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Terrace slabs are relatively easy to lay yourself with a little patience. There are essentially three methods for doing this. Which one you choose depends not least on your personal requirements. Good planning is important, in which you should also decide on a specific pattern. It is important to remember that different laying patterns each have their own unique effect.
In a nutshell
- In order to lay patio tiles, you need a sensible substructure
- A split bed is best for this
- Always ensure good water drainage
- Depending on the panels chosen, different patterns can be laid
background knowledge
So that tiles can be laid on a terrace and last as long as possible, a substructure is absolutely necessary. It is also important to take into account that penetrating water must always drain off well under the panel layer. Therefore, the incorporation of drainage for water drainage is often an important part of the substructure. In principle, there are three different methods for laying.
Laying on a gravel bed: The substructure here consists of a layer of fine chippings around five centimeters thick. One also speaks of an unbound construction method. The gravel bed variant is the most common and also the simplest method for laying the slabs. Since laymen can also use it very well, we want to concentrate exclusively on this method later in our instructions.
Laying on a mortar bed: This method, called bound construction, offers the advantage that each individual panel is fixed by the mortar and slipping is therefore not possible. It requires very fast work.
Laying on pedestals or slab supports: With this laying variant, the slabs rest on pedestals or slab supports at some distance from the ground. These are special plastic feet in the form of a frame, in which larger plate models in particular are placed.
A bed of gravel is recommended for all variants. The gravel ensures that water can seep away easily and quickly. In order to be able to prevent an unwanted accumulation of water, you can also lay so-called drainage mats on the gravel layer. However, this is only absolutely necessary if laying takes place on a mortar bed. Finally, one of the basics of laying slabs on a terrace is that a boundary must be attached to the outer edges - at least if there is no fixing with mortar. The limitation later prevents the individual stone or concrete slabs from slipping.
Notice: So-called natural stone slabs must always be laid on a mortar basis. In addition, grouting is essential for them.
material
In addition to the actual terrace slabs, gravel and grit, a number of tools and aids are required that make the work considerably easier. This includes:
- vibrator or tamper
- rubber mallet
- level
- Plumb or mason's cord
- Spacers or spacers
- long board
- plate holder
- possibly cutters
- vat or cement mixer
Tip: You should definitely use a colorfast rubber mallet, i.e. do not give off any paint, otherwise there is a great risk that the panels will be discolored.
sample
Before you start with the laying work, you should definitely think about whether and which pattern should be laid. You cannot realize every pattern with every type of panel. With natural stone slabs, for example, a geometric pattern is completely excluded. The following patterns are very popular for the following panel types.
concrete block paving
- Row connection: Laying is staggered, there is no continuous joint
- Multi-format row connection: also staggered laying without a continuous joint, but with different panel formats
- Herringbone pattern: Laying at an angle until a herringbone pattern is actually formed
- Roman bond: different panel formats are laid in a constantly repeating combination
- Square Rectangular Paving: Slabs are laid in different groups so that a new rectangle is always created
- Block bond: three terrace slabs each form a block
Natural and porcelain stoneware slabs
- Row bond: staggered laying so that there is no continuous joint
- Cross bond: Laying on edge so that there are always continuous joints
Notice: Laying the slabs on the terrace in a cross bond requires particularly precise work. You have to check practically after each individual panel whether the joints actually run in a straight line.
stone pavement
Here the shape of the individual paving stones determines the laying pattern. A classic row association is always possible. So that there is not too much unrest at the end, it is advisable to always keep an eye on the escape. If possible, there should be a straight joint or line between each row of stones that leads away from the viewer.
Laying instructions
Before you start laying the terrace slabs, you should clarify how many slabs you need for the area and to what extent it is necessary to shorten individual slabs. A decision must be made about the choice of pattern. It is ideal if you draw a somewhat true-to-scale plan before starting work, which shows the number of whole and shortened stones as well as the template. It is important to remember that there should be a joint distance of three to five millimeters between two panels.
excavate the terrace
In a first step, a pit is dug, the dimensions of which must correspond to the subsequent terrace. The excavation depth should be 20 to 30 centimeters. It is important to keep in mind that the pit must contain both a layer of gravel and a layer of grit. The edges of the pit should be cut as straight as possible with a spade. The use of a spirit level and a mason's cord is recommended here. It is recommended to compact or smooth the bottom of the pit with a tamper. However, not too much force should be used. It is extremely important for water drainage that the soil is still permeable.
Set and fix curb stones
Before you start backfilling the pit, you should set the curb stones on its sides. They later ensure that the entire panel construction can no longer slip. Consequently, you have to fix the edges firmly so that they run absolutely straight if possible. The fixation is best done with an earth-connected lean concrete. Ready mixes can be purchased at hardware stores. It is important to follow the mixing instructions of the respective product exactly. The lean concrete is then applied continuously with a trowel to the left and right of the curb stones arranged in a row. He should later exercise something like a support function. However, the concrete needs a few days to harden completely. Only when this hardening has taken place can you continue working.
bring in gravel
The gravel not only serves as part of the base layer or the substructure of the terrace, but also ensures that water can drain off relatively easily and then seep into the ground. However, should the water freeze in winter, the relatively large gaps between the individual stones allow it to expand when it freezes without affecting the entire structure. It is best to use crushed gravel, which is made up of different stone or grain sizes. He is a lot more resilient than the widespread rounded gravel. However, you also have to reckon with higher costs. The gravel layer should be about ten centimeters thick. Subsequent compaction of the layer is possible, but not mandatory.
Bring in the gravel bed
Now the actual base layer for the terrace slabs is introduced - namely the gravel bed. It is best not to use pure stone chippings for this purpose, but a mixture made up of chippings and crushed sand. The benefit of this mix is that the sand acts as a special bond between the grit. The entire bed thus stays in shape over the long term. As a result, individual patio slabs sink less frequently. Grain sizes of 1/3 or 2/5 have proven to be ideal. The gravel bed should be about ten centimeters thick. After the material has been brought into the pit, it must be smoothed out as evenly as possible with a long board. The aim is to remove all unevenness from the layer surface and create a really smooth, even surface.
Notice: The leveled gravel bed should then no longer be walked on in order not to damage the smooth surface.
lay plates
Of course, there are also different methods when laying the terrace tiles. These often depend on what type of slabs are used and what pattern is to be laid with them. With all methods, however, the following applies: you always lay towards the house and not away from it. The last row you lay is therefore the row closest to the house. It starts in one of the two corners that are, so to speak, opposite the house. In this corner put the first panel.
The plate is initially placed relatively loosely and then carefully tapped with a rubber mallet. Then you simply connect with the next patio tiles in the row. The joint spacing of three to five millimeters must be taken into account. It is therefore helpful to work with so-called joint crosses or joint spacers. About every two meters, a spirit level and a mason's line are used to check whether the panels are actually in a straight row. If individual panels have to be cut, it is best to use an angle grinder with a diamond cutting disc.
fill joints
Finally, you still have to fill the joints, i.e. the gaps between the panels. It is best to use coarse quartz sand for this. First, simply tip it onto the terrace and sweep it into the joints with a broom. It is advisable not to apply too much quartz sand each time, otherwise there is a risk that all the joints will be filled but there will still be a lot of sand left on the terrace. It should be clear that grouting involves a lot of sweeping work. Once you have filled all the joints and removed the excess sand, the entire terrace area is carefully watered. Only through the water is an actual joint closure possible. Incidentally, the terrace can be entered immediately.
lay pattern
As already indicated, the work steps described above also apply if you want to lay a panel pattern. When laying a pattern, however, there are a few more important points that need to be considered. The most important point of all is undoubtedly that one is aware of the pattern form and has internalized it to a certain extent. A previously prepared plan drawing is definitely helpful here.
Tip: You should prepare the plan drawing on squared paper and then enlarge it to DIN A3 format using a copier if possible. Since in most cases a basic pattern is simply repeated, several of them should also be drawn on the plan - not least in order to be clear about the connections.
Laying a pattern with patio tiles requires the highest precision and very careful work. Even if you simply stagger the slabs row by row, you must make sure that the slab edges are absolutely centered. As a rule, even the smallest deviation leads to considerable unrest in the overall picture, which can significantly spoil the enjoyment of the terrace. Since some patterns require terrace slabs in different sizes, there is usually no way around cutting them to size. Something like millimeter work is also urgently recommended here. It is also recommended to only cut as many panels as you need for the next step.
frequently asked Questions
How long does it take on average to lay terrace tiles?Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this. The duration depends on the size of the area, the experience of the installer and the template. Usually, however, you have to calculate two to three days for a medium-sized area.
Do natural stone slabs have to be laid "wet"?Unfortunately, there is no way around wet laying, i.e. fixing the natural stone slabs with mortar or an adhesive. Otherwise, the risk would be far too great that the unevenly shaped individual panels would slip over time and ruin the terrace.
How to make it easier to strip the gravel bed?To do this, stretch several masonry cords lying exactly horizontally across the entire terrace area. The cords must be high enough for the board to fit underneath. The cords serve as something like guide rails and thus also inevitably specify how much chippings have to be removed.