best way to tile on ashphalt

[chippedtile]

Hi there everyone

i am trying to tile my 9 feet by 4 feet balcony. The balcony is waterproofed by two layers of torch-on felt (smooth one as base and the granular as finish). Below the balcony is the living area. I have created a cross flowing tunnel space between the balcony and the living area. (Hopefully this will prevent condensation and moisture problem in between the two spaces. ). Also the balcony is framed such that it is slanted outward the building to the drain.

My question is....what is the best way to tile this balcony? My thinking is i should create a pre-slope with Mud bed(4 part sand and one part cement with wire mesh in it ) on the balcony. Then apply waterproof paint ( redguard or aquadefence) on the Mud bed. I would also apply waterproof strip fabric where the Mud bed meets the wall. (to prevent crack occurs.) Then i will tile the balcony with modified thinset.

What do you guys think? Thanks

 

[Old Mod]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
Always good to see members from different countries joining.
I changed your thread title to help with the differences in our terminology in the U.K.

Your balcony, as it’s above living quarters, I’m assuming it’s fully supported on all sides from beneath and not of a cantilever type?
I would have two concerns, asphalt (as we call it) is highly deformable and susceptible to moving during temperature changes, I would suppose it would depend where you are in Canada to what temperature fluctuations you experience.
It is not a substrate we would tile to generally speaking as there are different grades here and some are totally unsuitable.
And secondly, is the construction of the balcony sufficiently robust enough to withstand the weight of a mud bed of sufficient thickness as to not crack and breakdown.
Other than that, I think your plan is sound in theory, it’s just executing it well enough to prevent issues further down the line.
I’m not up to speed with all your products, but I believe from what I’ve read ‘Redguard’ isn’t necessarily of the highest quality waterproofing system. (I may be way off with that statement )
Is it of exterior grade, I must say I have only seen it used in interior locations.
Aquadefense on the other hand, (at least in the U.K.) is marketed toward exterior areas of high vibration, making it a good choice for terraces and balconies.

I would check with manufacturers as to their suitability for your project and that they would be stable in your particular climate.

Another product that is designed for waterproofing an outside space with high vibration is Mapei’s Mapelastic I believe, that would be a step up from Aquadefense I’d say.

It would be imperative that the perimeter is totally sealed correctly, so that moisture does not seep below and then freeze at some point, this is when issue could arise.
So if the perimeter is correctly dealt with and the falls to your space are efficient enough to deal with your weather conditions, I would think it’d be suitable, as long as you don’t carry your work out in temperatures of minus 30.
Here we do not carry out works if the temperature falls below 2 degrees Celsius, because of freezing conditions and frost, it can be very harmful.

So that said, there’s always a good chance I have omitted some important information, as I’m not used to dealing with extreme conditions.

Maybe should also make enquiries on John Bridges site, the flooring Elf, or your local NTCA office as well.

Be interesting to know how you progress, I for one would like to know the outcome.

Member Search Results - National Tile Contractors Association - http://www.tile-assn.com/search/search.asp?txt_country=Canada

 

[Simon Dale]

@3_fall has more experience than most ! Have you not thought about stilts ? You could try Gutjahr Water 3E ? My only worry about that, is if it freezes underneath could cause problems, cos its cold there !!

 

[Old Mod]

Not in extreme conditions I don’t Si, unless you’re referring to dealing with awkward bloody contractors who don’t understand the principles of using thin tile. Haha

 

[Old Mod]

Simon is right though. Stilts or pedestals or however you would refer to them, would be a far more trouble free install.

 

[chippedtile]

Hi 3_fall and simon

Thanks for the reply. I live in metro Vancouver. The weather here is considered not that extreme compare to northern part of Canada. (just alot of rains and rains.(i believe it is kind of similar to london? haha) we only have around 40 days of year where the temperature is at or below zero Celsius.

yes, the house is new built and the balcony is fully supported by 2 x 10.(not a cantilever type). I know i shouldn't have done the asphalt waterproofing. should have gone for fiberglass or vinyl. but i was inexperienced.

By Mapei Mapelastic do you mean Mapei Mapelastic HPG or Mapei Mapelastic 315? aquadefence is a good product. =) haven't tried redguard.

yes, i am planning to apply fabric tape and waterproof paint around the parameter. then i would tile and grout as much as i can around the parameter wall.

i did contact an tile association similar to NTCA. but they told me to just follow what it is there in their books and handout. =| I guess i will give NTCA a try.

i will keep you guys updated with pictures after this small installation. Hopefully it will be helpful for someone else in the future.

Question: Do you recommend me to use natural stone pebble as the tile for the balcony?

Thanks

 

[chippedtile]

Hi Simon.
Thanks for you suggestion. I believe the stilts system would still have water drip below to the asphalt when water is over it?

The Gutjahr Water 3E looks something similar to Schluter Troba
Schluter®-TROBA | Drainage (TROBA) | Membranes | schluter.com - https://www.schluter.com/schluter-us/en_US/Membranes/Drainage-(TROBA)/Schluter%C2%AE-TROBA/p/TROBA

Thanks your suggestion anyway

 

[Old Mod]

This is the product I was referring to.

http://www.mapei.com/public/COM/products/2013-mapelasticsmart-gb.pdf

 

[One Day]

I seem to remember that Schluter would warrant use of plain old ditra drain for use in North America? I wanted to use it here on a similar balcony but they said our weather is too extreme!