How thick should a concrete balcony be?

by Sean
(Texas)

Q. How thick should concrete be when used for a home balcony? I'm worried that the weight will be too much for the supporting 6" posts and 2x12 beams.

A. I am not qualified to answer your question. You should have an engineer inspect your building design to give you an accurate answer about the amount of weight the balcony will support.

I will tell you that concrete weighs about 17 pounds per square foot at 1.5 inches thick and 25 pounds per square foot at 2 inches thick.

If you used a lightweight concrete, which is double the price of regular concrete, it would be about 2 - 3 pounds per square foot lighter than regular 3/8 pea-stone concrete.

We pour regular 3/8 pea-stone concrete in homes all the time. We usually pour it 1.5 inches thick. Most of the time radiant heat is involved.

These homes are designed for this application before we show up. Contact an engineer and have him or her take a look at your balcony design before you pour. It will be worth it.

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