Balcony tiles.

The balcony brief is not the alfresco brief. Apartments carry structural weight limits. Any slab that isn't ground-supported needs a structural engineer's sign-off on tile and substrate weight. Balconies also need a waterproof membrane underneath, because rain has nowhere to go except through the structure.

Thickness is a structural decision. The standard balcony build-up is 10mm porcelain tile adhesive-bonded over a waterproofed membrane and screed. 20mm pavers are usually too heavy for an upper-floor slab without explicit engineering approval.

Fall to the drain matters most. Before any tile goes down, the screed must be set with the correct fall to a drain in the right position. Get this wrong and the balcony pools and the membrane works overtime.

Mid-tone reads cleaner than pale. Light tiles look striking until the first bird and the first rainstorm. Mid-tone stone-look stays presentable under the sky and reads warmer in the late afternoon. On north-facing balconies, dark tiles absorb heat and become uncomfortable underfoot in summer.

Continue the indoor tile where you can. The cleanest apartment look runs the indoor floor (or a close visual match) straight to the balcony threshold. It enlarges the indoor space visually.

Most balconies are 6 to 15m². Add 15% wastage for membrane cuts, drain surrounds and awkward cuts around balustrade fixings. Order in a single batch: shade variation will show in such a confined space. Get a quote →