The wooden terrace has
recently become a very interesting and practical solution. The eye-pleasing design, natural and
pleasant wood under our feet, exceptional durability, easy maintenance or
repair are obvious advantages of wooden terraces. The building blocks of wooden terraces
are boards of various lengths laid on joists, relatively in the form of tiles
fixed to sleepers and laid on solid, stable substrates. Terraces, balconies, paths made of
these elements and properly protected from external conditions, can withstand even
100 years, enjoying us with their beauty.
The terrace board is
dried chamber or air, to a humidity of about 18-20%. Therefore, it is only suitable for
outdoor applications. Mounting
the board inside the facility requires drying to the level of 8% - 10%
humidity.
In order to avoid the
warping and warping of purchased boards (this is a feature of natural material
such as wood), the straps with which they are fastened should be removed
immediately before the boards are mounted on the terrace.
Before laying the
boards, the substrate must be prepared accordingly.
If installed on
permeable ground (terrace integrated into garden architecture), start by
leveling and hardening the substrate. In
order to protect the terrace from growing grass and weeds from under it, you
can apply agrotextile under the entire surface.Next, cover the whole with a
layer of drainage of gravel or fine stones.
When mounting on
impervious soil (eg a balcony), it is first of all necessary to ensure adequate
fall of the ground (approx. 2%), which will allow water to be discharged from
under the terrace.
Terrace boards should be
mounted in such a way that the groove is parallel to the terrace's fall, which
will prevent the remaining water from remaining on the boards (between grooves).
The boards are mounted
on pine joists (with a minimum cross-section of 45x70 mm) at intervals of 50-60 cm . For
connecting terrace boards with joists, we use stainless steel screws, at least
2 times the thickness of the board.
We connect each board
with the joist with 2 screws placed in 1 line and at the same distance from the
board edges, about 10 mm (not less than 5 mm and
not more than 20 mm - depending on the width of the
board). Between each board, leave
an expansion joint with a width of approx. 0.5
cm (you can use spacers to keep
the same spacing). During use of
the terrace, the boards will expand and shrink depending on temperature and
humidity fluctuations. It is a
natural property of wood. In the
absence of (or too small) space between the boards, the humidity increases, the
planks will come together, and the stresses created between them can even lead
to breaking the screws. At the
extreme decking on the side of the building wall, the gap between the board and
the wall can be increased by a few millimeters.
In order to enjoy the
beautiful terrace longer, you should look after it properly.
You can apply oil on the
dry and clean surface of the terrace, which will keep the natural color of the
wood for longer. The oiling
process should be carried out twice a year: in the early spring, to make the
terrace look fresh, and early autumn, to prepare the boards for heavier
autumn-winter conditions. Please
note that in winter you should not use salt or any chemicals on the terrace.
Daily care of the terrace
should consist in removing leaves, sand, snow and other impurities.
Due to the reduced
humidity in the winter, and thus the drying and shrinking of the wood, after
the winter season, check and, if necessary, tighten the loosened screws.
