Anyway to remove threaded rod in chemfix.

[m3jappa]

Built a balcony, looks like building control won't pass it, too much movement. I have worked out the reason its moving is the glass clamps are fixed onto a silicone rendered plinth and the render gives a couple of mm which equates to quite a bit right at the top of the glass!

I reckon she will make me remove it but the issue is the threaded rod is chemfixed 250mm deep! Any ideas? I wonder if i could simply unscrew it if i managed to get something to grip it hard enough.

Issue is the holes have to go where they are, anywhere else will lead to the glass not sitting right if i have to change their orientation.

[m3jappa]

This is what I fitted, the clamps are meant to be x amount away from each other so if I cut them off then they wouldn’t be in acceptable locations, I could move them out but then the glass wouldn’t line up with the edge of the house, which tbh may not be the end of the world.
Awaiting her visit Friday, they do move a lot as the silicone is flexing! I can only think to cut the silicone out, put about ten fixings into the cement board underneath just in case that’s flexing at all, and then hopefully re use the old holes.theres no way you would easily break this but flex is out of acceptable amounts so I accept they won’t pass

[m3jappa]

Laurel Green said:

Have done it many times - one can also re-screw the threaded bar back into the chemfix.

Sounds promising! Did you use the method posted above?

[m3jappa]

Aluminati said:

What about doing away with the brackets and putting a continuous track in ?

Not feeling the brackets, they interrupt the clean lines of the glass.

I have got a feeling that once i remove them and start butchering the plinth underneath i might not have much choice.

Reckon i will have to cut whatever width necessary on top of the silicone, when you pull the glass you can see it moving!

A stupid oversight, never gave it a thought but tbh its obvious that something flexible will, err flex

[m3jappa]

The handrail on top is something she mentioned last time, id rather not have one but it may work, fixing to the house may prove tricky though as all there is is a thin piece of ali trim which is for the cladding so fixing on to that may be an issue.
Putting a post in would mean the glass doesnt fit so would need new glass, or at least 2 panels (its an l shape).

Cutting the render out and re fixing would be the preferred method, but that means removing the rods. Never even thought about the concrete beneath fracturing, it is 200 mm thick slab though!

The frustrating thing about this is that we did a load of work, got them round to sign it off and then they said, 'oh that balcony is part of the work, it needs to be done'
we wont even use it, or if we do it wont be much and not for about 3 years or so as i wait for the trees to hide next doors garden. Aesthetically it looks really good, so i am happy to have it, just annoying that i didn't want it, had to pay for it and now may have to pay again!
It looks great imo from downstairs!

[m3jappa]

BaldOldMan said:

Cutting the render out and re fixing would be the preferred method, but that means removing the rods.

Why can't you just leave the plinth & cut holes in it in situ with a multi tool, then butcher out the holes down to concrete level leaving the rods where they are ? Refit the clamps into the new holes & firm against the concrete

Ummm, that's a great idea, i could just hack it all out, fill the hole i hack out with concrete or resin or something which wont move against the timber its sitting within and re fix. i could also drill into the base below, fix some stud in with chemfix so the original concrete is physically fixed to the new little pads id be making.
Great idea which i will put forward to her!

Edited by m3jappa on Tuesday 13th August 21:02

[m3jappa]

It is 21.5 laminated glass.

In its current state i assure you it would take one hell of an impact to actually break any of it! It is just the silicone render beneath which is allowing that couple of mm of movement which combined with the movement it would have anyway is now excessive/more than acceptable. The only way to tell when it or the fixings would break would be to actually break it

I get why they have such strict guidelines, doesn't help me but i get it if it were to fail after being signed off i could say 'you shouldn't have signed it off' and she would be in all sorts of trouble so i do get it.

Personally i think the idea of digging out the render/timber down to concrete level is best, it would be a 100% solid fixing then and would mean the existing clamps can stay where they are without removing the rods. I do like the look of these clamps, from ground level it looks like the glass is just floating.

[m3jappa]

wolfracesonic said:

Cutting out a rectangle of render and lowering the brackets so they sit direct onto the concrete sounds the best idea but have you got enough clearance under the glass so it won't foul the render when everything gets lowered 12mm or so? If you do recess the brackets, silicone around them so they don't form a trap for water and blow off your render.

No, what i would do is, take out the timber down to concrete level (about 100mm down) , put in a couple of rods, then concrete back up to plinth level, so effectively id be making little padstones for the clamps. It would then be solid with no timber/render beneath.

[m3jappa]

The good news is today the main boss building inspector came to have a look and within about 30 seconds accepted them and passed it.
I think the previous lady was a bit worried about passing something she hadn't seen before which has a fair amount of movement. This guy could see that while there's some movement to actually break either the clamp or the stud or the glass would take way more than you could realistically give.

So thats something good! Just need electrics signed off now but thats another story....