Having a balcony can be great for enjoying the view from your house and sitting out on a sunny summer’s day, but now we are on the cusp of autumn, it is important to check it is ready to handle the less pleasant weather that is on the way.

According to the Met Office, Meteorological summer, defined as the months of June, July and August, was actually drier overall than normal, although it was also the coolest in nine years.

While north-western parts of the UK (Cumbria, most of Scotland and Northern Ireland) had a damp time of it after a soggy winter and spring, most of the country enjoyed more dry weather than usual, including on the south coast.

For that reason, it might be easy to overlook vulnerabilities in your balcony that could mean water seeping through and inside your home when the rain is heavy. But things could soon change. That is why now is an ideal time to make sure your balcony is waterproofed.

August already saw the 12th named storm of the year, Storm Lillian. Last winter was a particularly rough one for storms and such events can bring very heavy rain, especially in exposed coastal towns and cities.

The Met Office has been naming storms since 2015, sharing naming rights with its Dutch and Irish counterparts. Notably, the number of storms per season varies a lot, with 12 in 2023-24 at the top end of the scale. By contrast, 2022-23 had just two.

However, it only takes one heavy storm to do a lot of damage if a balcony lacks sufficient waterproofing or if past damage has not been fixed. With resin binding, you can ensure this is not a problem and you can ride out the winter storms before enjoying more summer days on your balcony next year.