What to build from, how to use and create a unique design for a veranda or terrace – we will talk about everything in this article.
Handcrafted artisan arbor or luxury furniture garden section or stunning roof corner is the coziest place to spend a summer evening in nature, over a cup of tea, in the company of your closest ones.
Or sit down with a noisy group of friends, turn on the music, and cook meat on the grill.
In late spring, summer, and early autumn, you want to be outdoors as often as possible in any weather. And this is possible if you attach a terrace or veranda to the house.
Our tips will help you arrange a terrace in a city or a country house and make your stay on it as comfortable as possible.
ROOF TERRACE
In some European cities, exploited roofs are a common thing.
But getting permission to develop the roof of an old house or building is almost impossible. There is only one way out – to buy an apartment in a new building, where the possibility of using the roof is provided initially.
WOODEN DECK
Neither soft pine nor even relatively hard open-air oak will last long.
In order for the wooden flooring on the terrace to serve for several decades, the wood must have a high density, high oiliness, and a special structure of the fibers.
Only tree species growing on the equator can boast of such qualities.
AWNINGS AND CANOPIES
A canopy – stationary or mobile – will help protect the open area from rain and sun. For example, an awning or just a piece of tarpaulin attached to vertical supports. Don’t forget about the existence of umbrellas from the sun!
Find out more about outdoor high-quality luxury outdoor furniture handcrafted with nautical rope or handwoven.
LIGHTING
It is better to think about the placement of lamps at the stage of landscape design, otherwise, the garden will have to be thoroughly dug up. But there is an alternative, painless for flower beds and lawns: solar-powered lanterns, their batteries last for 10-16 hours.
TEAK DECK AND FURNITURE
The garden terrace’s deck is often made of teak, capable of withstanding the most aggressive environment.
Teak flooring will last half a century, provided the tree is at least 150 years old. Now such material is rare.
The most common teak is only 30 to 40 years old. It does not have time to acquire its valuable properties and does not differ in special durability. So be vigilant!
Teak also can be used to make not only flooring but also furniture.
Thanks to this uniformity, even a small terrace will look more spacious. And then, teak is from those materials that do not burn in fire and do not sink in water: it is not afraid of dampness and ignites much worse than any other species.
True, for the winter it is still better to bring such furniture into the house.
ROOF GARDEN
Land prices have skyrocketed. It is not surprising that gardens are also striving skyward – more and more often they are broken right on the roofs. The main thing in this business is an accurate calculation (especially if you are going to arrange a pool on the roof).
SAVE TREES!
To equip a terrace on the site, it is not at all necessary to cut down the trees growing there. They are easy to “fit” into the interior of an open-air room; for this, the plants will give you their shadow.
As for the wooden flooring, if desired, it can play the role of furniture.
FIGHTING DAMP
The worst enemy of a wooden terrace is dampness.
Even structures with a canopy suffer from it, as they are flooded with oblique jets of rain.
To protect wooden flooring from moisture, it is raised above the level of the soil or roof, as in this case (this provides ventilation), and the boards are chamfered and laid not end-to-end, but with a small (6-10 mm) indent.
CONCRETE FURNITURE
Cast concrete or brick-built furniture is a great option for terraces and balconies.
It will survive any frost. Mosaic, tile, or broken tile mosaic can be used for decoration, and mattresses and soft pillows made of outdoor, waterproof fabric will help “soften” the feeling of using such furniture.
TERRACE: OPEN OR CLOSED?
If the house has a flat roof, you do not have to choose between an open and closed terrace. It will be possible to take sunbaths at the top, and the lower platform will become a wonderful refuge from the heat.
Don’t forget rocking chairs – they are especially nice to lounge in.
It makes no sense to put a terrace on the shady side if the sun is not the most frequent guest in your country, so why hide from it? And then, where there is shade, there is dampness, and where there is dampness, there are mosquitoes.
PAINTED WALLS
An ordinary country house can be radically transformed by painting its walls with paint of unexpected color. For example, in pink-purple: this range is uncharacteristic for our latitudes, and therefore gives the terrace an exotic flavor.
TERRACE ON THE HILL
If the site has uneven terrain, it is best to put the house on a hill and raise the terrace below the soil level. This option will allow you to perfectly fit the building into the landscape.
SELF-LEVELING FLOORS
The self-leveling concrete floor, so popular today in the interior, is also suitable for the exterior.
Just keep in mind that life in the open-air places increases demands on it: so that the surface does not crack, every 2 – 3 sq. m it is necessary to make temperature seams.
They are filled with concrete mix after the hardening of the main coating.
BLUE+WHITE
White + blue or white + blue is the perfect color scheme for a terrace. It reminds the sea and cloudless sky.
Having decorated the terrace in this color, you will always feel at the resort.
Terrace in Mediterranean style finished with blue and white tiles.
HEDGE
To combat the wind along the perimeter of an open area, you can: plant a hedge, put lattices entwined with ivy or wild grapes, or arrange tall tubs with plants.
The third option is popular in hot countries, it is only suitable for owners of a winter garden – tubs must be hidden somewhere in the cold season.
I SEE THROUGH!
The terrace, located on a hill, is an excellent observation point.
One problem: the necessary fencing in this case can spoil your whole view.
There is only one way out – to surround the site with screens made of transparent plastic or triplex. And conclude a long-term contract with glass cleaners, because such a fence will require regular maintenance.
OUTDOOR FIREPLACES AND HEARTHS
Extend the outdoor season with gas lanterns, outdoor fireplaces, and barbecue stoves. The latter not only warms but also feeds. In addition, the smoke repels mosquitoes.
The outdoor hearth can be made to order and built with your own hands, but the easiest way is to pick up a finished model in a store.
BBQ AREA
An open terrace can be located not only near the house but also at a distance. It is best to arrange it on a hill – in order to comfortably view the surroundings.
For a site with a pronounced relief, a multi-tiered platform is suitable – it will help to beat the features of the landscape.
STONE FLOOR
The terrace can be paved with stone (natural or artificial) or clinker bricks. To make the coating last longer, the slabs are laid on a drainage cushion: a layer of gravel about 30 cm thick is poured, and on top of it is a 10-cm layer of fine gravel.
SUMMER CUISINE
It is convenient when the terrace of the house is adjacent to the kitchen because you will probably use it as an outdoor dining area. Consider how these two zones will communicate with each other.
This would ideally require a door, but a window will do as long as it can be accessed from both sides.