Apartments with balconies...

[heatherm0890]

I dont know if you have read an of my other posts but I was planning on living on my own,but now my roomate and I have decided we just dont want to be seperated. So we decided to stay together. Yesterday,we found the most perfect little two bedroom apartment and are thrilled about it. Well,we have the choice of up or downstairs and we are thinking upstairs for several reasons. 1) safety-noone can get in our windows 2) upstairs has gorgeous vaulted ceilings and 3) noone will be walking on top of us. But we have a problem with bailee, there is a slight opening around the bottom of the patio(the wall of it is solid and tall enough she culdnt jump it) so obviously if its up or downstairs we will still have to put something to block of the opening along the bottom...any ideas?maybe a baby gate on the door to the patio so bailee couldnt follow one of us out without being secured on a leash? Also if we find something suitable for the opening she could go freely out on the patio upstairs wheras Id be concerned of someone snatching her from the ground floor. Of course she would not be unsupervised but i like the idea of leaving the french doors open on nice days, I could see her from wherever I am in the apartment but a potential dog napper may not see me and I dont want her getting snatched. happens way tooo often...so what do you guys think,After this list of pros and cons,what do you think is the best, up or downstairs?oh and ideas for securing the opening would be great...its prolly a 5 inch opening between the bottom of the wall and the concrete

[ARCHIE]

Is it possible to have the maintenance man go under your deck floor
and apply a board under that opening from below. That shoulds like
the only safe way to do it. I would tell them it needs to be done for
your own safety, don't mention the dog.
If the floor is concrete and so is the wall you would need someone with
tools to drill into the concrete securing something so the dog won't go
threw it if it's fixed from above. I would want it repaired before I bought it.

I would definately go with the upper unit. I am on the second floor,
corner unit, no one above me, it's safe to leave window's open without
a security alarm, which I hated in my house, and I have a deck that
Buddy goes out on at times without me.
Good luck with your move.

[heatherm0890]

thanks archie, we are currently on the third floor in our current apt so we have been spoiled being able to leave our windows open,we absolutley love it and we dont wanna give that up, i am not sure if the maintence ppl would do or not. I will definately speak to them about it though

[jeanm1963]

Maybe you could just buy a few pieces of laddis from homedepot and line the inside of your balcony!!

Ideal Fast Fit Patio Pet Panel - Small - FREE SHIPPING!

maybe you could use this too, I plan on getting one and also placing lattis work to cover the top of the balcony so hawks cant get her!

[heatherm0890]

im attaching a pic so you can see exactly what i am talking about

[AngieGA]

We live on the 3rd floor and LOVE it --- I bought latice work at Home Depot that is white just like the deck fencing - then bought long zip ties and tacked it all around the bottom. It comes up about 2 ft so that Tye can't get out at all. It was very easy to do - just measure the total length you need and then have them cut the sheet in 1/2 - tack it with the zip ties.

Good luck

[FlDebra]

My son and daughter-in-law chose an upstairs apartment so they could put a doggy door in the sliding glass patio door and let their little poodle have access to the balcony when they are gone to get fresh air and do her business on her pad which is kept in a holder out there. It works great for them and makes it pretty hard for anyone to get up there to take their little one. I can't remember what they used to block the bottom part off with, maybe lattice like the previous poster mentioned, but I know it was secure.

Another idea would be to use one of those play yards. They make one for human toddlers and pets but they are the same exact product, just costs more money for the pet one. I have one I used when mine were puppies. I will move my puppies that I have now from their little pack 'n play play pen to the play yard when they are another week or so older. Here is the play yard I have: Amazon.com: North States Superyard XT Gate Play... but I got it on sale at Toys R Us. They also sell extension packs with two more panels in it so you could line the whole balcony if you wanted.

[KellyV]

My porch has wrought iron around it.... I zip tied an ex pen all around the inside so they couldn't get under or through (fit perfectly). It works great.

[citygirl]

When my mom lived in an apartment she bought latice work fencing for her baclony and it worked great.