topic Re: Balcony Etiquette in Home

Balcony Etiquette

momtochloe — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:11:39 GMT

Please don't laugh at my question but I have always lived in a single family home. Recently I moved into a condo on the second floor and my balcony is full of leaves, seeds and other nature related things. My question is, is it poor form to just sweep everything over the edge of the balcony or should I be gathering it up and disposing of it myself?

I know this sounds beyond silly but I literally have no experience with this and I don't want to do anything wrong . . . any advice you can lend will be most appreciated! . . .

Re: Balcony Etiquette

grandma2pkmh — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:14:15 GMT

I would sweep it up and bag it. Sweeping over the edge would just make a mess below. Hopefully, if anyone is above you they would also sweep and bag it.

Re: Balcony Etiquette

momtochloe — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:19:15 GMT

@grandma2pkmh wrote:
I would sweep it up and bag it. Sweeping over the edge would just make a mess below. Hopefully, if anyone is above you they would also sweep and bag it.

Thanks so much for this @grandma2pkmh looks like I am off to the dollar store for a dust pan tomorrow! . . .

Re: Balcony Etiquette

SilleeMee — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:19:34 GMT

Definitely sweep it up. I had a situation once where the people above me had their pets poo on their balcony and they would just push it off. Some of it would land on MY balcony. A couple of times of that nonsense put me over the edge and I finally had to say something...and it wasn't nice.

Re: Balcony Etiquette

on the bay — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:20:18 GMT

Hi @momtochloe-

I live on the bottom and as long as it is swept over the side its ok with me.

However the above decks are slats of wood so there have been several times I've had to walk upstairs and let them know the dirt or watering their plants was raining down on my chair while I was in it! womansurprised:

Another time a different neighbor had her little one throw all kinds of pencils, crayons barretts over the top and for a long while I would pick them all up and give them back or leave them at their door but after almost a year I just started throwing it away. She had always said she was sorry but never stopped it and I got tired of walking up that flight of stairs or picking up all those things-I already did that with my own!

I think if I lived on the top, I would sweep little stuff over the side but if its a lot of dirt or leaves that blow all over I'd try to get a dustpan and put in a bag.

I think its very considerate of you to ask.

Would you be my neighbor?

Advantages and disadvantages of living on 2nd levels and on the first

Re: Balcony Etiquette

Azcowgirl — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:20:59 GMT

@momtochloe

I lived in a condo for a few years, and the guy who rented the one above me, installed planters on his balcony and he would fill buckets of water and empty into planters. The water came splashing down onto me and my patio furniture. Also, he would dump his ashtrays over his railing, and ashes and icky cigar butts would rain down on my patio.

I think it's best to sweep up and dispose of debris, especially if there is someone below you.

Re: Balcony Etiquette

Mominohio — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:26:46 GMT

I agree with everyone else, sweep and bag it up, trying hard not to let anything go over the edge or between openings if you have any.

If I were the recipient of some of the 'downfall' some of you have described, I'd be headed straight to the manager/condo association etc. That is just beyond rude.

Re: Balcony Etiquette

momtochloe — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:29:16 GMT

@on the bay wrote:
Hi @momtochloe-
I live on the bottom and as long as it is swept over the side its ok with me.
However the above decks are slats of wood so there have been several times I've had to walk upstairs and let them know the dirt or watering their plants was raining down on my chair while I was in it! womansurprised:
Another time a different neighbor had her little one throw all kinds of pencils, crayons barretts over the top and for a long while I would pick them all up and give them back or leave them at their door but after almost a year I just started throwing it away. She had always said she was sorry but never stopped it and I got tired of walking up that flight of stairs or picking up all those things-I already did that with my own!
I think if I lived on the top, I would sweep little stuff over the side but if its a lot of dirt or leaves that blow all over I'd try to get a dustpan and put in a bag.
I think its very considerate of you to ask.
Would you be my neighbor?
Advantages and disadvantages of living on 2nd levels and on the first

@on the bay I think we already may be neighbors as the fencing around the balcony are wooden slats so I will most definitely bag my balcony garbage!

And my downstairs neighbors will love me as there isn't a chance of a live plant on my balcony so no worries about me spilling water on them!

Re: Balcony Etiquette

Citrine1 — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:49:02 GMT

Not a silly question at all @momtochloe. You're such a considerate, caring person. I think it's so sweet and thoughtful of you to want to do the right thing!

I've never been in that position, but I'm guessing I'd sweep and gather the leaves, etc. myself for disposing.

Best of luck to you in your new home. I'm sure your neighbors will come to adore you!

Re: Balcony Etiquette

momtochloe — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:53:35 GMT

@Citrine1 wrote:
Not a silly question at all @momtochloe. You're such a considerate, caring person. I think it's so sweet and thoughtful of you to want to do the right thing!

I've never been in that position, but I'm guessing I'd sweep and gather the leaves, etc. myself for disposing.

Best of luck to you in your new home. I'm sure your neighbors will come to adore you!

Oh bless you @Citrine1 for your kind words! . . . I am so lucky to have found this place as it is so quiet and peaceful . . . I've only met a couple of neighbors but everyone seems quite lovely and again I am just so fortunate to have landed here . . . thank you again my friend!

Re: Balcony Etiquette

software — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 01:37:25 GMT

If your sweepings would possibly go on someone else's balcony or walkway or if it would fall on a landscape area, the right thing to do is bag it.

If it would fall on a "natural" area, then sweep it off. Send it back to where it came from!

@momtochloe

Re: Balcony Etiquette

momtochloe — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 01:39:33 GMT

@software wrote:
If your sweepings would possibly go on someone else's balcony or walkway or if it would fall on a landscape area, the right thing to do is bag it.

If it would fall on a "natural" area, then sweep it off. Send it back to where it came from!

@momtochloe

Tee hee @software I guess I am just little concerned about my "aim" as I am the new kid in town . . .

Re: Balcony Etiquette

ValuSkr — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 01:54:00 GMT

Thank you for sweeping and bagging. I'm in a similar situation, but my deck is underneath another. The current neighbors overhead don't use their deck, so no problems. The people before them had potted plants at times, and she would trim them and throw the debris overboard. So inconsiderate. Later, I would pick her debris off the lawn as I tried to keep my backyard looking nice. They also had a faux ficus tree on their deck - I was constantly finding fake ficus leaves on my deck and in the gardens.

Re: Balcony Etiquette

meallen616 — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 11:00:10 GMT

mtc,

Re: Balcony Etiquette

GSPgirl — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 12:42:14 GMT

I did that once and got complaints from my neighbor downstairs because it came into her area. I also couldn't water my hanging plants outside either.

Re: Balcony Etiquette

momtochloe — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 19:14:14 GMT

@meallen616 wrote:
mtc,

Thanks so much for this @meallen616, it really made my day! . . .

Re: Balcony Etiquette

momtochloe — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 19:15:13 GMT

I just want to say thanks to everyone who took the time to respond and help me out as I really appreciate it! . . .

Re: Balcony Etiquette

insomniac2 — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 01:47:35 GMT

I'm stunned that anyone could believe it's okay to sweep debris off their balcony, not caring where it might land.

Re: Balcony Etiquette

Moonchilde — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 02:05:34 GMT

@insomniac2 wrote:
I'm stunned that anyone could believe it's okay to sweep debris off their balcony, not caring where it might land.

I'm stunned that anyone couldn't just post "I would sweep it up", but instead had to make a nasty remark reflecting on the OP.

Re: Balcony Etiquette

Spurt — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 15:14:06 GMT

@momtochloe wrote:
Please don't laugh at my question but I have always lived in a single family home. Recently I moved into a condo on the second floor and my balcony is full of leaves, seeds and other nature related things. My question is, is it poor form to just sweep everything over the edge of the balcony or should I be gathering it up and disposing of it myself?

I know this sounds beyond silly but I literally have no experience with this and I don't want to do anything wrong . . . any advice you can lend will be most appreciated! . . .

@momtochloe

A friend lives on the second floor of an apartment building and she always uses a broom an dustpan and sweeps up the leaves and such into a garbage bag to dispose of the debris. If you just sweep it over the edge it if goes into your downstairs neighbor's balcony that could create some problems with your neighbor. making for uncomfortable living conditions....She learned her lesson when she was much younger and she lived in a different apartment and had a bird feeder, she just swept the seeds and dirt off her balcony and got a nasty note from her neighbor on her door, and they reported her to the Apartment...in your case your neighbor may report you to the Condo Assoc........