Hello everyone,
We are planning to have our terrace built soon.
Our landscaping contractor offers to install the terrace either on gravel or in mortar concrete.
Since we want a relatively large terrace (36 sqm (387 sq ft)), the concrete option would be much more expensive.
Additionally, in a few years, we would like to add a louvered roof. Installing the slabs on gravel would make it much easier to add concrete footings later on.
However, I keep reading that laying slabs on gravel often causes problems.
Therefore, I would be very interested if anyone can share their personal experience?
Our landscaping contractor said that if we use large slab sizes (at least 80x80 cm (31x31 inches)), he does not see any issues with gravel installation. He would grout with epoxy resin.
Who has installed their terrace on gravel and would do it again, and who would choose differently next time?
Best regards
We are planning to have our terrace built soon.
Our landscaping contractor offers to install the terrace either on gravel or in mortar concrete.
Since we want a relatively large terrace (36 sqm (387 sq ft)), the concrete option would be much more expensive.
Additionally, in a few years, we would like to add a louvered roof. Installing the slabs on gravel would make it much easier to add concrete footings later on.
However, I keep reading that laying slabs on gravel often causes problems.
Therefore, I would be very interested if anyone can share their personal experience?
Our landscaping contractor said that if we use large slab sizes (at least 80x80 cm (31x31 inches)), he does not see any issues with gravel installation. He would grout with epoxy resin.
Who has installed their terrace on gravel and would do it again, and who would choose differently next time?
Best regards
B
Bauherrin12310 Oct 2025 22:27tomtom79 schrieb:
You’re not listening, are you? They wiggle, they tilt, they move. But do it however you want. Yes, I am listening, but you can’t accept a different opinion, can you? I spoke with a tile installer master at Raab Karcher, and he said that gluing is the most recent method, while using sharp sand (splitt) is not a problem at all. Then there are others like you who say the tiles wobble and shift, but many also say that if the crushed stone is properly compacted and the sharp sand is leveled correctly, nothing wobbles. Some have had their tiles laid for 4 years without issues. That’s why I got confused, as I would like to install on sharp sand and can get 2cm (0.8 inches) of it cheaply from an acquaintance. But if 2cm (0.8 inches) of sharp sand tends to be less stable and wobbly, I have to consider whether to use paving stones or thicker tiles. Everything is also a matter of cost. I don’t want to install tiles with mortar just to save a few hundred dollars on cheaper tiles, but I also don’t want to pay 3,000 more for thicker tiles to lay them on sharp sand. To be able to weigh which compromise I want to make, I ask these questions. The forum is not a place where I have to accept your opinion as correct and follow it.
But if you don’t accept the opinions in the forum (which, by the way, are often based on experience) because they don’t match what you want to hear, then you basically don’t need to ask questions here.
In that case, just hire the master tiler or a company recommended by them and ask for an extended warranty against wobbling and slipping for 10 years. If they won’t provide that, then you know where you stand.
In that case, just hire the master tiler or a company recommended by them and ask for an extended warranty against wobbling and slipping for 10 years. If they won’t provide that, then you know where you stand.
Bauherrin123 schrieb:
But you can't hear a different opinion, can you? I spoke with a master tiler at Raab Karcher, and he said gluing is the last option, gravel would be absolutely no problem, so I have the experience right here at my doorstep. I've already lifted and relaid them once. That's why I placed the slabs on supports and stopped using joint sand.N
nordanney11 Oct 2025 00:06Bauherrin123 schrieb:
In the past, the slabs were always laid on gravel, I don’t know why everyone wants to glue them now.Because the slabs used to be 5cm (2 inches) thick or more. 2cm (0.8 inches) is a modern thing. Back then, they were concrete slabs (which are still quite common today and usually NOT glued).G
Gerddieter11 Oct 2025 00:18Ok, I can tell you quite precisely how things stand with the 2cm (0.8 inch) ceramic tiles installed on the gravel:
We specifically wanted 2cm (0.8 inch) ceramic tiles that we selected ourselves to be used for the terrace because of the appearance.
- The buyer said it’s no problem on gravel.
- All landscapers say: never on gravel – only on concrete.
- The landscaper we trust said he should offer the tiles set in concrete – but he said he installs them on gravel, because due to the size and weight, 60×120 cm (24×47 inches), gravel is not an issue. Only smaller tiles are problematic.
- Now they are lying there on the gravel, and after three months with little use, the first ones already wobble when stepping on them—not serious but still not nice....
GD
We specifically wanted 2cm (0.8 inch) ceramic tiles that we selected ourselves to be used for the terrace because of the appearance.
- The buyer said it’s no problem on gravel.
- All landscapers say: never on gravel – only on concrete.
- The landscaper we trust said he should offer the tiles set in concrete – but he said he installs them on gravel, because due to the size and weight, 60×120 cm (24×47 inches), gravel is not an issue. Only smaller tiles are problematic.
- Now they are lying there on the gravel, and after three months with little use, the first ones already wobble when stepping on them—not serious but still not nice....
GD
B
Bauherrin12311 Oct 2025 13:43Alright, you’ve convinced me. I will have the tiles installed with mortar. Could you please help me a bit with the selection:
I can get 80 by 80 cm (31 by 31 inches) Villeroy & Boch tiles cheaply, though the exact price isn’t confirmed yet, around 120-23 Euro per m² (about 11-2 USD per square foot).
I would actually prefer 120 by 60 cm (47 by 24 inches), but that would be more expensive, at least 36 Euro per m² (about 3.35 USD per square foot) at Hornbach. Does the size really make a big difference in the end? I’m desperately looking for a tile that is light with a subtle anthracite pattern, so rather light/white with a faint dark gray pattern that has a nice anthracite outline. What do you recommend?
I can get 80 by 80 cm (31 by 31 inches) Villeroy & Boch tiles cheaply, though the exact price isn’t confirmed yet, around 120-23 Euro per m² (about 11-2 USD per square foot).
I would actually prefer 120 by 60 cm (47 by 24 inches), but that would be more expensive, at least 36 Euro per m² (about 3.35 USD per square foot) at Hornbach. Does the size really make a big difference in the end? I’m desperately looking for a tile that is light with a subtle anthracite pattern, so rather light/white with a faint dark gray pattern that has a nice anthracite outline. What do you recommend?
Similar topics