For a long time we thought back and forth about how our terrace should look. Gravel, bricks, flagstones or wood? On the one hand, we wanted to keep expenses as low as possible. Also, we wanted to reuse materials that were already available. On the other hand, the terrace should look nice and be comfortable. Preferably also easy to build. In the end we decided to build a wooden terrace / wooden deck. Check out the process and the end result here…

Our instructions for rebuilding a simpel wooden terrace

My husband built the terrace all by himself within one day. I only helped him with the final grinding. So, it’s perfectly possible to build the terrace on your own.

1. Preparation – Buy the materials

• Wooden Planks
• Nonwoven weed mat
• Flagstones
• Wooden decking boards
• Screws

First of all you need to get the material and decide the size of your wooden terrace. For this, it’s worth putting some thought into it first.

1.1 The wood for your terrace

In addition to untreated wood, pressure-impregnated wood is also available on the market. We chose pressure impregnated because the costs were lower. In my opinion, the only disadvantage is the bluish or greenish colour. However, you can also treat the wood with special glazes and change its colour. Also, you should not forget that with untreated wood you have to add the oil, glaze or impregnation. In addition to the wooden decking boards that form your terrace, you will also need wooden planks to hold everything together and provide stability underneath.

1.2. The base

However, depending on the location and soil, you will need a nonwoven weed mat. We were lucky enough to have a layer of gravel under a layer of soil on the area for years. Therefore, no weeds or other plants grew here. In addition, you will need flagstones to create a space between the wood and the soil. Here, the cheapest ones serve their purpose, because you won’t see them again. Furthermore, we were lucky and were able to reuse the flagstones we already had.

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1.3. Size

Beyond that, you have to agree on the size. We wanted a large terrace, so we chose a size of 4.5 x 5.8m. Here we have planned to put a bathing barrel on the terrace or to extend the terrace in the coming years. Moreover, we planned our garden table (which we will build ourselves) with a length of 2.2-2.4m. We also want to build a pergola as soon as the shed is renovated. This should cover about 2/3 or the entire terrace. To save yourself double work, you should also consider such future projects. Whether the location and size of the terrace is essential.

However, as soon as the size and the material is fixed, you should order it. Keep in mind the suitable screws (especially for wood and weather resistant). Depending on the type of treatment you decide on, you can also prepare the wood.

2. Building the base of your wooden terrace

As soon as you have the material, you can start!

2.1 Flagstones and beams

Lay out the flagstones on the desired area. It is best to space them approx. 1m apart. Note that you will install a blind at the end. Therefore, it is important not to let the stones protrude too much at the edges. We took 6 stones in width and the same number in length. This gave us a total of 36 stones. But remember that our area is 26sqm large.

Then take the first beam and place it on the stones. Depending on the direction you want your planks to face, you have to lay the beams in opposite directions. Use a level to check that the beam is on a slight slope. Remember: The water should be running away from the house. Afterwards lay out the next beams and check the slope.

2.2. The first wooden plank

In the next step, grab your first wooden plank and place it at the first edge. But check carefully that everything is straight to each other and that the slope is there. If it is, you can fix it with screws. This will hold the beams in position. However, depending on the size of your planks and beams, you may need to have the beams overcut to achieve the desired length.

For example: We wanted the length of the terrace to be between 5-6m. Since our beams were only 3.6m long, we had to let them overlap. The wooden plank was 4.5m long. This represented the width of the area.

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3. Screw down wooden planks

Next, screw on one plank after the other. Thus this is the most time-consuming part.

So, in total, we needed 2 whole packs of screws! 12 screws per plank. Depending on the dimensions of your wooden beams, you will end up having to saw them off. We did it easily with a jigsaw. Of course you can also do it with a handsaw.

As soon as all the planks have been laid, it’s time for the final step: the blind. For this, we screwed two planks to the short sides. Also, for the long side, we screwed on one plank and cut a second one. Remember that there is a neat border!

Our final result

By the way, we have decided not to use the blind on the back. The lilac hedge is growing here and we are also considering planting small shrubs such as lavender or hydrangea.

Now we still have to extend the path to the terrace and build the table! A great project for the next weekend. However, we were thinking about treating the wooden deck with linseed oil soap in the future. We scrub our kitchen and dining room floors with the soap and are super satisfied. After a short research, I found out that it is also possible to use it on impregnated wood without any issues.

Which material did you choose? Are the instructions understandable and do you have any tips or hints that I missed?

I look forward to your feedback!

Until next time,