ᐅ Temporary solution for terrace / courtyard

Hello everyone,

Do you have any tips or tricks for affordable temporary solutions (until next spring) for our gravel-covered terrace/courtyard?

What do you place on the gravel or bare ground during transitional periods before the outdoor area is finished to still enjoy the sunlight on the terrace while minimizing the amount of stones tracked into the house?

Of course, it should be as low-cost as possible since work on the outdoor area is scheduled to start in spring 2023.

I appreciate any advice.

Courtyard simply compacted with 0-32 grain size.
For the terrace, I would either use the same 0-32 grain size and compact it, or use paving gravel with an outdoor carpet on top. The gravel tends to stick to shoes and you end up carrying a lot of it into the house.

If the ground is still too low, you can also place OSB boards on EUR pallets and then put the carpet on top. Some people live like this for years.

Prager91 schrieb:

Of course, everything should cost as little as possible, since the exterior work is scheduled to start in spring 2023.

Concrete slabs given away for free on eBay Classifieds, must be picked up by yourself. If necessary, they can also later serve as the base for a wooden deck.

Benutzer200 schrieb:

Free concrete slabs from eBay Classifieds, must pick up yourself. They can later serve as a base for a wooden deck if needed.

I was also considering concrete slabs, but they are currently not available in my area...

We still have about 70cm (28 inches) height difference from the terrace door to the terrace, so we will probably bridge this area with pallets (possibly with an OSB board on top) and then cover the area where the table will be placed with outdoor rugs – I think this is the most cost-effective solution.

The gravel is actually already very well compacted, and the small stones on the back terrace are manageable. With rugs, it should definitely be sufficient.

Out front in the yard, it’s a bit tricky... The effort will probably be higher there. We currently have some wooden planks lying around.

Prager91 schrieb:

We still have about 70cm (28 inches) of height difference from the terrace door down to the terrace,

A 70cm (28 inches) height difference is quite significant. You'll definitely need to build stairs.

Prager91 schrieb:

I had also considered concrete slabs – but at the moment, I can’t find any in my area...

Really? Online there are plenty all across Germany offering their slabs for free.