Many projects encountered by tile installers involve water management where the only requirement is to direct the water to where it belongs. Unfortunately, when water is not managed appropriately, the results are less than stellar and almost always result in failure. This is the case with the installation of tile or natural stone on an exterior roof deck or balcony, which in and of themselves, are problematic.
To be successful, these exterior installations require that all the components be installed per the ANSI Specifications, Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook methods, and manufacturer’s instructions. Although this is not a comprehensive list of job requirements, there are several critical items necessary for success. The Handbook lists four roof deck or balcony methods, but for this discussion, we will focus on method F104, above ground concrete slab which is excerpted here.