How to choose the right tiles for balconies and loggias: material, style, color solutions, installation options.

Features of tiling

Some basic tips:

• When choosing tile products, you should take into account the size of the internal balcony space. For example, if the loggia is small in size and has glazing in the form of massive double-glazed windows, the finishing material should have a minimum weight and small shapes to avoid additional load.
• On narrow and long loggias, it is not advisable to use tiles that are too large; small or medium-sized tiles will look much more appropriate here.
• For dark balconies located on the north side with limited natural light, it is better to use finishing in lighter shades.
• When arranging a loggia that is an extension of an adjacent room, it is recommended to choose finishing in a single style or harmoniously combined with the overall design of the room.

Taking into account all the design and architectural nuances of the balcony space, it is possible to achieve a competent approach to finishing and the embodiment of all decorative ideas into reality.

Look at examples of finishing a balcony in a Khrushchev-era building.

Pros and cons

Advantages and disadvantages of tile finishing.

What type of tile to choose for interior finishing of the balcony?

The following varieties are used for interior cladding:

• Porcelain stoneware. It is very strong, durable, able to withstand heavy loads and has an anti-slip effect.
• Tile (ceramic). Contains clay, sand and water. Has a huge variety of colors and patterns.
• Quartz vinyl. It is based on quartz vinyl sand and PVC components. These products can have an additional protective and decorative polyurethane film, which can significantly improve the mechanical properties of the finish.
• Gypsum. It is a unique material that is made of environmentally friendly gypsum and cement that does not contain harmful additives.
• Wooden. It is a very high-quality and reliable cladding, with the help of which it is possible to create a truly beautiful design.
• Clinker. Has properties that are in no way inferior to porcelain stoneware. Clinker tiles are not afraid of temperature changes, high humidity and can differ in a variety of shapes.

The photo shows brown porcelain tiles on the floor in the interior of the balcony.

Ceramics are most often preferred for decorating balconies, as it has a huge number of advantages, such as exclusive design, aesthetic appearance and versatility, and also becomes an excellent finishing coating for heated floors.

Arrangement of tiles on the loggia

Options for placing tile trim.

On the floor

Facing the floor with tiles is the best solution for any type of balcony, since this coating has high strength characteristics.

The photo shows the floor on the loggia, tiled with multi-colored square tiles.

On the walls

Thanks to the huge color range, it is possible to apply various design experiments and create a beautiful and at the same time universal and functional design of the loggia.

Threshold

This area can be decorated in the same style as the floor, using leftover materials or using finishes with different colors and textures or mosaics. The main thing is that it is not desirable for the surfaces to be glossy, as they are quite slippery.

Window sill

A tiled window sill is particularly aesthetic and functional and fits harmoniously into any interior design solutions for a balcony.

On photo of a balcony window sill with black clinker tile trim.

Slopes

The slope trim is not only decorative, but also practical. Often there are door or window slopes decorated with mosaic, small Mettlach tiles, ceramics, products with imitation of artificial stone and other designs.

Color scheme of the balcony

Due to the competently selected shade, which should be used taking into account the comfortable stay in the room, it is possible not only to create a beautiful design, but also to radically change the geometry of the space.

For example, white color gives the environment lightness and significantly increases the area of the loggia, aristocratic gray shades can simultaneously look modest, refined, elegant and very original, the brown range is distinguished by its special naturalness, and green and yellow tones undoubtedly bring extraordinary freshness, naturalness and brightness to the atmosphere.

The photo shows a panoramic closed balcony with a floor decorated with gray tiles.

For small balconies, light colors are a traditional solution, allowing you to visually expand the space and their pastel shades.

The photo shows partial finishing of the walls and parapet with brown brick tiles on the loggia.

Tile layout options

There is also a fairly large selection of types of laying, with the help of which it is possible to create an even more non-standard interior on the loggia and solve some spatial deficiencies.

For example, diagonal layout allows you to visually expand the balcony, this solution is considered quite labor-intensive and, due to trimming, requires additional consumption of tiles. The staggered option is laid with an offset like brickwork, it can have a horizontal, vertical and even diagonal arrangement.

The photo shows rectangular wall and floor tiles with a staggered layout in the interior of the balcony.

To lay tiles in a checkerboard pattern, mainly choose products of two colors, this option is the most classic. The kaleidoscope layout is a coating of different shades and textures that create a single composition on the surface in the form of a pattern or panel.

Balcony design

Thanks to a variety of design solutions, you get a truly unusual and aesthetically beautiful design of the loggia.

The photo shows a spacious loggia with a floor and walls covered with wood-like tiles.

Stone-like finishing looks very impressive and adds a special piquancy to the atmosphere; brick-like cladding can give the interior a certain carelessness and at the same time picturesqueness. Porcelain stoneware or ceramics imitating wood, are distinguished not only by their exquisite appearance and realistic imitation of natural wood texture, but are also very simple and easy to care for.

The photo shows floor tiles imitating white marble in the interior of a modern balcony.

Tile covering under the laminate or parquet, most often has a rectangular shape, which makes it possible to create the most similar to these coverings design, products in the patchwork style, outwardly similar to a motley patchwork multi-colored blanket, with the help of such a design it is possible to fill the space with a riot of colors and endow it with positive energy. Using mosaics, you can add a stylish twist to the interior of your loggia and give it an expensive look.

The photo shows a small glazed balcony with patchwork floor tiles.

Examples for different shapes and types of balconies

When lining a specific balcony space, all its features should be taken into account.

Open

For an open balcony, frost-resistant, moisture-resistant and weather-resistant tile finishes are suitable, which were laid using special glue and grout with a resistance to to temperature changes. The surface of the floor covering should be rough or textured to avoid slipping and injury.

The photo shows an open balcony with brown rectangular tiles on the floor.

Closed

Any type of tile can be used for cladding a closed loggia, which provides unlimited design possibilities, especially if the room is insulated.

Semicircle

A large loggia or a small French semicircle balcony have a beautiful appearance not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Despite the fact that such an unusual shape and curved parapet may have some difficulties in finishing, with a competent approach to the design of such a semicircular space, it is possible to create a unique design. For example, for floor cladding, you can choose tiles of both a standard square or rectangular shape, or use diamond-shaped, hexagonal, trapezoidal or round products.