Continuous Balcony Drainage Requirements

Year
2005
Number
B56
Sponsor(s)
Langley City

WHEREAS building and plumbing bylaws are enacted for the purpose of regulating construction within a community in the general public interest; AND WHEREAS pursuant to Section 101 of the Community Charter, a provision of a municipal bylaw has no effect if it is inconsistent with a provincial enactment: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the British Columbia Building Code and the National Building Code be amended to include the requirement of a continuous drainage along the outer edge of balconies in multi-family residential projects for reasons of health, safety and protection of persons and property.

Provincial Response

Ministry of Forests and Range Best practices are constantly evolving, and describe methods for achieving or surpassing a specified end result. The building code specifies the minimum standards for those end results. The code provides standards for new construction. Research into best practices undertaken and developed by CMHC are often adopted by builders. Ongoing maintenance is the responsibility of the building owner. Building owners can investigate current best practices online with the CHMC and Homeowner Protection Office websites.

Federal Response

MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Conservative Government Resolution B56 calls for the British Columbia Building Code and the National Building Code to be amended to include the requirement of a continuous drainage along the outer edge of balconies in multi-family projects for reasons of health, safety and protection of persons and properties. The National Building Code of Canada NBCC is under the purview of the National Research Council NRC. Formal requests for changes to the NBCC should be submitted to the NRCs Canadian Codes Centre. An applicant may contact the Codes Centre by e-mail at codesnrc-cnrc.gc.ca or download the necessary information from the NRCs web site at www.nationalcodes.ca. Requests are reviewed and their merits discussed by a Standing Committee before recommendations are made to the Canadian Commissions on Building and Fire Codes for final approval. Provincial and territorial code authorities are notified of all requests for code changes and are involved during each step of the code development process. Changes to the NBCC may be adopted or adapted by provincial and territorial code authorities.

Convention Decision
Endorsed