I’ve been busy enjoying my new balcony deck for the past two weeks. I’m so happy with it that I couldn’t resist sharing it with you all. Here is the story:
When we bought our house, the balcony deck was in a terrible shape. You can see it in the “before picture”. BTW, that’s my son when he was a year old, I couldn’t find a picture with out him in it 
The vinyl floor was stained with a rusty color and most of the original color had faded. The wood railings were mostly rotten too. For the safety of my son, we changed the railing couple of months after moving in. Here is the picture with the new railing, my then 2.5 year old son and 11 months old daughter included
We painted the balcony deck year after year. The picture above is the painted floor.
This spring my husband found a great do-it-yourself flooring product from IKEA store called Platta. I’ve asked my husband Kash to write an FAQ type instruction on it.
first an “after picture” of my beautiful deck and then the article
Article by my husband Kash
What is a Platta decking tile?
It is a modular wood decking tile that is designed to be used outdoor on a balcony, a patio deck or any outside floor that needs to be beautified.
It is made from the beautiful plantation-grown Acacia hardwood. Its hardness and the natural oils present in the wood make Acacia Hardwood products extremely resistant to fungi, termites, rot and decay.
The base is made from PVC plastic and permit water to flow through, while it also elevates the wood for drying airflow. Of course it is used for connecting the tiles together using the connection points on the tile edges.
Where not to use Platta decking tiles?
It is not recommended to use Platta decking tiles on grass lawn or non-flat surfaces. Some people also use them on kitchen and bathroom floors but I wouldn’t recommend it as you dont want to be constantly removing the tiles to clean the subfloor.
How much does it cost?
IKEA Platta decking has another thing going for it, the PRICE. Compared to other alternative decking solutions, it is relatively cheap and wont ruin your budget. We bought ours at approximately $9/sf at the IKEA store Richmond, BC Canada. But it can be bought as cheap as $4/sf as the price fluctuates depending on the stores inventory.
Can I install it myself? And if so, how long will it take me?
The Platta decking tiles are so easy to install that even my 5 year old son was able to do it. To connect two tiles together, position the connection points along the entire edges, apply downward pressure on the connection points until all of the connection points are snapped together. This is a all done without using nails, glue, or a hammer. This is definitely a do-it-yourself job designed for the average homeowner. You can build your deck within a matter of hours.
How to I install Platta decking tiles around railing posts?
If you decide to fit the decking tiles around such obstacles as railing posts, you will require tools other than your hands. First layout and connect tiles anywhere where you don’t have to do any trimming (i.e. railing posts etc.). Once you have laid out all your whole tiles, for each tile that needs to be cut and trimmed, use a measuring tape to determine the dimensions. Next use either a hand saw or a power jigsaw to do the cutting. I bought my power jigsaw from a Canadian Tire store at a low price of $28. I figured it’s a handy tool to have around the house. It will take some practice to do the trimming perfect so expect to lose a couple of tiles in the process. Always remember to measure twice and cut once.
How do I Maintain the Platta decking tiles?
It is recommended to oil the tile every 6 months. If you live in a city like Vancouver where it rains virtually everyday, it’s not a bad idea to remove and store the tiles in the storage during fall and winter months. For everyday cleaning, you can wash down the tiles using your garden hose and/or a light scrub mop.
When you buy the tiles, make sure you buy some extra tiles that can be used as spare parts just in case you lose some tile due to wear and tear.
Notes of caution:
Acacia hardwood contains a tannic acid naturally which, after a time, can leak out and discolor the sub-floor. ever lay wooden decking on a surface where it would matter if this happened.”
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Hello – thanks for the review – I’m looking at putting these over a not-so-attractive cement pad behind my garage – do you think it would work over cement?
for sure, a cement pad is a perfect surface for Platta decking tiles. Just make sure the surface is reasonably flat.
good luck
Kash
Do you have any left over tiles? If so, I’d like to buy a few of them off you! Please email me if you have some.
I was halfway done my patio and ran out, but Ikea is not stocking them until next summer!! Sigh…!
Thanks in advance!
Amy
Hi
I found this page through a comment you left on an apartmenttherapy thread. I live in Victoria and I would love to use wood tiles on my balcony. How did yours hold up over the winter? I’m worried of warping because our winters here are so wet. Any feedback you can give me would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Nicola
Hi Nicola,
I did use waterproof sealant on my Plata tiles just before the end of summer and I thought I should be good to go. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that no matter how much waterproofing you do, the rain on the we*t coast is too much for any but the hardiest of decks. I ended up packing up the tiles for storage in December but the damage was already done. It wasn’t that bad though, perhaps I will have to replace 8-10 strips when I put them back on and of course I will need to sand and seal roughly about a third of the tiles again. the moral of the story, pack them away during fall,winter and spring.
Hi Anahita!
This item is featured again this spring at Ikea where I live in Utah. I only worry that if I put it down on a exposed cement pad in my backyard, that when winter comes next October, it will be a *$&@# to shovel or even walk on. The 11×14 sq ft. cement pad in my backyard is what I walk across to get to my car everyday (I have a ranch style midcentry condo). Since you’re up in BC, perhaps you could tell me if you’ve had any experience with this decking in the winter. Did you ever use it after it snowed? Or did ya’ll just use it seasonly? Thank you in advance!!!!
Thank you so much!!!!
Hey Cassidy,
If you decide to go with the Platta tiles, my recommendation would to be to pack it up and put it in storage for the winter. the beauty of Platta decking is that it so fast to lay them out and vise versa. Here in Vancouver as you might know we have lot more rain than snow and so I’ve decided to layout the tiles only during summer. In Utah you can you can probably get more mileage. BTW, there’s a new modular tiling that I’ve seen at stored this year (not Ika) that is made of composite material and is totally weather proof but it’s about twice the price of Platta unfortunately but it does look awesome.
If you don’t mind me asking. Approximately how much did you need to spend to cover your entire patio?
Hi, thanks for the great article! I wonder if you could describe the PVC edges and base of the tile in more detail – a closeup photo of this aspect of the tile would be a nice addition. How high is the tile raised by the base, and is this thickness included in the 1″ mentioned by Ikea as the tile’s height? Did you have to cut any of the tiles to fit your space (or is it a neat multiple of the tile dimension)?
Thanks again for taking the time to write such a helpful article and congratulations on your amazing-looking balcony.
Hello,
I am very interresting by this subjet.
I would like to go with the Platta tiles for my balcony.
But I have any interrogation about your trimming (i.e. railing posts). Can you send me sany picture about this. I would like view if the result is clean.
Sorry if my english is a little bad, I from France.
Thank you for your futur anwers.
Bruno