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Barbecues on Balconies

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  • 13-05-2020 6:34pm
    #1
    Caranica
    Registered Users Posts: 10,001 ✭✭✭✭


    Just looking for some thoughts on this. Our development has a variety of balcony sizes, some are room size or bigger, some are coffin sized (forgive the analogy but in terms of length and width it's pretty much spot on) and some are somewhere in between. The development is heading for 20 years old.

    An owner has brought up fire safety concerns after a neighbour with a coffin sized balcony had a charcoal barbecue and ash and coals were being blown at the building and neighbouring units. Given that a fire in a development a few km away was traced back to a barbecue, they are concerned about the safety. Our management agent is vehemently against barbecues and wants us to bring in a rule at the next AGM.

    I get what they're saying, but think it's going to be very hard to turn around to people after the guts of two decades and tell them they now can't have barbecues. Some people have gas ones that cost several hundred euro. At the same time, I know there are fire hazards. We can't bring in a rule that says only certain sized units can have barbecues, or that only gas barbecues are allowed.

    The large balconies were huge selling points for the units that have them, they are at least 5m x 3m with one being at least twice that size so having people over for a barbecue would be fairly common with loads of room for cooking and seating.

    Has anyone experienced a no barbecue rule or had it brought in in their development? I think there would be massive kickback against this and compliance would be a huge issue.


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    #2
    BrokenArrows
    Registered Users Posts: 7,500 ✭✭✭BrokenArrows


    Caranica wrote: »
    Just looking for some thoughts on this. Our development has a variety of balcony sizes, some are room size or bigger, some are coffin sized (forgive the analogy but in terms of length and width it's pretty much spot on) and some are somewhere in between. The development is heading for 20 years old.

    An owner has brought up fire safety concerns after a neighbour with a coffin sized balcony had a charcoal barbecue and ash and coals were being blown at the building and neighbouring units. Given that a fire in a development a few km away was traced back to a barbecue, they are concerned about the safety. Our management agent is vehemently against barbecues and wants us to bring in a rule at the next AGM.

    I get what they're saying, but think it's going to be very hard to turn around to people after the guts of two decades and tell them they now can't have barbecues. Some people have gas ones that cost several hundred euro. At the same time, I know there are fire hazards. We can't bring in a rule that says only certain sized units can have barbecues, or that only gas barbecues are allowed.

    The large balconies were huge selling points for the units that have them, they are at least 5m x 3m with one being at least twice that size so having people over for a barbecue would be fairly common with loads of room for cooking and seating.

    Has anyone experienced a no barbecue rule or had it brought in in their development? I think there would be massive kickback against this and compliance would be a huge issue.

    Meet them half way. No coal BBQs. Gas only.


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    #3
    wandererz
    Registered Users Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭wandererz


    BrokenArrows wrote: »
    Meet them half way. No coal BBQs. Gas only.

    Yep. Done this last year.


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    #4
    emeldc
    Registered Users Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭emeldc


    Maybe an owner would invest in a gas bbq but you can be fairly sure a tenant won’t. How would you police it. Also if a BBQ goes on fire on a balcony and the fire brigade are called Most of the damage is done to the apartment below with the reservoir of water that will be dumped on the fire. Just like my ground floor apartment a couple of years ago. Little or no damage done upstairs, nearly €20k done to mine.


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    #5
    PhilOssophy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭PhilOssophy


    Plenty of things were OK 20 years ago but now aren't. Most of it for the common good. Thankfully. Suck it up.
    Also you can point to the other development which had a fire caused by a BBQ. If I was a resident, I'd be kicking up about it too if I thought my apartment could go up in smoke over a BBQ.


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    #6
    Pkiernan
    Registered Users Posts: 4,315 ✭✭✭Pkiernan


    BBQs in apartment balconies is a mornoic idea.

    Only in Ireland.


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    #7
    Tails142
    Registered Users Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭Tails142


    Unless it's a big balcony it doesn't seem like a good idea to me, and never a coal bbq, way too much smoke when they are getting going. So I would think gas only but they can be fire risk too with build up of grease. Whole thing seems a bit anti social to me.

    For reference, I feel bad lighting my coal bbq out the back of my 400 sqm back garden sometimes due to smoke blowing into neighbors gardens, towards houses with open windows etc.


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    #8
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,382 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    That’s mental, I can’t believe anyone would do that, if the house next door to me has a barbecue it stinks out any rooms with open windows, I can only imagine how bad it would be if there was one right downstairs


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    #9
    Electric Sheep
    Registered Users Posts: 2,102 ✭✭✭Electric Sheep


    Caranica wrote: »
    Just looking for some thoughts on this. Our development has a variety of balcony sizes, some are room size or bigger, some are coffin sized (forgive the analogy but in terms of length and width it's pretty much spot on) and some are somewhere in between. The development is heading for 20 years old.

    An owner has brought up fire safety concerns after a neighbour with a coffin sized balcony had a charcoal barbecue and ash and coals were being blown at the building and neighbouring units. Given that a fire in a development a few km away was traced back to a barbecue, they are concerned about the safety. Our management agent is vehemently against barbecues and wants us to bring in a rule at the next AGM.

    I get what they're saying, but think it's going to be very hard to turn around to people after the guts of two decades and tell them they now can't have barbecues. Some people have gas ones that cost several hundred euro. At the same time, I know there are fire hazards. We can't bring in a rule that says only certain sized units can have barbecues, or that only gas barbecues are allowed.

    The large balconies were huge selling points for the units that have them, they are at least 5m x 3m with one being at least twice that size so having people over for a barbecue would be fairly common with loads of room for cooking and seating.

    Has anyone experienced a no barbecue rule or had it brought in in their development? I think there would be massive kickback against this and compliance would be a huge issue.

    30 years of apartment living in the US. Never heard of any buildings that allow barbecuing on the balcony/terrace. I would imagine it is a huge insurance no go.

    I can't even imagine anyone thinking that would be OK.


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    #10
    mulbot
    Registered Users Posts: 1,794 ✭✭✭mulbot


    When I lived in a Canada, you would see most apartments had BBQ's on the balconies


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    #11
    Chris_5339762
    Registered Users Posts: 5,849 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    We had BBQs on (wooden) balconies a lot in my complex whenever the weather was nice. Approaching owners to kindly ask them not to was meant with a slightly ruder version of "mind your own business". The management company weren't motivated to do anything either and I didn't have the power to force a change.

    I hated it. Utterly stupid.


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    #12
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,643 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    This is what happens if you allow them, eventually.

    If residents are that determined to have them, find a suitable location on the grounds and slab it.


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    #13
    Ronaldinho
    Registered Users Posts: 829 ✭✭✭Ronaldinho


    mulbot wrote: »
    When I lived in a Canada, you would see most apartments had BBQ's on the balconies

    The Irish abroad :pac:


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    #14
    PokeHerKing
    Registered Users Posts: 4,224 ✭✭✭PokeHerKing


    Pkiernan wrote: »
    BBQs in apartment balconies is a mornoic idea.

    Only in Ireland.

    Yes, only in Ireland would people have a bbq on a balcony...


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    #15
    Toots
    Administrators, Business & Finance Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 16,905 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Toots


    The development where I used to live supposedly had a no BBQ rule... just about every apartment had a bbq on the balcony. If you walked through the complex on a sunny evening, it would be like some sort of food festival with all the cooking aromas wafting around. The rule was never actually enforced. Management agent would send round an email/leaflet every so often saying no BBQs and that they would confiscate any they saw but nothing was ever done. I suspect they wanted to be seen to be doing something because they started mentioning it after that block burnt down in Blanchardstown a few years ago. I lived in my apartment for about 8 years before we heard the rule, and when I enquired with the management agent they told me it was on page "X" of the leasehold agreement, but it actually wasn't. There was no mention of BBQs anywhere, the only thing close was a part stating that gas canisters needed to be stored appropriately. I had a gas BBQ, not because of fire safety concerns, but because I didn't want smoke from a charcoal BBQ blowing into my apartment and in on top of the neighbours either.

    I think if you were to bring in a no BBQ rule, the suggestion of gas or electric only is a good compromise.


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    #16
    Murph_D
    Registered Users Posts: 10,418 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Have lived in a few apartment complexes abroad with common BBQ areas in the grounds. Balcony a terrible idea safety wise. Beggars belief. Mind you our BBQ culture only dates back to the Celtic Tiger so still learning. :rolleyes:


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    #17
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,615 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Murph_D wrote: »
    Have lived in a few apartment complexes abroad with common BBQ areas in the grounds. Balcony a terrible idea safety wise. Beggars belief. Mind you our BBQ culture only dates back to the Celtic Tiger so still learning. :rolleyes:

    Yes there was never BBQ before 2006.


    FFS.


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    #18
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,643 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Murph_D wrote: »
    Have lived in a few apartment complexes abroad with common BBQ areas in the grounds. Balcony a terrible idea safety wise. Beggars belief. Mind you our BBQ culture only dates back to the Celtic Tiger so still learning. :rolleyes:

    I must be imagining using BBQs in the mid 1990s, then!


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    #19
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,615 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    L1011 wrote: »
    I must be imagining using BBQs in the mid 1990s, then!

    I just be imagining selling them...


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    #20
    Caranica
    Registered Users Posts: 10,001 ✭✭✭✭Caranica


    Thanks for all the replies so far. A variety of experiences


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    #21
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users Posts: 26,283 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    listermint wrote: »
    I just be imagining selling them...

    I believe Bertie Ahern himself lit the first weber in Ireland in the phoenix park in 2005, having developed the idea after dropping a hot dog (which were previously eaten raw and cold at the time) upon a pile of burning receipts and account statements. Having collected the now charred hot frankfurter from the blaze he proclaimed it delicious, spurring a journey of culinary discovery only to discover, through the power of the internet, that the world had been doing this for years.


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    #22
    jd
    Registered Users Posts: 5,680 ✭✭✭jd


    Check out
    1. The head lease.

    2. The block insurance policy.

    I think there was an issue last year in Santry where a BBQ on a balcony damaged an apartment above..


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    #23
    Sierra Oscar
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,458 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sierra Oscar


    BrokenArrows wrote: »
    Meet them half way. No coal BBQs. Gas only.

    Are residents permitted to have gas cylinders in the apartments?

    Strictly forbidden in our development for insurance purposes. No storage of flammable / explosive materials within either the apartments or on the balconies on the insistence of the insurance provider. We've strict penalties for residents who breach the house rules on this. No other option really, there have been fire related issues in the past and insurance will be a serious problem if flammable / explosive materials exacerbate a fire.


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    #24
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,243 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    L1011 wrote: »
    I must be imagining using BBQs in the mid 1990s, then!
    listermint wrote: »
    I just be imagining selling them...
    Eric Cartman wrote: »
    I believe Bertie Ahern himself lit the first weber in Ireland in the phoenix park in 2005
    You do realise that the Celtic Tiger started in 1993? The first recorded use of the phrase was in 1994.

    https://twitter.com/DubFireBrigade/status/1138061022525370368

    https://twitter.com/dubfirebrigade/status/1014116909766365184


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    #25
    duffman13
    Registered Users Posts: 8,946 ✭✭✭duffman13


    Lived in an apartment block in Australia and there were some huge balconies! Absolutely no bbqs allowed, the couple of developments i stayed in had communal BBQs on the rooftops or in common areas.

    Something you unfortunately couldn't have here!


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    #26
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,469 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    Murph_D wrote: »
    Have lived in a few apartment complexes abroad with common BBQ areas in the grounds. Balcony a terrible idea safety wise. Beggars belief.

    it's hardly any different to having a cigarette on a balcony to be fair, have all these blocks also banned that?
    :pac::pac::pac:


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    #27
    Pkiernan
    Registered Users Posts: 4,315 ✭✭✭Pkiernan


    PokeHerKing wrote: »
    Yes, only in Ireland would people have a bbq on a balcony...

    In normal 1st world countries communal bbqs are provided by the apartment complex, and private one prohibited.

    Im surpirsed you cant see the dangers in having a bbq on every balcony.


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    #28
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,980 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    it's hardly any different to having a cigarette on a balcony to be fair, have all these blocks also banned that?
    :pac::pac::pac:

    Make sense, I mean the heat output of a cigarette butt compared to a charcoal bbq knocked over would be pretty much the same.

    And of course if the apartment below went on fire, pretty good chance of the liquefied gases in your cigarette turning to a vapour while expanding, then erupting in a explosion of a force equivalent to a small bomb.


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    #29
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I think making a rule of gas only is a good one, who even bothers with real ones nowadays anyway as gas ones are far handier.

    I don't really see much danger in a gas one they are very controlled and no chance of causing a fire imo.

    Yet another reason to stay well clear of apartments though, you cant even have a bbq on a nice day without people losing it.


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    #30
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 7,499 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Kennedi Bewildered Invoice wrote: »
    I think making a rule of gas only is a good one, who even bothers with real ones nowadays anyway as gas ones are far handier.

    Loads


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    #31
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,980 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    Kennedi Bewildered Invoice wrote: »
    I don't really see much danger in a gas one they are very controlled and no chance of causing a fire imo.

    Yet another reason to stay well clear of apartments though, you cant even have a bbq on a nice day without people losing it.

    Very low risk of a fire but it helps to never underestimate the stupidity of people. Its not the risk of it causing a fire in the end though, its the risk of the canister exploding in a fire.

    I would be surprised that the block insurance policy doesn't specifically ban them(balcony's are under the ownership of the management company usually). A simple letter stating that balcony owners would be liable for costs in the event of a fire would shut most of it down.


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