Rust-algae water is running from the terrace pillar

Hello everyone,

We live on the ground floor of a multi-family house and have a terrace. Above the terrace are the balconies of the residents who live above us, and everything is connected by columns and the house wall. Now it is the case that since we have lived here (since 2018, but probably the previous tenants already had the problem), green rust-colored water drips from one of the columns, or when it rains, it runs out slightly, see pictures.

Has anyone had a similar case and can tell me how serious this is? I am not an expert, but I think that the steel in the masonry or in the pillar is rusting, and eventually the load-bearing capacity of the entire structure is at risk.

How do you see this and how or by which professional (structural engineer, building surveyor, mason) can I have the problem investigated?

Many thanks in advance for the help

Andreas

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That is definitely common property, report it to the property management.

And please check the procedures of the balconies.

Thank you tomtom,

yes, I had reported it a long time ago but unfortunately nothing has happened again and again...

How do you see this and how or by which expert (structural engineer, building surveyor, mason) can I have the problem examined?

I can’t even clearly tell from the pictures what is concrete and what is steel, where connections might be intentionally not flush and/or not at right angles, and so on – and especially not what is solid and what is hollow. Knowledge of the construction would be of considerable importance for diagnosis. Without plans, deviations from the target condition cannot be determined.

yes, I reported this a long time ago but nothing has happened again and again unfortunately...

What should be done anyway? – a lawyer would assess what kind of rent reduction threat would be appropriate, demand measures, and set deadlines. If you just say "hello, something green is dripping" and don’t ask for anything specific, of course nothing happens except "read, laughed, punched." With a bit of bad luck, the property management gets scared and locks all balconies and tells all neighbors to complain to you. Maybe you’d rather just occasionally wipe up a moss-green puddle (?)

I fully agree with the opinion of . And I find it terrible that the property management has not taken care of it so far. Of course, everything is taking longer at the moment and they have a lot more on their plate, but everything has its limits. I would, like , consult a lawyer.

The concrete posts or the way they are joined remind me very much of our former RH, where the balconies were also joined with concrete balustrades and posts. We were never able to fix that permanently: water always seeps in from above somewhere, and yes, it then also became unsightly and mossy. If the administration doesn’t do anything: we always cleaned mechanically, after Algenex and similar, after sealing the top. However, the whole material suffers in the long run.