Bartley Residences: Designing the Perfect Balcony (Part 3 Final)

Finally, fibre broadband has been installed after a long 3 weeks’ of waiting, and I can resume my regular blogging. =)

Today, I’m going to share my final post on balcony decking and decoration, as well as how I maintain it. If you missed my earlier posts on this topic, you can read them here: Part 1 on balcony reno and décor ideas, and Part 2 on design and decking considerations.

We used wood-plastic composites (commonly known as WPCs) which are composite materials made of wood and thermoplastic. The main advantage of WPCs is that they do not corrode and are highly resistant to rot and decay. It does not have the natural weakness of solid timber (i.e. warping, splitting and cracks), making it a durable product that is sure to last.

To ensure that the decking lasts a long time, it is important to have a good foundation underneath them. Brackets are being laid as the base profile, followed by the WPCs. The gaps between the WPCs are important for ventilation so that humidity and water are able to flow out. In our hot climate, it also provides space for thermal expansion of the WPCs without causing any distortion to the decking.

For the artificial turf, an AirDrain System consisting of black plastic pockets is being installed as the base to provide rapid water drainage to prevent surface ponding. Beneath the artificial turf, there is a layer of high quality fibres that acts as a backing. The artificial turf is then glued onto a net on top of the black plastic pockets.

The installation of WPCs and artificial turf in my two balconies took one day to complete. The installers from Absolut Outdoors are punctual at work, experienced and pro-active in offering us suggestions and tips in maintaining our balcony decking. Truly thankful to these guys for their great job! 🙂

Here are some pictures of my two balconies:

Main Balcony

Edison is truly delighted with this IKEA tent that I set-up for him

My coffee corner

Master Room Balcony

I laid two pieces of artificial turf as the “fringe” (detachable) for styling purpose. I hang my laundries here too because it has direct sunlight.

A close-up view of the WPCs

My colleagues came to visit me yesterday and they were so kind to buy me these beautiful orchids for my planter boxes. The size of the pots fit my planter boxes perfectly! I love how my balcony is full of real flowers!

The planter boxes that I got from Absolut Outdoors come with a water level indicator, so it’s easy for me to check when my plants need water.

Maintenance of the balconies is pretty easy for me. For the WPC, I just sweep and mop as usual. For the artificial turf, I vacuum it using a handheld vacuum cleaner (took less than 10 mins) and mop as usual.

I’m loving my outdoor spaces so much now. On Sunday mornings, we have breakfast at our balcony while we enjoy the morning sun and breeze, plus a beautiful pool view. In the evening, I roll out my yoga mat to do some stretching exercise. Sometimes, I do my work at the balcony while Edison is playing out there.

Absolut Outdoors
81 Ubi Ave 4, #05-19 UB.One, Singapore 408830
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