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Anticipate the Steps to Renovate or Build Your Terrace on Pedestals: Tips & Timing!

Before starting the work, it is important to properly anticipate your terrace construction project on pedestals. This will save you time and money. Here are some tips:

When to Install Your Terrace?

Choose the Right Time: The best time to renovate or build a terrace is in spring or autumn when the temperatures are mild.

Plan Ahead: Once you have a budget and a start date, it is important to create a work plan and quantify the materials using our dedicated Jouplast® application. This will help you visualize the project and ensure you have everything planned in the right quantities.

Timing for Setting Up Your Terrace on Pedestals?

The timing of the work depends on the size and complexity of the terrace. Generally, it takes about 1 week to renovate a small terrace and 2 to 3 weeks to build a new terrace.

Steps for Renovating or Building a Terrace on Wooden, Composite, or Paved Pedestals

Preparation of the Ground: This step involves preparing the ground to accommodate the terrace. It includes cleaning the ground, leveling it, and possibly laying a geotextile.

Watch the video on ground preparation for installing your terrace on pedestals.

Installing the Pedestals: The pedestals serve as the support for the terrace. They must be installed regularly and stably according to the direction of the planks or the format of the slabs. Installing the planks perpendicular to your house enhances the length dimension, but people prefer to walk in the width direction of the planks. This choice limits the number of offcuts and wasted cuts.

Laying the Covering: The covering can be wood, slabs, or composite planks. It is important to choose a covering that suits your budget, needs, and personal taste.

Finishing: The finishing involves decorating or dressing the edges of your terrace and adding accessories such as furniture, lighting, or plants. This type of pedestal installation also allows for the easy integration of LED spots into the ground for wooden or composite terraces.

Specific Tips for Wooden Pedestal Terraces

Wooden pedestal terraces are a popular solution because they are relatively easy to install and create a warm and authentic space. Here are some specific tips for wooden pedestal terraces:

Choose Suitable Wood: The most commonly used woods for terraces are pine, larch, and teak. These woods are weather and insect resistant.
Treat the Wood: It is important to treat the wood to protect it from weather and insects.
Maintain the Wood: Regular maintenance is important to keep the wood in good condition.

Anticipate Your Terrace Project

Plan a Budget: Renovating or building a terrace is an investment. Plan a sufficient budget to cover the costs of materials, tools, and labor.
Average Cost: The average cost of installing a terrace on pedestals ranges from 30 to 90 euros per m² (including supplies and professional installation). Pedestals themselves cost an average of 2 to 4 euros each. You should expect to spend between 1000 and 2000 euros for about 20 m². Of course, this is an average and depends on various parameters such as the choice of pedestals, materials, and ground preparation constraints (see the article on calculating the number of terrace pedestals).
Material Costs: Paved terraces on reconstituted stone pedestals are the least expensive, followed by wooden terraces. Autoclaved pine wood joists are affordable, but exotic wood is rot-proof. Paved terraces, such as travertine, are often more expensive but require less maintenance. Finally, costs vary greatly depending on the type of material chosen.

Specific Tips for Paved Pedestal Terraces

Here are some specific tips for paved pedestal terraces:

Choose Suitable Slabs: The most commonly used slabs for terraces are ceramic, natural stone, or composite slabs.
Plan a Slope: It is important to plan a slope of 1 cm per meter to allow rainwater to drain.

For more inspiration and advice on our outdoor layout solutions, we invite you to browse our blog.