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Wood Plank Balcony Overlay
Posted on 5/28/25 at 1:41 pm
Posted on 5/28/25 at 1:41 pm
My second floor rental unit has a balcony and the floor is made from 2x4s that now have sizable gaps between them.
I own the building. I'd like to overlay what's there to create a solid surface that wood provide more privacy between this unit and the one below.
And with a product that would be more fire resistant.
I'm thinking of installing some 1/4" cement board over the existing and then laying down tile. It's a little bit of work but I could do it myself.
Would love to hear of other ideas.
Thanks
I own the building. I'd like to overlay what's there to create a solid surface that wood provide more privacy between this unit and the one below.
And with a product that would be more fire resistant.
I'm thinking of installing some 1/4" cement board over the existing and then laying down tile. It's a little bit of work but I could do it myself.
Would love to hear of other ideas.
Thanks
6
Posted on 5/28/25 at 2:16 pm to JoieDeVivre
You just have to worry about drainage. A condo my parents used to have had a solid floor on the balcony, but it was sloped away from the door so that rain wouldn't blow in and collect there, making it slippery. It was also a textured concrete finish. I would think tile would create a slipping hazard.
Posted on 5/28/25 at 3:00 pm to JoieDeVivre
quote:
installing some 1/4" cement board over the existing and then laying down tile
Will not work. You cannot set tile over dimensional lumber.
You could put a sheet of 1/2” BC plywood then a product like Ditra (waterproof but not advertised as such) then tile.
Or plywood, thin set, 1/4” cement board, Redguard, thin set, and finally tile.
This is all depending on if the floor deflection qualifies it for tile.
Posted on 5/28/25 at 10:35 pm to JoieDeVivre
You also need to consider the weight of the floor. Can the structure take that additional load.
Posted on 5/30/25 at 11:08 am to JoieDeVivre
If you’re talking about something like hardy board, I don’t think that would work at all because it has no load-bearing capabilities. Personally, I would just overlay the existing with something like 1X6 deck lumber. Deck lumber is pressure treated for above-ground use and it is finished so it doesn’t produce a lot of splinters, etc. there would be no cracks because of the additional width of the new boards.
You could even stain it if you wanted to.
You could even stain it if you wanted to.
This post was edited on 5/30/25 at 11:09 am
Posted on 5/31/25 at 9:53 pm to JoieDeVivre
Pics would help. I also think you need to consider how the edging is going to look if you do use cement board then tile. In most cases, as I’m sure you’re aware, these applications terminate into a wall or threshold situation. This might look like shite.
Posted on 6/1/25 at 11:18 am to JoieDeVivre
I would replace the PT decking with a synthetic product that doesn’t shrink and has minimal thermal expansion . Then gap the boards at the minimum specified distance (preferably 1/16” to 1/32”). Overlaying multiple layers will create problems with out swinging doors and waterproofing.
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