Balcony Waterproofing in Ghana — Stopping Leaks Into the Room Below

A balcony is a horizontal exterior slab, exposed to rain, sun, foot traffic, and thermal cycling — sitting directly above a habitable room. Most Ghanaian balconies have been “waterproofed” with plain ceramic tile, which is not waterproof at all.

Why Balconies Leak

• Tile is not waterproof. Grout is porous.
• No fall to the drain. Standing water sits on the balcony for hours after rain.
• Failed silicone at the wall-to-balcony joint. A 2–5 year sealant on a joint that needs to last the life of the building.
• Missing membrane under the tile. The waterproof layer that should be there was never installed.
• Cracks in the slab. Structural movement over years opens hairlines.

Balcony Waterproofing Done Right

1. Strip the existing tile down to the concrete slab
2. Verify (or install) the fall — 1:100 minimum toward the balcony drain outlet
3. Treat cracks in the exposed concrete slab
4. Prime the substrate with an acrylic-modified polyurethane primer
5. Detail the wall-to-slab junction with butyl tape as a bridging layer
6. Apply two-coat polyurethane membrane over the whole balcony floor, up-turn onto walls to 150 mm minimum
7. Allow full cure (48–72 hours)
8. Tile over the membrane using polymer-modified tile adhesive
9. Silicone at internal corners — not grout

Cost Ranges

BALCONY SIZE	FULL REBUILD COST (INCL. RE-TILING)
Small (4–6 m²)	GHS 4,500 – 8,000
Medium (6–12 m²)	GHS 8,000 – 14,000
Large (12–25 m²)	GHS 14,000 – 28,000
Waterproofing only (no tiling)	~50–60% of above

Book a Balcony Assessment

• Phone: 0555 548 001 or 0241 737 026
• WhatsApp: Send us balcony photos
• Related: Bathroom Waterproofing · Parapet Case Study

Festghana Waterproofing Solution Company Limited provides balcony, terrace, and veranda waterproofing across Ghana. Workmanship warranty on every job.