Almondia – Bautipps Die Bauherrenberatung

Terraces

The terrace is like an outdoor living room. How this can be designed according to their wishes, builders will learn in the following article.

the essentials in brief
First, builders should be clear about the desired orientation and size of the terrace.
Polyrattan is in vogue and is often used for patio furniture or privacy screens.
A terrace roof protects from the sun in summer and from snow and rain in winter.

Terrace orientation

Before building owners get down to the concrete terrace design, they should visualize what they mainly want to use the terrace for. It can make a big difference to the orientation of the patio whether you want to mainly sunbathe here, have a barbecue at lunchtime or sit around in larger groups in the evening.

Also important for proper planning of the terrace is the size. Depending on whether a barbecue or a particularly large table on the terrace is planned, enough space should be thought of. Basically, calculate at least one meter between chairs and the edge of the terrace and a minimum size of 3x3m.

If builders want a lot of sun on the terrace, an orientation towards the south is optimal. While south-facing patios get the most sunlight throughout the day, homeowners with a west-facing patio enjoy warm light in the evening.

In the east, the sun rises in the morning. So if you want to use the terrace mainly for breakfast, you might think about aligning it accordingly.

But, of course, when aligning the terrace should not forget about the view. A beautiful landscape would be preferred by most builders to the neighboring house and, accordingly, in some circumstances, to give up the optimal solar radiation.

Privacy, wind and sun protection

Especially those who like to sunbathe on the terrace, attaches great importance to privacy. Options can be an opaque hedge or privacy wall. The combination of both elements is also often used, for example, by placing a privacy screen directly on the terrace and surrounding the rest of the garden with tall growing plants. As a material for the screen or even windbreak, the most suitable natural materials are wood or bamboo. To protect them from sunlight and rain, appropriate screens should be painted once a year with a glaze. Even without glaze is resistant to weathering polyrattan. “Polyrattan” is a made-up word that combines the material, polyethylene plastic, with the well-known weaving technique for rattan furniture.

In order not to be at the mercy of direct sunlight in the summer, many builders want a sunshade for their terrace. Of course, the cheapest and most flexible option is a simple parasol. It can be placed anywhere and is quickly reassembled and placed in the basement or garage. Other attractive options include an awning, sun sail or patio cover. Sun sails are made of wind- and water-repellent synthetic fibers and, if produced according to UV Standard 801, filter harmful sun rays. However, it can be quite a bit of a hassle for homeowners to set up and take down the awning in the spring and fall, or during a particularly severe thunderstorm in the summer. In addition, once it is built, it can not be changed so quickly, and thus protect the terrace from the sun once more and once less, depending on your needs. For example, if you do not want to sit in the shade in the evening, but want to cover a larger area at noon, an awning is the right choice. This can be easily extended and retracted at any time. It also saves homeowners from having to set up and tear down in the fall and spring. The most labor-intensive and costly during construction, but after that the most practical solution is a terrace roof. The racks, made of aluminum, steel or wood, are covered with plastic or glass. With an awning stretched under the glass or plastic roof, you are protected from UV rays and heat in the summer and can use the terrace in autumn and winter.

Flooring

When it comes to flooring, wood and natural stones provide a natural look to the terrace. Wooden floorboards have the added advantage that they do not heat up so quickly in the summer. Another, particularly low-maintenance alternative can be decking boards made of WPC. WPC decking boards are made of a mixture of wood chips and plastic and are technically manufactured. This results in a wide range of colors and profiling, which can be finer or coarser as desired. Nevertheless, you can see the difference between WPC and real wooden floorboards, and the high percentage of plastic has disadvantages for the environment. Lower quality WPC decking boards are also susceptible to rain, UV rays and temperature fluctuations.

Especially weather-resistant and therefore durable are stones and tiles. In the case of tiles, builders are best to choose a non-slip variant, otherwise it can be dangerous in winter or rain.

Builders might also consider revisiting a shade already used in the design of the living room when selecting patio slabs. This has the nice effect of making the terrace look like an extension of the interior when the doors are open in the summer.

Patio furniture

When choosing patio furniture future homeowners can give free rein to their creativity. But between the classic garden furniture made of wood, modern polyrattan and cheaper variants made of aluminum, the decision is not always easy.

Patio furniture from polyrattan

Chairs and tables made of wood fit almost any terrace and perfectly fit into the garden as a natural material. For those who prefer to avoid tropical woods such as teak or mahogany, furniture made of larch or oak is also a good choice. Since wood is sensitive to temperature changes and humidity, the top layer should be sanded every two to three years, and then paint the furniture with protective varnish.

Easier to care for and usually cheaper is patio furniture made of aluminum. In addition, the material is particularly lightweight, which can be a great advantage if you want to move chairs and table frequently. The only drawback: some people are bothered by the rather cool aesthetics of aluminum furniture.

An alternative can be patio furniture made of polyrattan. In addition to the natural look of wood, furniture made of polyrattan impresses with its weather resistance combined with stability and a low weight.

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