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
Bauherrin12311 Oct 2025 15:30I looked again at rectangular terrace slabs, but they cost so much more that it’s not worth it to me. I will stick with the 80 by 80 cm (31.5 by 31.5 inches) format because they look very nice and I like the pattern.
Regarding the installation: we want it to be firmly installed as well:
Seal the soil
30 cm (12 inches) of gravel? Seal that too
Crushed stone?
Then mortar/concrete cement?
Then the tile with adhesive
I would also like to have a weed barrier membrane installed. It also needs to be placed in between layers.
Regarding the installation: we want it to be firmly installed as well:
Seal the soil
30 cm (12 inches) of gravel? Seal that too
Crushed stone?
Then mortar/concrete cement?
Then the tile with adhesive
I would also like to have a weed barrier membrane installed. It also needs to be placed in between layers.
G
Gerddieter11 Oct 2025 15:52Bauherrin123 schrieb:
Alright, you convinced me. I will have them installed in mortar. Could you please help me a bit with the selection:
80 by 80 Villeroy & Boch tiles I can get cheaply, price not yet fixed, around 120-23 Euro per m² (about 11-22 USD per sq ft) I don’t find 120 per m² (about 11 USD per sq ft) cheap at all, rather quite expensive. And I’m not sure if I would want Villeroy & Boch for terrace tiles... they already annoy me enough in the bathroom.
Try going to a dedicated tile and slab store. We visited a high-end tile shop in town and got under 70 per m² (about 6.50 USD per sq ft) for 120 by 60 cm (47 by 24 inches) tiles for our desired terrace tiles.
Alternatively, a tile installer might be able to order terrace tiles for you as well.
GD
N
nordanney11 Oct 2025 15:58Bauherrin123 schrieb:
I would also like to install a weed control membrane. It also needs to be laid in between.That makes no sense. You are installing a layer of drainage concrete – there is no need for weed protection. Weeds don’t grow through concrete (and definitely not through tiles).And what do you mean by “sealing”? I have never heard that term used in this context.
B
Bauherrin12311 Oct 2025 19:0120-30 euros for Villeroy & Boch, the 1 was a typo, so I will pay around that per m2 (square meter). Yes, in all other countries, the porcelain tiles cost 70 euros per m2 (square meter), in hardware stores also 35-60 euros, Villeroy & Boch 36 euros, we might get them cheaply for 20 euros. However, they are also sold at high prices because there is a large profit margin. Are there significant differences between the tiles themselves?
Of course, I will not do any work myself.
Of course, I will not do any work myself.
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