Large concrete balcony - which leaks!

[uxia]

Please help! I have a stone cottage with a large concrete balcony on the end facing the worst wet weather. It was probably finished 40 years ago and the surface, while free from cracks, is clearly pretty porous as it leaks through to the bottom of the slab (about 8 inches thick) to the patio below. There is also a storage room under the patio the ceiling of which gets very wet when it's raining.

What is the best thing to do? Should we add a new layer of concrete to the top patio, and is there a way of sealing this? Is it possible to get a shiny finish that will repel the water? I have seen coloured cement paths in Australia that look really good and do not look porous.

Or should we tile the top patio, and if so, will tiles effectively seal the patio and therefore repel water? What about the gaps in between? I wouldn't have thought the weight was a problem as there is a large supporting pillar underneath one end and stairs at the other.

Or is there another solution? Rubber paint? Decking?

Any help would be much appreciated with details of products to use.

Thanks, Janey

[phil mooney]

hi Janey, i would strongly recommend the application of a fibreglass lining to solve your problem. i can do this work for you, cheers, Phil.

[TheDoctor4]

For up to 5 FREE quotes from trusted, vetted and insured tradesmen in your area visit the DIY Doctor Find a Tradesman page: http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/find_tradesmen/