Standing on faux balcony for few minutes to setup xmas lights?

Submitted by yjamal01 t3_yu528y in DIY

Apologies if this is the wrong forum, but I took a chance with it being the best place to find the answer.
I tried googling but couldn't really find a direct answer.

I have one of those faux balconies seen in the image below. There's no access to it, and the railings are also very short. I am afraid of ladders, but wanted to setup some xmas lights on it. Would I be able to go out on the balcony for a few minutes to setup lights or would this thing just cave in on me?

https://preview.redd.it/cuzlv4qxmqz91.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=380160fe7f3686fda4b336555562222686a48eb0

Apologies if this is the wrong subreddit, if you could direct me in the right direction I would appreciate it. Thanks

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Comments

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sidacs t1_iw7i03j wrote

a balcony you can’t use, how novel

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yjamal01 OP t1_iw7i4jk wrote

yea never understood the purpose of these, like why not just put a door and make it structurally sound?
and if you're trying to save money why not just not put it at all?

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sonicjesus t1_iw83qc7 wrote

whole complex near me has them but they have no floor at all - they are just floating railings to make to building look less like a shoebox.

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yolef t1_iwb0k5k wrote

Cheap-ass design to spend as little as possible while also looking as fancy as possible.

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[deleted] t1_iw8a10z wrote

[deleted]

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yjamal01 OP t1_iw8cqah wrote

Why bother putting it at all though?

And to your point, if I had two of the exact same units available for rent except one had a functional balcony, I would easily pay an extra $50/month for the unit with a functioning balcony.

It appears to be a design choice in this particular area, and like I said I still don't understand the purpose. I can guess its an aesthetic thing but as resident of said home I would have much rather they had either made it functioning or not put it at all.

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600659 t1_iw9fdgw wrote

Perhaps people rent or buy houses with things they dont like because that's what's available and there are always tradeoffs?

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Impressive_Film_7729 t1_iw8fwze wrote

The reason is to give the appearance that things are nicer than they really are.

It’s why chip bags are only filled 2/3 off the way full.

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LightRevolutionary53 t1_iw9hub1 wrote

Chip bags are filled 2/3 full and filled with air so the bag doesn’t flatten. It is to protect the chips from being crushed.

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Impressive_Film_7729 t1_iw8fi5x wrote

You need to Indiana jones this situation.

Fill a burlap sack with sand, as much as you weigh. Put the sack on your fal-cony. This is pronounced “fall-cony” For obvious reasons. If the fal-cony retains its structural integrity, great. You must now be hyper-aware of the appearance of giant rounded rolling boulders. Good luck.

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prime-meridian t1_iw7l7ot wrote

You'll be OK to stand on it to put up Christmas lights. It was designed to accomodate wind and snow loading (assuming you are in that climate region like that).

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yjamal01 OP t1_iw7quam wrote

Thanks, yea I am in Toronto (Canada). I was thinking that since it is flat it should be able to hold the snowload that accumulates there

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GideonD t1_iw811u9 wrote

If you are super worried, just slide a long board across it from one edge to the other so the board is holding more of your weight than the roof is. It looks like you could fit one under the railing.

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FoobarWreck t1_iw9lylo wrote

Fear of standing on a structure that was not meant to be stood on? Nope.

Fear of standing on a structure designed for that purpose? Yep.

Just like. Get over your fear of ladders

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brock_lee t1_iw7hgtk wrote

Do you have any idea what the decking is made of and how that is constructed? If not, I wouldn't risk it.

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yjamal01 OP t1_iw7i9ik wrote

not too sure, it does look similar to what roof shillings are made off. Has that same sort of texture/feel

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littlelie59 t1_iw8tctt wrote

Wwhy go out on it all?, If you tied a couple of loops (wire) or hooks to the lights you could probably use a long stick to hook them over the posts/rails on the balcony.

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ArtBaco t1_iw9ipbu wrote

This is a bs idea. Faux balconies=sign of cheap construction. Don’t trust it. It was not made to bear weight.

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Born2Lomain t1_iw9v46n wrote

It shouldn’t cave in that is a flat rubber roof so it seems built to hold a few pounds. I wouldn’t walk to much fearful of puncturing that rubber but set up a ladder and string a few lights easily.

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