Improving divider for a shared balcony

[chssvl]

We have a flat with a reasonably-sized balcony. The balcony is effectively shared with the flat next door and is separated by this metal divider with metal beams and a sort of metal sheet with holes (see picture). We put a trellis with fake ivy to increase visual privacy (otherwise neighbours would see straight into our living room). However this (naturally) provided no soundproofing, which means that if we have the living room window open and the neighbours are in the balcony you can hear them as if they were in our flat. Worse still is the fact that the current neighbours are chain-smokers who love to sit in their balcony and smoke (no rules against it in the property rules unfortunately) and fill up our flat with cigarette smell when we open our windows.

We've been thinking about ways of improving the division between the two balconies without falling foul of the rules for the property which doesn't allow (noticeable) modifications to the balcony.

I've been thinking about getting some pieces of transparent glass or perspex cut to shape and fix them inside the metal frame (right on top of the metal sheets with holes) and over of the metal beams (gaps on the left of the picture) to create a quasi-hermetic seal between the two (I'm of course aware of the large gap above the divider!). However, I thought I'd do a bit of "crowd sourcing" to see of anyone has better ideas. Mindful that there are no perfect solutions, but just looking for some "noticeable" improvement.

Should also flag that the balcony is south facing and it gets really hot during the summer (saw a thermometer outside read almost 50C this year, under direct sunlight of course) so I do wonder if materials like perspex risk melting.

Thanks in advance!

 

[foxhole]

The only permanent, effective solution is to move.

 

[Tigercubrider]

It won't work.
both balconies are open to the air.
It's like expecting that standing behind a sheet of wood means that you won't hear noise in a field.

 

[JohnD]

a piece of acrylic sheet might block the smoke, but depending on wind direction, it is likely to swirl around.

If the front of your flat opens onto the other side of the building, then, depending on wind direction, you might get it to blow in at the front and out at the back, preventing smoke drifting in.

 

[Tigercubrider]

You'd do better buying a fan to blow the smoke away

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Perspex won't melt that's for sure but as mentioned the results will be unpredictable with respect to smoke, will probably help a little with the sound. Probably better off investing in a good air conditioner. But moving is the only certain solution.

 

[chssvl]

Thanks for the replies. I am mindful that it won't block the sound or smell for good, but just looking for some slight improvements. Problem is that our window is just where the wall on the left of the picture ends. So, if the guy is sitting on a table right opposite the divider and there is the mildest south-westerly breeze, it blows all the smoke straight into our flat without obstacle. My hope would be that such a barrier would mean that the smoke travels up and some (albeit not all) would just either drift up (through the gaps in the planks of the balcony upstairs) or sort of "miss" the window (i.e. goes right over it).

Moving is really not an option (don't think we'll have the energy to move again for many years). We actually love the flat and generally the neighbours are quite nice (when we moved in there was a lovely couple living next door). Besides, the current neighbours are the typical couple of random guys doing flat-share who will probably move on within a year or so. However, looking forward to spring/summer, we'd like to be less constrained.

BTW, we did use a fan which did help out a bit sometimes. Problem is that the flat has the balcony, which is south-facing and then the other windows are in the rooms, which are north-facing. Because of the prevalent wind direction in the South-east, that means that wind direction through the flat (when windows are open) tends to be through the balcony windows and out the room windows.

 

[mattylad]

I imagine that the cost of perspex is at an all time high right now.