Tiles on the balcony are a common solution that has a lot of advantages and some minor disadvantages that you should know about. What tiles will be best for finishing a balcony?
Tiles for balcony as a popular solution
Tiles are a very popular solution for finishing a balcony. With a wide range of colors and patterns, they fit into any balcony arrangement
The advantages of balcony tiles
- cheap material – asquare meter can be purchased for as little as a dozen or so zlotys;
- they fit in with any balcony style;
- easy to keep clean;
- durable and resistant to mechanical damage;
- do not change their properties due to UV rays or frost.
Disadvantages of tiles on a balcony
- if the balcony is small, there’s a lot of cutting and laying is more work;
- if the balcony is uneven, it must first be leveled, e.g. with a self-leveling screed;
- the tiles heat up very quickly in the sun;
- before installing the tiles you should clean the surface thoroughly;
- tiles should be placed at a slight incline to allow water from rainfall to drain into the gutter.
Types of tiles for balcony
Stoneware
Porcelain stoneware is a very popular solution for finishing balconies. This material has many advantages – it is frost resistant, has high resistance to mechanical damage and low water absorption. Glazed stoneware presents itself very elegantly on the balcony, but has low resistance to mechanical damage and abrasion and low slip resistance.
The best solution is unglazed unpolished stoneware with a raw surface, which looks great in Scandinavian style. Such stoneware should be impregnated to protect it from the harmful effects of weather conditions.
Technical st oneware is an interesting alternative to classic types of stoneware. Technical stoneware tiles with their austerity fit perfectly into the industrial and minimalist style of the balcony. This type of stoneware has an increased resistance to abrasion and the negative effects of weather.
Clinker
Clinker is a material that attracts attention from afar with its appearance – it ranges in color from bright yellow, through orange, to deep red. This material is one of the hardest dedicated to the outdoors. Clinker is very resistant to water, changing weather conditions and UV rays. Clinker tiles have high anti-slip properties
Terracotta
Terracotta tiles have very similar parameters to porcelain stoneware. A huge advantage of this type of tile is the multitude of patterns and colors. Terracotta is very easy to keep clean. For balconies it is worth choosing terracotta tiles with low glaze as they are safer to use
Stone tiles
Stone tiles made of sandstone, granite, limestone and basalt are an expensive but very durable and elegant material. Granite stone tiles are most often chosen for the balcony. They have high resistance to weather conditions, low abrasion and water absorption.
Trendy balcony design
Two trends dominate in the arrangement of balconies: the balcony as an extension of the interior and tiles imitating natural materials. Extending the interior with tiles means laying the same tiles on the balcony.
Tiles imitating natural materials are another hot trend. The most popular are wood-like tiles, which are a great compromise between wood and materials resistant to damage. Tiles imitating stone (marble) work best on large balconies. Concrete imitation tiles also look interesting on a balcony and go well with wooden or rattan furniture and plants
What are the best tiles for my balcony?
The tiles for the balcony must be frost resistant, with low water absorption of less than 3%. An important parameter is also their slip resistance – marked on the tiles with the letter R and a number. Balcony tiles should be marked with at least R10. Abrasion resistance class is also important; it is worth choosing tiles of class IV and V
