How to replace tiles on an outdoor balcony?

[diyfyi]

Hi-I'm wondering if you can help with my query? Several tiles on my second floor, suspended concrete balcony have lifted up over the years. I have removed the raised tiles and several others around them that have loosened. I have replacement tiles for the area and will remove previous adhesive etc before retiling. The balcony gets a lot of weather - I'm hoping to get some advice on whether I need to weatherproof or prime the concrete, and what adhesive and grout to use? Thanks in advance! 

[JacobZ · Accepted solution]

Hi @diyfyi,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and thank you for your question.

Do you currently experience any leaks coming from your balcony to the inside of the apartment?

I ask because if you were to carry out waterproofing to your balcony, it would need to be done as a whole balcony, as opposed to being retrofitted to a small section. If you were experiencing issues with water getting in from the balcony, I would suggest speaking with a licensed waterproofer before relaying your tiles to see what can be done.

If you don't currently have any leaks, I wouldn't worry about waterproofing and would just proceed with removing the adhesive and relaying your tiles.

You can remove the adhesive using a floor scraper. For the tougher sections, you can use a wire wheel attachment on a drill or angle grinder. If you use a wire wheel, make sure you wear gloves, protective clothing, ear protection and eye protection.

Once the old adhesive has been removed and any dust vacuumed up, you should prime the surface with Davco Ultraprime Surface Primer. This will ensure the tile adhesive has the strongest bond with the concrete as possible.

For your tile adhesive, I'd suggest Davco SMP Evo Tile Adhesive, which is a strong, but flexible adhesive that is suitable for areas exposed to the weather.

For grout, I'd suggest Davco Sanitized Colorgrout in a colour of your choosing. It is mould and bacteria resistant and is ideal for both wet and dry areas, including swimming pools and spas.

You might like to check out How To Lay Floor Tiles and How To Grout Tiles for some guidance on the process.

Let me know what you think and if you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Jacob

[diyfyi]

Hi Jacob-thank you so much for your response. It's very helpful!

I'm not aware of any leaks coming from the balcony into the apartment, so I'll prepare and prime as you suggest.

I'm guessing a 10 mm trowel would be suitable for these tiles, which are 43 cm²? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @diyfyi,

Yes, a 10mm notched trowel such as this QEP 10mm Square Notch Handyman Adhesive Trowel would be ideal for that size of tile.

Make sure you apply a smooth coat of tile adhesive to the back of the tile and a notched coat to the ground, then compress the notches when setting the tiles in place. This will create suction between the two masses of tile adhesive and give you the strongest installation possible.

Jacob

[diyfyi]

Thanks Jacob. And thanks again for the great advice!