Creating a gravel terrace: substructure + advantages and disadvantages

substructure

• the excavation of the upper layers of the earth
• the solidification of the earth
• if necessary, introduction of a frame
• Filling in crushed stone and gravel
• Filling with concrete
• Application of a substructure made of panels, mats and brackets

The introduction of foil can also be part of preparing the substructure. For gravel terraces, however, creating a substructure is much easier than with wood and stone slabs.

Lay out the substructure and finish the terrace

Before placing the pebbles, the appropriate preparation must be carried out. These are the following steps:

Create substructure

1. Dig the foundation: A foundation can be dug so that the pebbles are not unintentionally distributed around the terrace. Renting a mini excavator is a good idea, especially for larger areas. A shallow depth of five to ten centimeters is usually sufficient.
2. Solidify the earth: Slightly solidifying the earth, for example by stepping on it, knocking or a vibrating plate, which can be borrowed from the hardware store, as can the mini excavator, prevents the gravel from sinking.
3. Weed control: One of the biggest problems with a pebble patio is that weeds can grow through it from underneath. A weed fleece prevents this problem.
4. Lay out honeycomb panels: Once these preparatory steps have been carried out, so-called honeycomb panels can be laid out. They are the basis for the stones to have a better grip on the ground. The plastic plates prevent the stones from being accidentally carried away. With the laying of the slabs, the substructure for the gravel terrace is complete.

finish terrace

5. Fill in pebbles: The pebbles are placed in the prepared foundation. This measure should be done in layers. In between and afterwards, compression is recommended.
6. Compaction: Depending on the depth, the stones or layers should be compacted. This also contributes to stability. A vibrating plate can in turn do a good job here.

Advantages of the gravel terrace

The advantages of a gravel terrace are manifold. The pluses include:

• durable material
• easy to remove
• low material costs
• good drainage of water
• simple foundation is sufficient
• variable height easy to implement
• numerous variants in terms of colour, shape and size of the stones

In addition, the terrace with the gravel surface looks natural and decorative. Due to the minor changes and the simple substructure, the creation of such a terrace is often permitted without any problems, even in rental properties. In addition, gravel can be purchased for around ten euros per square meter, which makes it suitable for larger areas or a small budget. The costs depend on the type and size of the pebbles.

disadvantage

However, a gravel terrace surface also has potential disadvantages. It should therefore be carefully considered whether the natural material is suitable for laying out the terrace. The disadvantages include:

• laborious cleaning
• spread of moss
• Weed growth
• unintentional spreading of the pebbles

alternatives

Various materials are available as alternatives to the gravel terrace. Among other things:

• Concrete
• wood tiles
• wooden slats
• MCP
• stone tiles

Each of these bring different benefits. This is, for example, easier cleaning. However, the effort involved in creating it is higher in any case. The same applies to the costs. Nevertheless, the alternatives are more stable and can therefore be significantly more durable. However, they are also more difficult to remove and therefore often not suitable for rental properties.

The gravel terrace, on the other hand, can be removed relatively quickly and the area restored to the required condition. With a concrete terrace, this is only possible with enormous effort. In addition, the costs are extremely low, since gravel can already be purchased very cheaply and can also be used again afterwards. There are also numerous sizes, which also allows freedom of design.