Suggestions to close gaps on balcony floor

[Ranjit]

Hi,

I stay in an apartment on the 3rd floor. Unfortunately, my downstairs neighbors are heavy smokers and I am sensitive to it. I talked to the Apt mgmt and legally they can't do anything.

The problem is that my balcony floor is made up of wooden planks with about 2-3mm gaps in them. The only ventilation the bedroom can get is through the window opening into the balcony. so when the folks downstairs are enjoying a puff, the smoke comes into the bedroom if my window is open.

I was thinking I would try to out some duct tape on all the gaps and see if that could solve the problem. There are still the 1-2 inch gaps in the railing but my guess is the smoke mainly comes through the gaps on the floor rather than the railing (railing is about 5 ft from the window).

Any better suggestions for me apart from the duct tape, something that I can get from local home depot/lowes and I can remove it when I leave the apartment?

Thanks in Adv.

[<aemeijers]

You can&#39;t plug the cracks in the deck- they are for drainage. Without them, the deck will rot. Landlord will not be happy if you put anything out there. Maybe a piece of outdoor carpet, but I doubt it will help much with the smoke.

Put a window fan in bedroom window blowing OUT, and crack a window on the other end of the apartment.

aem sends...

[JoeSpareBedroom]

What the other person said is correct. I&#39;ll add that duct tape will leave an unbelievably gooey mess that the landlord will expect YOU to clean up before you move out. When you discover what it&#39;s like to remove that mess, you will kill yourself.

[DanG]

There is a product called "backer rod". Get some closed cell backer rod, probably 1/4", stuff it in the cracks. When you&#39;re finished, it will zip right out. Here is an example:

The stuff is cheap. It may not be available at the Borg or the local hardware store. Find a commercial construction supply store or one that does only caulk .

[Berkshire Bill]

How about a piece of plywood or maybe some of that acrylic they use under desks ?

Bill

[mm]

Duct tape will leave stick&#39;m all over the place, and it will come off in the hot sun (except for the sticky goo). If I were the landlord, I&#39;d charge you a lot when you left.

Various kinds of foam come in a rope form. I have some one inch downstairs, but I think you could probably find 4 or 5 mm stuff that can be pushed into the slot between the planks. If you&#39;re not sure which size to use, get samples of each, 2 to 4 inches, and see which size goes in best. Let it sit for a few days to decide if it will last before doing the whole balcony. Maybe make a tool** that will put the rope in so far and no farther, since I think it will be hard to get underneath and push it back up from below.

**Like a stick with a hilt at the right distance (1/2"?)

Ah, Dan G has the right name.

Will it rot the planks? I guess I don&#39;t know, but that would be important. :)

[Goedjn]

Sheet vinyl. Although you really need to just move. Is there anyone above you? You could build an exhaust vent that sucks air up through the floor, and ejects it above your porch roof.

[Ranjit]

Thanks everyone who replied. Looks like the common suggestion is a complete no-no for the duct tape.

I had tried putting up a big tarp on the balcony floor in the past, but that hasn&#39;t helped much. I guess the best plan would be to ask the apt mgmt for a diff apt :). I guess this could be a valid reason to ask them not to charge me loads of $ for the mid-term move.

Thanks again everyone, thank god I didn&#39;t get over enthusiastic with the duct tape this weekend ;).

Cheers, Ranjit

Ranjit said the following on 2/4/2007 12:48 PM:

[Ranjit]

Thanks everyone who replied. Looks like the common suggestion is a complete no-no for the duct tape.

I had tried putting up a big tarp on the balcony floor in the past, but that hasn&#39;t helped much. I guess the best plan would be to ask the apt mgmt for a diff apt :). I guess this could be a valid reason to ask them not to charge me loads of $ for the mid-term move.

Thanks again everyone, thank god I didn&#39;t get over enthusiastic with the duct tape this weekend ;).

Cheers, Ranjit

Ranjit said the following on 2/4/2007 12:48 PM: