The elevated status of the terrace as an extended living room under the open sky is impressively taken into account by a natural covering. Cold concrete or stone tiles do not achieve nearly the same effect as wood with its warm, elemental appearance. Depending on factors such as the available budget, the time frame and the extent of personal, manual skills, gardening enthusiasts can choose between a terrace made of wooden floorboards or a top made of wooden tiles.
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Lay terrace tiles made of WPC and wood correctly
WPC stands for Wood-Plastic-Composites, in German: wood-plastic composite materials. Depending on the quality, wood fibers are combined with a thermoplastic binder and various color pigments. The advantages lie in the following aspects in particular:
- pleasantly easy to care for;
- extremely weather resistant;
- no chipping, therefore also called barefoot tile;
- high slip resistance;
- Painting is not required;
- completely recyclable.
Wooden tiles for the terrace are significantly cheaper than WPC tiles – depending on the type of wood selected. In return, a regular coat of paint in conjunction with wood protection is essential so that the material does not rot and gray. If this annual conservation measure is neglected, cracks form and wood fibers stick out, which makes walking barefoot impossible. The laying of WPC and wood tiles on the terrace is done in the same way.
First and foremost, tiles of this type are easy to lay, even for DIY enthusiasts who are inexperienced in their craft, because they are attached to a weather-resistant carrier matrix. Comparable to the well-known click laminate, the WPC or wooden terrace tiles are connected or put together, which fortunately means that they do not have to be fixed to the sub-floor. Nevertheless, the quality of the subsurface plays a crucial role if the project is to succeed. The following instructions are based on the premise that there is no solid floor yet, such as concrete or screed. In this case, steps 1 and 2 can of course be omitted.
The material and tool list:
- fine-grained split
- Terrace tiles
- Weed control
- Expansion joint profile tape
- Spirit level
- shovel
- Hammer
- Bat
- possibly a jigsaw
- Pegs and string
- Leveling bar
First step: The excavation
After the terrace area has been measured and staked with the wooden pegs, the taut cords provide orientation during the excavation. The floor is excavated about 3 cm deeper than the tiles are high. A slight slope towards the garden prevents rainwater from collecting under the terrace tiles later.
Second step: the
gravel bed A thin layer of gravel is distributed in the excavated hollow and smoothed with the help of the leveling batten. This gravel bed is then covered with weed fleece so that no undesired growth can later push through the surface.
Third step: lay terrace tiles
If the aim is to achieve the most symmetrical laying pattern possible, the starting point is always in the middle of the area. A string each stretched horizontally and vertically through the center point offers additional orientation to the strings that mark the sides of the surface. The first terrace tile is laid exactly in the middle, from where further tiles connect vertically and horizontally on the quarter sides, so that at the end a large cross is created. Then the side edges of the terrace area are laid in each case. This ensures symmetry and the remaining four empty areas can be covered with tiles. Alternatively, four more tiles are laid around the tile in the middle, moving in this way towards the side edges. Depending on the connection system chosen, the do-it-yourselfer clicks the terrace tiles into one another or puts them together. The tiles are connected as tightly as possible with a hammer or hammer.
Fourth step: Expansion joint profile tape
As a rule, the terrace borders on a house wall. A foam expansion joint profile tape is attached there before the last row of tiles is laid. At this point it takes on the same function as silicone in conventional tile laying; In contrast, it has the advantage that the terrace tiles can be removed for a certain period of time without any problems, for example during winter.
Step five: create a decorative finish
If the terrace borders on a house wall, the creativity of the garden enthusiast is required when designing the remaining three sides of the area. For extremely elegant edges, specialist retailers offer end profiles that slope down to the floor, including the rounded corner pieces. This not only conveys an aesthetic appearance, but also reliably prevents the terrace sides from mutating into stumbling blocks. The connection with the tiles is also made using the click or plug-in system. An interesting alternative is the use of decorative gravel for the transition from the terrace to the garden area, the color of which is matched to the tiles. If you want to protect yourself from prying eyes at your new outdoor seating area, you can plant a privacy hedge right next to the edge of the terrace.
Should it be necessary to shorten one or the other terrace tile, this work is easy with the help of a jigsaw. Incidentally, WPC and wood tiles are also suitable as a floor for the balcony and transform it into a small idyll within a short period of time.
Creative laying patterns
Laying square terrace tiles in a classic cross connection – that is, nicely in a row and one behind the other – may look extremely accurate and tidy; But there is still a touch more imaginative. In the following, some other laying patterns are presented as inspiration for the individual design of the terrace with WPC or wood tiles:
- Checkerboard – With this simple variant, square wooden tiles are laid offset from one another so that no continuous lines are created. Even more variety comes into play when different colored WPC and wooden tiles are used.
- Wilder Verband – If the desired terrace tile is available in different sizes, this gives the imaginative do-it-yourselfer the opportunity to mix them within the tile rows. The laying pattern then resembles a large puzzle and is reminiscent of the Roman stone tile association.
- Diagonal laying – This variant works in principle like the cross bracing, but runs diagonally. The appearance is loosened up and does not seem so strict. However, this pattern causes a noticeable extra effort due to the sloping cut edges on the house wall and the edges.
- Lay in 1/4 or 1/2 bond – since WPC and wood tiles are also available in the rectangular format 30 cm x 60 cm, the result is a relaxed installation pattern if they are arranged in a cross bond but offset from one another. The adjacent tiles are laid out halfway or a quarter of the length.
When deciding on the laying pattern, it should generally be borne in mind that every modification – apart from the cross bracing – involves additional planning and calculation work as well as additional work due to precise cutting of the WPC and wooden tiles.
Exciting staging in the garden: the wood-stone terrace
Since terrace tiles made of WPC or wood are so flexible and uncomplicated to lay, they are ideal for fascinating combinations with natural stone slabs such as granite. A breathtaking look is created, for example, when a square or rectangular terrace area in the middle consists of natural stone in the form of slabs or decorative gravel, which is bordered by WPC or wooden tiles. If you are not afraid of the slightly higher workload, proceed as follows:
The material and tool list:
- Terrace tiles
- Finishing profiles
- Natural stone slabs or decorative gravel
- Grout
- Installation chippings
- Weed control
- Expansion joint profile tape
- Quartz sand
- Wooden pegs and string
- Spirit level
- shovel
- possibly vibrating plate
- broom
Once all the utensils are ready, work can begin:
First step:
The entire terrace area is measured and staked with the wooden pegs that are connected by the cords.
Second step:
With the help of the shovel, the area is excavated 5 cm deeper than the height of the natural stone slabs. These are usually higher than the WPC or wood tiles, so that the installation area provided for them is piled up a little in a later work step so that a continuous surface is created. A small slope of 2% away from the house will prevent rainwater from pooling below the patio. If you take the time to spread the weed film, you will not have to deal with unwanted greenery that grows through the terrace surface.
Third step:
The entire area is filled with laying gravel. If a vibrating plate is available, this gravel layer is compacted.
Fourth step:
The intended field for the natural stones in the center is measured and also marked with wooden pegs and cords. With the help of the cross joint, the natural stone slabs are laid in here and swept in with the quartz sand. Alternatively, the busy gardening enthusiast distributes the ornamental gravel, which is also given more stability by quartz sand in the joints.
Fifth step:
Depending on the height of the WPC or wood tiles, the remaining area is filled with gravel so that it ends flush with the natural stones.
Sixth step:
In order to achieve the most even laying pattern possible, the experienced do-it-yourselfer starts laying the terrace tiles around the stone center. Then he continues working towards the house wall and the sides.
Seventh step:
Before the last row of tiles is laid on the house wall at a distance of at least 10 cm, the expansion joint profile tape should be attached.
Eighth step:
The finale is formed by the end profiles that match the terrace tiles, which are simply attached to the three free sides.
Following these instructions, it shouldn’t be difficult to design other unique variants of a wood-stone terrace. The arrangement of the stone surface does not necessarily have to be limited to the heart of the terrace. It would be conceivable, for example, to leave out a tile within the covering from time to time and to fill this area with decorative gravel. Thanks to the easy-to-use click system, nobody is faced with insurmountable hurdles when laying the terrace tiles.
Incidentally, a particularly romantic ambience is created on the terrace if LED lights are integrated in some WPC or wooden tiles. Tiles with built-in lights are available from specialist retailers. In this case, the supply and discharge lines are of course laid in front of the tiles. Terrace tiles with built-in solar cells to supply the lamps with energy are one step more environmentally conscious. The advantage of this variant is not only in the electricity savings; In this case, the supply and discharge lines can also be dispensed with.
Conclusion
Wooden terraces are becoming increasingly popular, especially since the innovative terrace tiles with the click and plug system were developed. The individual tiles are connected to one another as easy as pie, like a puzzle. Since they do not need to be attached to the subsurface, they can be dismantled just as quickly. Thanks to their flexibility, gardening enthusiasts are free to choose from an almost infinite variety of laying patterns. With the help of these instructions, the ‘wooden terrace’ project is within reach even for the unskilled amateur gardener.
