A drab concrete balcony is often the last area to be considered in any apartment makeover. Maybe it’s just too small to justify a team of tradespersons tramping through the apartment day after day to lay ceramic or terracotta tiles, grout them and then polish them. Maybe you live in a rental property and don’t want to spend money on something you can’t take with you.

But what if you want to brighten up that valuable exterior space without spending a fortune or employing tradespersons?

Whatever materials you choose, they must be sufficiently heavy or securely fixed in place so they won’t blow away in strong winds. Also you need to check with the building owner or letting agent to ensure there are no special restrictions on what can be placed on your balcony. If laying down tiles, you also need to ensure that any drainage holes or channels on the balcony will not become blocked.

If your balcony is narrow and not normally used for entertaining or relaxing, one surfacing option is to simply place large porcelain pavers or stone tiles on the surface and just butt them together without any adhesives or grout. You could also leave out the odd tile and fill the space with some large polished stones for a more interesting arrangement.

If it’s a concrete balcony, then maybe you could either stain or paint the concrete with commercially available products. Some surface coating products can also give a textured finish for more interest although the downside is that they can collect more dust and dirt than a smooth surface. But perhaps one the simplest but effective solutions is to cover the balcony with interlocking deck tiles. These tiles can be laid directly on top of the existing balcony surface with no additional preparation required. The tiles are manufactured with inbuilt connecting tabs on all sides so you just snap them together…. no nails, no screws or adhesives required. And once they are clicked together, they remain firmly and securely in place,