Do you actually use your condo balcony? This was the question posed by writer Robert Everett-Green in a recent issue of the Globe and Mail. Brad Lam, Toronto's condo king, says he rarely uses his balcony. Same goes for Associate Professor Rodolphe el-Khoury, who compared high-rise terraces to NordicTrack machines -- you imagine yourself using one, but you never do.

Associate Professor Ted Kesik, who was also interviewed for the article, argues that "an unused balcony costs its owner money and comfort, because most are extensions of the interior concrete floor, with no thermal breaks to prevent heat loss. They chill the inside floor in winter, he says, and can cause condensation to creep into ceilings and floors, spotting them with mould. The smallest balconies don’t even properly shade the unit below, and because they’re cheaply made and completely exposed, they will eventually have to be torn off and replaced."

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