My own master: how to make a beautiful terrace with your own hands

Technical features

In most cases, the terrace is an open furnished area attached to the main building. This is the best place for preserving, drinking tea, receiving guests and having an interesting pastime with children. If desired, the terrace can be built from sawn timber 5-10 m from the house. A separate building, protected from wind and rain, will become a family island of tranquility, and if you want, your personal territory.

It is important that the floor covering is at least 45–60 cm above ground level. In this case, water will not be able to penetrate into the building during the thawing of the soil in early spring. Light metal fences and an original bamboo canopy are additional protection from adverse external factors. If the area of ​​the site exceeds 35 sq. m, a swimming pool can be added to the project of a guest terrace in the country.

There will be no windows and walls, which, in turn, is considered impermissible for the improvement of the veranda. The latter is always attached to the house at the entrance, and the terrace can be located anywhere on the site. Experts refer to the technical features of this structure:

• sides and railings instead of walls;
• lack of a roof on summer grounds, while there is always a roof on the veranda;
• insulation is possible only in 20% of cases, which cannot be said about gazebos and closed verandas;
• floor coverings are exclusively made of wear-resistant materials that do not deteriorate under the influence of moisture and ultraviolet radiation;
• a site on a hill is an ideal place for building a multi-level terrace, but it is better to build a gazebo 5-7 m from a river or reservoir.

Video "Building a terrace with your own hands"

This video will show you how to build a beautiful terrace yourself.

Preliminary steps

In some cases, the terrace serves as a porch. For greater convenience, it is better to attach it to the part of the building where the front doors are located. Thus, you will be able to spend time pleasantly in the lap of nature, and if necessary, quickly deliver food from the kitchen to the festive table. Elderly people have enough territory with an area of ​​3-4 square meters. m. If we are talking about large families, 8-10 square meters. m is the best option.

In choosing the shape of the building, it is better to give preference to a square or rectangle. For a winter covered terrace with a single-level roof, an octagon is more suitable. When looking at building materials, take into account the peculiarities of their combination, and most importantly, the operational properties. For example, a wooden deck can be attached to a brick building. If the main building is erected from beams, it is better to use lumber in the work.

Forged metal may be needed in the construction of a closed terrace. Before laying the foundation, it is important to stock up on sea sand, crushed stone, cement and rods for reinforcement. Considering that most of these structures are in the open air, it is better to give preference to frost-resistant materials. Among them: wood concrete, foam concrete and warm ceramics.

From tools you will need shovels, screwdrivers, hacksaws, hammers, dowels and circular saws. For the construction of a multi-level terrace - lifting carts. To avoid technical errors, and with them unreasonable waste, it is important to indicate on the drawing of a building of any kind:

• the size and location of the high rack and railings (step-by-step installation of these structures is the key to reasonable budget savings);
• features of fastening the side struts;
• the optimal slope angle of the site, since it is this criterion that determines the quality of the terrace protection from rain and melt water;
• placement of beams, logs, braces, front boards and support beams.

Depending on the quadrature and shape of the future structure, the exact amount of materials is determined.

Step by step instructions

First, it is important to clear the area of ​​stones and weeds. Then the surface of the ground should be leveled and wooden stakes should be installed so that the contours of the terrace are visible. At this stage, even a novice builder will understand whether it will be possible to implement the developed plan. You may need to redo the drawing and change the location of the datum elements. If you describe the device of the terrace step by step, the first thing to note is:

1. Arrangement of the foundation required for most closed-type outbuildings. Concrete blocks, bricks and non-bulk materials for backfill will come in handy in the work.
2. Installation of floor coverings. For arranging a winter terrace, a solid board that is resistant to moisture and temperature extremes is well suited. In the case of a regular summer extension, most experts advise decking.
3. Erection of wood walls, although this item is optional.
4. Arrangement of the roof. Here, the main thing is to correctly install the rafters and crate, on top of which you can lay slate, roofing material and even straw.
5. Interior decoration of the premises with breathable curtains and awnings.
6. Fencing of the finished terrace with handrails.

With a limited budget, you can try to equip an area with walls, but without a roof. Only in this case, the owners will need portable furniture for their summer cottages.

Option on a columnar foundation

If the total weight of structures does not exceed 1100 kg per 1 m³, it is better to lay a columnar foundation. Even an amateur builder can handle this. The main advantage of such a foundation is the possibility of independent work on almost any territory. The only exceptions are areas with a high level of groundwater occurrence. As for the speed of work, 10-12 days is the ceiling. A week is enough for experienced specialists.

And if every penny counts, it is worth noting that you can save up to 35% on waterproofing such a foundation. This is almost the only option for the foundation of a summer cottage terrace, which can be laid on a hill quickly and inexpensively. The minimum shelf life here is 40 years.

The easiest way is to build an unburied foundation. This is the best solution for outdoor summer terraces. Bricks, natural stone and concrete blocks are useful in the work. The optimal distance between the support columns is 2-3 m. The base itself can be made of clinker bricks. In contrast to the ceramic "brother", and even more so from ordinary shaped products, it has a much lower percentage of voidness. And resistance to moisture and frost, on the contrary, is higher.

There should be a thick cushion of sand under each pillar. Usually, their number depends on the degree of load on each element of the base. It is better to plaster open blocks. At the very end, the foundation is waterproofed with bituminous plastic. It is better to use wear-resistant and refractory metal as supports. If the owners prefer wood, the minimum diameter of the products should not be less than 25 cm. Before installation, they should be treated with a protective compound.

Gravel base

Most often, this option is chosen by supporters of natural materials.And since wooden beams are laid almost at ground level, it is better to use products with high levels of hardness, moisture resistance and density in the work.

First you need to prepare the site, in particular remove the 30-centimeter layer of soil. After that, a pit should be dug, and its bottom should be covered with gravel. It is important to lay metal profiles on top. In this case, the distance between them should not be less than 600 mm. It is important to install rubber gaskets at the joints of the beams with the profiles. This will help protect the wood from excess moisture, and thereby increase its shelf life by 1.5 times.

Bearing elements are best treated with geotextiles. Otherwise, the strength of the foundation will weaken due to actively growing weeds. To prevent the floor from rotting ahead of time, experts recommend making spacers between the board and the protective fabric, and leaving at least a two-centimeter gap between the flooring and the walls.

Clinker paving

This procedure involves the following work:

1. We clear the area from debris.
2. Preparing a 20 cm sand pillow.
3. We fill the bottom of the pit with gravel for better drainage of liquid at the installation site of the fences.
4. We fasten the support posts with self-tapping screws, thereby increasing the strength of the base.
5. We determine the optimal level of sand filling so that in the future water does not accumulate on the terrace.
6. We put clinker tiles on the compacted sand, and fill the gaps between the fence and the paving with gravel.
7. We carry out drainage with the subsequent installation of a gutter.

Using decking

This material is of high quality, which, of course, could not but affect its price. On the other hand, decking, popularly known as a terrace board, can withstand heavy physical exertion, is easily installed on hardware and retains up to 45% of heat in enclosed spaces.

For the construction of summer terraces, a decking with sawdust and polypropylene in the composition is more suitable. The optimal length of the product is 5–6 m, and the thickness is over 25 mm. This material can withstand loads of up to 600 kg per 1 m³. It does not lose its original properties at low temperatures and is not afraid of aggressive "chemistry".

As for the installation, the natural massif is often laid in a lagged way. In this case, the distance between the lamellas should not be less than 3.5 mm. The planks, which are more than 70% sawdust, can be attached to each other using clips. Suture installation involves the use of terminals.

Home connection

This is the best option for outdoor recreation, almost without leaving your home. On such terraces, you can arrange a place for friendly gatherings, romantic dates and various feasts. And since the same materials are often used in construction as in the construction of the main building, there can be no talk of a violation of the architectural style. The only thing that is important for the owners to take care of in the first place is to lay a separate foundation. Otherwise, cracks are possible, or even worse - deformation of the supporting structures of the main building.

In order to avoid such situations, it is better to apply expansion joints in a timely manner according to the instructions. Annexes with an autonomous foundation also transfer loads to houses, but not so significant. If the terrace itself is located in an area with low soil resistance, it should not be attached to the house. In the future, such structures will become cracked and, as a result, detached from the main buildings.

Beautiful curtains, paintings, clay figurines and, of course, flowers in pots are suitable for the decoration of the terraces.

The functions of a traditional roof can be assigned to a wisteria tree or a vine.