Balcony mounting options

[LeMayzing]

I am a 20 year Dish customer who just moved to a condo from a house, and now have to deal with association rules. I had an installer come out to give recommendations, and I submitted a request to have a dish mounted on the INSIDE of my balcony railing (with an RV-ladder pressure mount). That request was denied because the railing is considered a common element.

I see two possible permanent solutions: a tripod mount on the floor of the balcony, or an upside-down pole mount from the header beam of the balcony above. The installer indicated that mounting on a pole from above wasn't an option, but it seems it should work; I would rather not take up any balcony floor space, and there is plenty of headroom. Has anyone tried to mount a dish hanging from above? Would it require some hardware that the installers don't typically carry, since most pole mounts are in the ground, not attached to a beam?

Also, in case figuring this out takes a while, I have considered using a bucket of cement and a pole as a temporary solution. What diameter of pole would I need to put in the cement to mount the dish on? I assume that I would have to prepare the bucket, cement, and pole in advance, but that the installer would have the hardware to mount the dish to the pole. Right?

 

[ChadT41]

JSheridan, I feel like this is your specialty area for some reason. Want to take a shot at it?

 

[JSheridan]

JSheridan, I feel like this is your specialty area for some reason. Want to take a shot at it?

I once mounted a Dish300 upside down from above but I don't think I'd try that now-a-days with a multi satellite dish.

I'd probably go with the pole in the bucket for now and have the bucket ready with the pole in the hardened concrete. The outside diameter of the pole should be 1 5/8 inches. If it's solid and plumb the installer should be able to get the job done.

 

[Tampa8]

If you could post a pic of the area in question that might help. Are there side walls that it could be mounted to that is not common. Is the floor common?

 

[ChadT41]

If it is inside the balcony, on the railing, it is not common. Might play semantics with that one.

 

[Bobby]

Semantics don't enter into it. The railing is part of the outer edge of the building and is common ground, so to speak. You can not make any attachment to the railing, floor, walls, or ceiling. The bucket is the only answer....

 

[the mack]

I use a bucket at my condo, but I thought dish frowned on them and prefer to use non penetrating mounts? (not to say that a bucket penetrates.)

 

[31cold]

Do you know what black gas pipe is? There is a silver version. You could mount a shoe/bracket to ceiling, thread the silver pipe on, attach a dish mast with U bolts then a dish.

 

[Tampa8]

If it is inside the balcony, on the railing, it is not common. Might play semantics with that one.

A general rule is who maintains the area in question determines common areas. Sounds like the association maintains the railing in his complex, some don't and many would allow you to attach to it even if it is a common area as long as it does not overhang.
But it isn't always that way, if you have a patio area it is possible that is not a common area, but the association does maintain it. That is done for aesthetics to prevent a run-down look. It should be spelled out in the rules.

 

[ChadT41]

A general rule is who maintains the area in question determines common areas. Sounds like the association maintains the railing in his complex, some don't and many would allow you to attach to it even if it is a common area as long as it does not overhang.
But it isn't always that way, if you have a patio area it is possible that is not a common area, but the association does maintain it. That is done for aesthetics to prevent a run-down look. It should be spelled out in the rules.

That's teally where I was going. Thank you for saying it better than I.

 

[Tampa8]

And, there are many associations that do not understand exactly what is common and what is not in their own rules. They go solely on if they are responsible for it then it is a common area when it may not be but few owners ever go deep enough to find out. Further, MANY associations know exactly what the real answer is but choose to say no first because so few will check beyond that.
Very likely that railing is his to attach to if he wants, and only if the railing is specifically spelled out as not a common area would the answer "no" stand.

http://www.davis-stirling.com/tabid/1715/Default.aspx#axzz3fJw53ZKa
"The Davis-Stirling Act contains a default definition of exclusive use common areas if none is found in the CC&Rs or condominium plan.Civil Code §4145defines the following as exclusive use common areas:

• shutters, awnings, window boxes,
• doorsteps, stoops, porches,
• balconies and patios,
• exterior doors, door frames, and hardware,
• screens and windows,
• fixturesdesigned to serve a single interest but existing outside the boundaries of the separate interest,
• telephone wiring.

I don't believe the railing is ever not part of the exclusive use balcony, again unless it is specifically referenced as such.

 

[LeMayzing]

Thanks for the discussion. (Sorry I was delayed in responding--I had a problem at work that required extra time and attention.)

The railing has been specifically identified as "common", and even a pressure mount (with only part of the bracket showing on the outside, and the entire dish inside the balcony) was refused.

The building is brick, and while the balcony and its walls are not "common elements", they are "limited common elements". I expect I could mount on the brick wall, possibly even as high up as mounting "upside down".

Regarding the concern about mounting a multi-satellite dish "upside down". While the pole would be extended from above, I was expecting that the dish would still be mounted right-side up. Is that not possible? I don't know exactly what the mounting bracket looks like, but I expected that at best it could mount normally and at worst it could be reversed somehow.

My preference for the mount from above is to keep as much floor space open as possible; it isn't a big balcony, but it is tall. So the non-penetrating roof mount or a tripod would not be preferred methods, either.

 

[LeMayzing]

Do you know what black gas pipe is? There is a silver version. You could mount a shoe/bracket to ceiling, thread the silver pipe on, attach a dish mast with U bolts then a dish.

That's kind of what I expected to be able to do, but the dish installer didn't seem it was feasible. I didn't ask for clarification, as I expected the no-drill railing mount to be approved. (Silly me.)

 

[LeMayzing]

If you could post a pic of the area in question that might help. Are there side walls that it could be mounted to that is not common. Is the floor common?

Here are the drawings I used for the request to my association. The second page shows the beam from which I would like to hand the dish (since the railing mount on the first page was rejected). As I said earlier, the brick side wall might be an option--I'll have to ask about drilling into that and installing anchors.

 

[31cold]

Rules, rules, rules. Unapproved mount, but stuff still gets done, depends on the installer. Also not the type of parts we are likely to have.

 

[RimaNTSS]

I did installation on my balcony (actually inside the balcony) on self-made non-penetrating wooden platform. Of course, balcony defers from another balcony and individual solutions should be found.

 

[Tampa8]

Here are the drawings I used for the request to my association. The second page shows the beam from which I would like to hand the dish (since the railing mount on the first page was rejected). As I said earlier, the brick side wall might be an option--I'll have to ask about drilling into that and installing anchors.

Thanks for taking the time to post that. I hope this thread helps you.
It is exactly what I wanted to see. What about the wall behind where you are showing the dish. From my experience if you are responsible for the walls inside your condo (Most always the case) then you are also responsible for the walls inside the balcony. I don't know how large your complex is, but can you find any other dishes - or anything attached to the rails or balcony walls?
I asked the realtor selling my house about the railing, and he said virtually what I did, that railing is very likely not legally considered common, and as long as nothing overhangs it you should be able to use it. (NOT A LEGAL OPINION ) As always, there can be exceptions.

 

[LeMayzing]

Thanks for taking the time to post that. I hope this thread helps you.
It is exactly what I wanted to see. What about the wall behind where you are showing the dish. From my experience if you are responsible for the walls inside your condo (Most always the case) then you are also responsible for the walls inside the balcony. I don't know how large your complex is, but can you find any other dishes - or anything attached to the rails or balcony walls?
I asked the realtor selling my house about the railing, and he said virtually what I did, that railing is very likely not legally considered common, and as long as nothing overhangs it you should be able to use it. (NOT A LEGAL OPINION ) As always, there can be exceptions.

The railing has specifically been identified as "Common"; they don't even allow flower boxes on the inside of the railing.

I was told by someone on the board that other units in our building had dishes, but a walk-around disproved that; it may have been in the past, and they likely had bucket or tripod mounts. We only have the one building, 42 units.

I am going to ask about mounting on the wall, as my understanding is that the walls of the balcony are "limited common", exclusive to our use. Plus there are already a few small screws in anchors mounted in the mortar. (The dish would have to be mounted with anchors drilled into the brick, if I go that route, due to the load.)

 

[LeMayzing]

I did installation on my balcony (actually inside the balcony) on self-made non-penetrating wooden platform. Of course, balcony defers from another balcony and individual solutions should be found.
View attachment 108132

Well, we would like to be able to sit on our balcony, too--from the photo, your solution seems to preclude that! (And the clamps on the bottom of the balcony railings would probably cause it to be rejected.)

 

[RimaNTSS]

There is exactly the same balcony other side of the house, so if somebody wants to have "coffin nail" or just relax, he/she can go there. But, even on this balcony is some place left (from where picture was taken). Clamps, I added just in case, but, in reality, nothing is moving there and tornadoes do not come inside the balcony.
Add: I more like my another balcony, south-facing, where I have no major restrictions