Sealing a terrace covered with tiles

When talking to our clients, the question often arises: "how to seal the joints on the terrace?" It turns out that leaking tiles are the nightmare of many terrace owners in Poland. All this is due to humidity, which is strongly felt in the air for much of the year. Unlike tiles, the grout is very absorbent and this is where water gets under the terrace surface. In the long term, the use of epoxy joints does not change the situation; they remain tight for longer than cement joints, but they also degrade eventually.

Collecting water leads to leaks, and at higher temperatures it may also cause the tiles to begin to peel away from the surface under the influence of steam created from the water accumulating under them. In this case, sealing the terrace or balcony is very difficult, because modern resin-based preparations create a uniform surface without joints. Thanks to this, water has no chance to get under the resin coating, but in this particular case there is no way to get out from under it (we are talking about moisture accumulated under the tiles).

Trapping moisture under an impermeable material may result in a similar effect as in the case of the tiles themselves - detachment of the coating or the appearance of bubbles locally.

How to seal a leaking terrace?

A leaking terrace is a very common and troublesome problem for property owners. Improperly placed tiles, cracked and seeping joints - all this can lead to water seeping into the rooms under the terrace, unsightly stains on the walls, and even fungus. of waterproofing agents available on the market , but the use of this type of preparations is most often associated with the problems described above, i.e. bubbles on the surface or loosening of the coating. Therefore, in order to properly seal a leaking terrace, it is recommended to completely remove the tiles and redo the floor.

Renovation of a leaking terrace

To begin renovating a leaking balcony or terrace, start by removing the tiles. After removing them, unevenness may occur in the floor due to the tile adhesive tearing out pieces of concrete. It will be necessary to supplement them, but before doing so, the substrate must be primed. Therefore, in order to perform a vapor barrier on concrete and prime it, it is necessary to use a specially designed primer - such as Neopox® Primer WS . The application of two layers with a total consumption of approximately 0.7 kg/m2 should be sufficient to create a vapor barrier against moisture trapped in wet concrete.

After priming the terrace floor, the next step is to fill in any gaps. For this purpose, it is worth using:

• Epoxol® Putty or Epoxol® Liquid if these are small defects not exceeding a few millimeters.
• Epoxol® Primer SF-P mixed with quartz sand will work well if the concrete defects resulting from the removal of leaking balcony tiles are deep and occur on most floor surfaces.

The key aspect for the aesthetics of the final terrace or balcony coating is the stage of substrate preparation. Any unevenness or defects not repaired at the right time may become visible at the end of the renovation works.

If the concrete substrate is of poor quality and heavily cracked, it is also worth using Gavazzi mesh, which should be glued into the primer using the wet-on-wet method. Thanks to this, the floor will be additionally strengthened and protected against damage and cracks for years.

Waterproofing for a leaking terrace

If the substrate has been properly prepared, i.e. primed with an appropriate product, and the gaps have been filled, there are many solutions with waterproofing properties. The recommended product for waterproofing leaking balconies and terraces is Neoproof® Polyurea R. This flexible polyurea membrane, resistant to a wide range of temperatures, allows you to obtain a tight waterproofing coating that will work even in the most difficult conditions. It is an easy-to-apply product that does not require specialized equipment: after mixing the two components, it is simply applied with a roller on the entire previously prepared substrate.

It is also worth remembering to properly secure critical points, such as connecting the vertical with the horizontal or drip edges. For this purpose, it is necessary to paste the Neotextile® NP , which, like the Gavazzi mesh, is glued using the "wet on wet" method. Waterproofing the terrace in this way will permanently protect it against leaks and the appearance of annoying stains and, consequently, against mold.

Aesthetics of terrace coatings

The terrace is most often used as a place to relax, so the owners want it to be not only properly prepared technically, but also visually. One interesting solution is to choose decorative flakes that will create a decorative surface.

How should decorative flakes be applied? Decorative flakes can be poured on the second, wet layer of Neoproof® Polyurea R in any amount, even up to a full filling. This will gently "lose" any surface irregularities and will also give the terrace coating a unique character. Then, after initial hardening, unbound flakes should be removed by vacuuming or sweeping. However, decorative flakes are not resistant to weather conditions, so it is necessary to protect them, among others. against moisture or UV rays with an appropriate varnish.

The recommended product for this is a one-component, polyurethane varnish, fully resistant to all weather conditions, Floortop 1K . The single-ingredient nature of this product is its great advantage, because there is no need to monitor the proportions of individual ingredients. Just measure the appropriate amount and apply with a roller.

Imitation of marble on the balcony

Like decorative flakes , Troken Stone is not resistant to weather conditions and it is also recommended to protect it with Floortop 1K . Alternatively, you can use Colodur ECO Matt two-component varnish, the final coating of which gives a matte finish, unlike the gloss offered by Floortop 1K .

It should be borne in mind that both Troken Stone and decorative flakes give a unique effect each time, depending on the method of application and cannot be repeated. Additionally, depending on the color of the waterproofing used, as well as the color of the flakes or Troken Stone , you can achieve many different combinations. Thanks to this, we will get a one-of-a-kind and unique look of the terrace or balcony.

Colorful balcony floor

If you want to obtain a specific color on the balcony floor, which is other than white or gray, it is recommended to use a thin-layer UV-resistant polyurethane - Neodur® Special . It is applied directly to the primed balcony with the gaps filled. Neodur® Special , colored according to the RAL palette, makes it possible to obtain a balcony floor color in accordance with the requirements, while providing it with lasting protection for years. The solution can also be used for terrace floors.

Neodur® Specia l is available in a satin and matte finish

Anti-slip terrace floor

When deciding to renovate a terrace, remember that resin-based products create smooth coatings. Therefore, with increased humidity, they can be slippery. Therefore, it is worth considering anti-slip finishing, which will increase the safety of using the balcony or terrace on days with increased humidity, as well as safe movement on them in winter.

Neotex® Antiskid M is used , which is added to the last layer of resin in the appropriate proportion by weight. These milky microspheres gently change the structure of the final coating, thus introducing the appropriate anti-slip class of the floor. Balcony and terrace floors prepared in this way are completely safe to use, even on rainy days!

Increasing the dullness translates into a rough surface structure, which is more likely to accumulate dirt. This makes it necessary to wash it frequently to keep it clean longer.

Floor with colored quartz sand – color and anti-slip in one!

There is a solution that combines all the above proposals, i.e. full waterproofing of the terrace, colorful finish and anti-slip properties. This variant is based on the use of colored aggregate. A wide range of colors of quartz sand is available, which, like decorative flakes , is sprinkled into the second, wet layer of Neoproof® Polyurea R . Full filling of colored aggregate is recommended to obtain a uniform surface.

Similarly to the previous solutions, colored quartz sand can optically eliminate small irregularities if they occurred after inaccurate preparation of the substrate. Additionally, depending on the color of the aggregate used, it is possible to obtain a wide range of colors of the final coating.

Quartz sand, like Troken Stone and decorative flakes, should be sealed with varnish to prevent it from chipping during use. The product intended for this purpose is Kryptanate 100 LV (for Troken Stone ) and Kryptanate 100 Flex (for colored sand). Both of the proposed coatings will allow you to complete the last layer in one day due to the quick hardening time. Kryptanate 100 Flex , on the other hand, can be applied up to 0.5 kg/m2 in one layer, so in some cases the work can be completed by applying only one layer of the product

Sealing leaking tiles on the terrace

A leaking, poorly secured terrace is a problem that many people in Poland face. Surface protection of a tiled floor will bring short-term benefits, but in the long run it may turn out to be a recurring problem.

Therefore, the most frequently recommended solution in the event of leakage is resin for terraces and balconies , which not only guarantee full waterproofing protection, but also offer a number of decorative solutions. Excellent resistance to weather conditions, excellent adhesion, as well as very good mechanical and chemical parameters of resin coatings ensure long-term durability and minimize the need for renovations.