I live in an apartment that can be characterized as an old soviet-era, 5-story, multi-apartment, concrete block-based building. That means, everything was built by "stroybat" a soviet-time army battalion, whose main purpose was to construct everything that was needed by commanders. This apartment building was for officers, but still, it was made without knowledge about concrete and metal usage, everywhere you can see bad usage of materials.
There is a balcony I want to renovate. It looks terrible!
I removed that strange concrete substance, as it was shattered by wear and tear. There was an asphalt board between this layer and building panel, that allowed me to remove that layer with ease.
My goals:
- Remove old concrete layer from balcony floor (done)
- Lay a new thin layer of concrete
- Remove old paint from metal handrails, cut off oblique parts, that are hanging outside the "handrail design"
- Paint with a new paint
- Lay a new thin layer of gyps (or some other material), and put small rocky garden floor on it
- Set up wooden cover for handrails and add some wooden flower boxes outside.
The questions are about that new layer, I want to lay:
- How to set up concrete "box" (to make concrete stay in place, and stop it falling off the balcony sides), there is hardly place to connect any temporary wooden box for that, ideas?
- Which concrete should I use?
- How thick a metal armature will be enough for this job?
- Do I need any layers between building panel and my new layer?
- Do I need to clean/set up those metal parts, cover with something, to stop rust and not let the flexibility of metal handrail shatter my new layer.
- How thick should that layer be, how many sacks of that stuff will I need (will give balcony area m2 later)
I will give you some real photos (later) to let you understand more precisely.
I have questions about working on that metal handrail construction, it needs much work, but I am mostly experienced with wood and indoor constructions, but that would be wrong to ask about two things in one question, will add a link later.
PS: Sorry for my english, I don't know specific construction terminology in english.
- Balcony size: 319-x710 mm
- Building concrete panel thikness: 90mm
- From panel to balcony door sill: 140mm
- Highest place, where metal feet is out of concrete panel (in picture 7): 25mm
- Wire diameter of bought armature (in picture 8): ~0,9mm