Hello everyone,
I am currently planning our terrace but I’m not quite sure about the details yet, so maybe you can help me out :-)
At first, I was thinking of a southwest-facing terrace, but in the evening the sun on the west side doesn’t really reach us properly because of the neighbors, so we would only benefit from it in the morning when the sun is too strong. Now I’m considering skipping the west terrace and instead installing a retractable awning on the south side later on.
Attached are different concepts along with photos of the current situation.
For the surface, I’m thinking of using paving bricks to keep everything uniform with the driveway and pathways (dark, to match the facade).
There are six of us in the household, and we often have guests.
What do you think? Which concept would you prefer?
I am currently planning our terrace but I’m not quite sure about the details yet, so maybe you can help me out :-)
At first, I was thinking of a southwest-facing terrace, but in the evening the sun on the west side doesn’t really reach us properly because of the neighbors, so we would only benefit from it in the morning when the sun is too strong. Now I’m considering skipping the west terrace and instead installing a retractable awning on the south side later on.
Attached are different concepts along with photos of the current situation.
For the surface, I’m thinking of using paving bricks to keep everything uniform with the driveway and pathways (dark, to match the facade).
There are six of us in the household, and we often have guests.
What do you think? Which concept would you prefer?
tumaa schrieb:
At first, I considered a southwest-facing terrace, but in the evenings the sun doesn’t really reach the west side because of the neighbors, so it would only get sun in the morning when it might be too strong. Now I thought about skipping the west terrace and installing an awning later on the south side. I think you’ll appreciate later on that the sun doesn’t fully reach one side (west) and you might even find yourself retreating there more often. When the sun shines all day long on the south terrace, you probably won’t want to spend much time there.
I also doubt you’ll actually go through with the plan to install an awning later that stretches along 8 meters (26 feet) or more…
tumaa schrieb:
For the surface, I thought about using clinker pavers to keep the driveway and paths consistent (dark color because it matches the facade).
We are six people in the household and often have guests. So I would recommend at least an L-shaped solution incorporating both sides (south/west), which can be quite practical especially when you regularly have guests or celebrations. For example, an adults’ table on one side and, two meters (6.5 feet) away, another table for younger people… 🙂
I’m also considering a wooden option. In my opinion, it would suit your house and the clinker facade well and ultimately is not (significantly) more expensive?
WilderSueden schrieb:
I wouldn’t make the terrace that large. Even with six people and 2-4 guests, 20-30 m² (215-323 sq ft) is more than enough. Option 3 with over 70 m² (750 sq ft) just seems really excessive to me. There’s nothing wrong with placing a sun lounger on the lawn either. A smaller terrace also reduces the issue of heat storage.
What I still miss here is the surrounding area. Does the terrace extend all the way to the property line? Where will you plant trees, where is the play lawn, and where are the flower beds (if any)?
From the photos, it’s sometimes not clear to me where things are positioned on the sketches. It’s about 4 meters (13 feet) from the boundary...
K a t j a schrieb:
If I understand correctly, the patio doors are already fixed and installed. So there should be a terrace or at least a platform wherever you step outside, right? Exactly... there’s also a window on the east side, but there will be paving there too.
netuser schrieb:
I’m actually considering the wooden option as well. I do like wood, but I wanted everything to be uniform. Wood also requires maintenance—what type of wood would you recommend for this?
B
Benutzer20028 Apr 2022 11:16tumaa schrieb:
I like wood, but wanted everything to be uniform Uniformity can quickly become boring.
tumaa schrieb:
Wood requires maintenance, right? Not exactly. If you want to preserve the wood’s original color, you need to oil it regularly. If you allow it to weather and turn gray, then it doesn’t require much maintenance.
tumaa schrieb:
Which wood would you recommend for that? In the end, it depends on your personal taste and possibly your ecological considerations (keyword: tropical hardwood).
For a nice brown finish with durable (local) wood, you could consider thermally modified wood (such as thermally treated ash). It is also extremely durable. Tropical hardwoods come in beautiful tones, from brown and reddish to striped patterns (classic Bangkirai, but also IPE, Cumaru, Garapa, etc.). Bamboo is another option.
Local woods that are less durable include black locust, larch, and pine (which I personally don’t like).
tumaa schrieb:
I do like wood, but I wanted everything to be uniform, and wood requires maintenance anyway. Which type of wood would you recommend for that?I can only recommend to a limited extent, as my experience is mostly theoretical rather than practical. I always wanted a wooden deck but eventually chose porcelain stoneware tiles for certain reasons...
However, there are types of wood that need little to no maintenance and still last for many years. Whether Siberian larch or other tropical hardwoods...
I understand the desire to have everything "uniform," but on the other hand, it can be quite stylish (and in my view more attractive) to make the terrace stand out as an "island" separate from the rest. Uniformity can become boring over time and doesn’t invite you to linger as much as a color-contrasted "comfort zone" does. Just some thoughts...
M
Myrna_Loy28 Apr 2022 11:42Do not underestimate the heat storage capacity of dark stone surfaces. If you lay about 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft) of paving around your house, your home will be like a frying pan in summer, and walking barefoot won’t be enjoyable either. Also, with uniform paving, it might look as if your house is sitting on a parking lot.
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