Dream terrace
In summer the terrace becomes the room you spend most time in. You don't need a big footprint. You need a floor that won't sink, shade between noon and four, and a light for the long evenings. It's a long-weekend job, as long as you don't rush the base layer.
What you'll need
- Timber decking tiles or outdoor porcelain slabs
- Sand and gravel for the base layer
- Level and straightedge (Profi MAAN, in several lengths)
- Linseed oil or exterior wood stain
- Outdoor furniture
- Outdoor string lights or solar lamps
Step by step
- 1
Set out the string lines
Mark the area with string and pegs. Leave a slight fall away from the house, around 1–2%, so rainwater drains by itself. Skip that and you'll get puddles against the wall every downpour.
- 2
Dig and compact
Dig 10–15 cm and tamp the soil down properly, then gravel and a layer of sand on top. Level with the straightedge. This is where you decide whether the terrace stays flat, so don't skip the compacting.
- 3
Lay the tiles
Work from the house outwards. Leave 3–5 mm joints, because timber moves in summer. Use the level often, not just at the end.
- 4
Protect the timber
Two coats of linseed oil or stain, each fully dry before the next. Repeat once a year in spring. Miss two years running and it shows.
- 5
Shade, light, furniture
A parasol or shade sail for the midday hours. Lights around the edge, and the furniture gathered round a low table. That's how people actually sit, not in rows against the wall.
Useful tips
- If the terrace is uncovered, buy non-slip tiles. Wet timber is nasty underfoot.
- Outdoor fabrics last longer if you shut them in a sealed box over winter.
