on 01622 235 672 or email us at info@alideck.co.uk.