ᐅ Laying large stones like tiles?

An old concrete balcony, previously covered with mosaic tiles, is going to get a new surface.
I won’t go into the reasons here in detail... but I need a step of 2 to 3 cm (1 to 1.2 inches) at the outer edge of the balcony.

For this, I want to lay granite slabs like tiles, meaning they will be glued down and have sealed joints. The stones from the hardware store are granite slabs, 30 by 30 centimeters (12 by 12 inches) in size and 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) thick. There is plenty of space for this (the balcony door is about 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) higher).

I can’t recall seeing something like this before, but I also don’t see what could be against it.

Does anyone have any "pro" or "contra" reasons regarding this?

The photo was taken for a different purpose, but this is what the balcony looks like:
I always think: pictures bring the forum to life.

By "tight joints," waterproof joints are apparently meant. This is where the critical point lies. Over time, the joints in exterior areas will eventually become porous depending on the weather conditions (frost/heat) and allow water to seep into the concrete below. It can last a long time but does not have to. Then, renovation becomes difficult. For this reason, balconies are no longer tiled today. Great view!

BobRoss schrieb:

Depending on the weather (frost/heat), it will eventually become leaky

That makes sense. The balcony was tiled around 1970, as it is currently. It seems to have only become leaky where rusting steel was underneath the tiles. The balcony faces south in northern Hesse, without any shading, so it receives quite a lot of sunlight.

One of the guiding principles in my renovation plans is: durability over aesthetics.

Yes, the view was one of the reasons for buying this particular house. Although the garden is only practical to a limited extent due to the hillside location with panoramic views, and you quickly get used to the view and barely notice it anymore.

Behind the horizon, you can see the Hohen Meissner—the highest mountain in the area.

ateliersiegel schrieb:


I don’t want to discuss the reasons in detail here... I need a step of 2 to 3 cm (about 1 inch) at the outer edge of the balcony.

Is the step supposed to replace a gutter?

A grating should be able to be placed on the step because a second balcony will be added next to the currently existing balcony area. Rainwater will run off between the two. However, as mentioned, this is not the topic here.