Article prepared with partners medziobites.lt and 15min.lt

Article prepared with partners medziobites.lt and 15min.lt

Sunny days invite lunch, dinner and breakfast coffee outside. If you don’t have a terrace at your house yet, according to Tomas Sakalauskas, the manager of the company “MDS terasos”, you can easily create one yourself. And then – you will only have to devote a few hours every year to its maintenance and “awakening” from hibernation.

The price mostly depends on the type of wood chosen

Spruce or pine wood is mostly used for terraces. Why? Martynas Janėnas, the head of the “Međios bitės” company, says that the ratio between the service life and price of these wooden boards is the best. According to him, an installed and completely unmaintained terrace made of pine or spruce boards will last for about 10 years, but if you devote at least a few hours to its maintenance every year, it can last for 15 or 20 years.

“Međios bitės” photo/The terrace is equipped with terrace boards supplied by “Međios bitės”.

“Pine-impregnated terrace boards are pleasant to the touch of the feet, do not get hot in the summer, and match the exterior of the house beautifully. In addition, impregnated boards are protected from rotting, fungus and wood pests. The terrace can be forged from various types of wood, but be aware that the beauty, comfort, durability, and price will depend on the selected type of wood,” said M. Janėnas.

When looking for wooden boards and planks (materials for the construction of the terrace), you will find both already impregnated and non-impregnated wood.

“If we are talking about pine or spruce products, then in all cases the products must be impregnated, especially if the terrace is installed outdoors. Only larch or thermally treated wood (thermo-wood) does not require impregnation. The terrace structure should be assembled from wood that has been processed by vacuum impregnation. This is necessary if we want the construction to last as long as the terrace boards,” warned the manager of the wood supply company.

If the terrace will be in an area with more traffic, under trees, or in another dusty environment, we recommend choosing boards with a flat surface.

Wondering if you have enough budget to install a terrace? According to M. Janėnas, the costs for the terrace largely depend on the type of wood chosen.

“The cost of installing an economical terrace ranges from 80 to 90 euros per square meter – in this amount I include both installation work and materials, if, for example, pine impregnated terrace boards are installed and then coated with oil after installation. However, if terrace boards of exotic types of wood were installed, the price could increase to 150-400 euros per square meter,” says M. Janėnas.

He reiterates that in order for your patio to last you, your children, your guests and your pets for a long time, it will need to be re-oiled every year – and this job will become an annual obligation, regardless of the type of wood you choose for your patio.

“MDS terasos” photo/MDS terasos company has a terrace

Board shape: grooved or smooth?

Most of the decking boards sold have grooves – these are the so-called ribbed boards. M. Janėnas explains why such processing of boards is necessary.

“The refluency slightly reduces slippage when the decking boards are wet. On the other hand, terrace boards with a ribbed surface are more difficult to maintain: dust collects in the gaps, and then it is difficult to clean them. Planks with smooth surfaces are more practical, in other words, they take longer to maintain and renew. Therefore, if the terrace will be in an area with more car traffic, under trees, or in another dusty environment, we recommend choosing boards with a smooth surface,” the interviewer advised.

The terrace structure should be assembled from wood that has been processed by vacuum impregnation.

According to him, the pine terrace boards sold by “Međios bičiau” are specially manufactured in such a way that the customer can choose for himself: laying smooth or ribbed side up. Statistically, 60% of customers choose the smooth side and 40% – the ribbed side.

If the budget allows, you can choose boards “Royal” impregnated with vacuum hot oil (heated to 70-80 degrees). Then both the color and the protection on the terrace board last for about 5-7 years. Thus, you can avoid the annual maintenance of the terrace for that long.

Photo of the company “MDS terrasos”. / Terrace assembled by CAMO hidden screws

The terrace can be installed on tiles, concrete or roof

Tomas Sakalauskas, the manager of the company ” MDS Terasos “, reminds that the terrace can be installed not only on grass, but also on cobblestones and the roof of the house.

“Home builders install paver patios with the motivation of easier maintenance. However, part of the population realizes after a few years that tiles are a cold and uncomfortable material. In this case, instead of the usual concrete piles, use a pedestal – an adjustable support that will level the plane – to equip the base and structure of the terrace. Pedestals perform the function of terrace poles, and on top of them are placed stakes and terrace boards are installed – as usual”, said T.Sakalauskas.

MDS Terasos” photo. /MDS Terasos manager Tomas Sakalauskas

Once you have the decking posts and the points attached to them, you can easily screw the decking boards to them yourself. Recently, the invisible fastening system has become popular. It changes the way of screwing terrace boards – the screws are not threaded from above, but from the sides, inclined at an angle of 45 °.

The oil is exposed to the sun, wind, rain and snow all year round, so its layer should be renewed every year.

“Why is this necessary? Sometimes I answer this question with a question: after all, we no longer remember the time when the floors in the rooms of the house were also nailed from above, right? We don’t know any friends or acquaintances in whose house the floor would be nailed in this way? – laughs T. Sakalauskas. – I would say that for a very long time no one thought of a different way to attach the terrace boards. CAMO fasteners offered a solution. And, I’ll admit, since we’re all used to working in the same way, at first we didn’t trust this method of fixing, we got used to it for several years.”

Photo of the company “MDS terrasos”. /CAMO hidden mounting method

The company “MDS Terasos” ordered a laboratory study at the KTU Department of Wood Laboratory to investigate the reliability of this fastening method. In a special chamber, the boards, fixed with CAMO screws, were repeatedly wetted and dried, thus simulating the change of seasons. The findings disproved the doubts that the screws loosen or the wood can split, so the company’s masters began to use and recommend this fastening method to others.

“One reason to use a hidden fastening system is the aesthetic appearance, secondly, there are no splinters that can drive into the leg through the place where the screw is inserted, and thirdly, the wood does not rot in that area. Because when the screw is screwed in from above, water accumulates in that place”, says T. Sakalauskas.

The distance between the turning screws depends on the bending resistance of the board. This distance is usually 40-50 centimeters.

Give the wood a “drink” at the end of the work

T.Sakalauskas encourages those who doubt their own strength: you can certainly master the terrace yourself, because there is no place to “make money” in this area.

“This is not an insulation layer, where you need to be aware of cold bridges, not a roof through which water can run over your head. The worst that can happen is that you will have to replace several boards. For most farm people, working with wood is a pleasure. You just need to relax, read some information and get to work,” said T. Sakalauskas.

The completed terrace is oiled. The oil protects against ultraviolet rays of the sun, mold and fungus.

“If you don’t cover the terrace with oil, it will eventually acquire the grayish color of aged wood,” warned T. Sakalauskas, representing WOCA oil producers.

“MDS terasos” photo/MDS terasos company has a terrace

The oiling process will need to be repeated every year, preferably in the spring, when other work to prepare for the warm season begins. The oil prevents the terrace boards from drying out in the summer, and in the winter, on the contrary, it prevents water from getting into the cracks of the wood.

“Oil is exposed to the sun, wind, rain and snow all year round, so its layer should be renewed every year. First of all, you need to wash the terrace well – at least with water, and if the budget allows – purchase a special detergent. Using this tool, the wood spores are opened to better saturate the oil”, emphasizes T. Sakalauskas.

Use an outdoor brush when washing the terrace. If you have missed this duty several years in a row, you will need to put in more work. In this case, use a special polishing and washing machine with a scrubbing disc for washing, which you can rent, and more intensive detergents, more suitable for terrace renovation.

“MDS Terasos” photo. / Oiled terrace boards

Oils intended for the terrace differ in composition – residents are increasingly choosing greener products. Also, according to T. Sakalauskas, oils are divided into “one-time oil” and “two-time oil” according to how many times the wood should be lubricated with them. However, the interviewer warns to observe whether the wood “begs for” more after applying the intended number of layers.

“The wood itself dictates how many times it needs to be coated with oil,” says T.Sakalauskas.

And that’s it – after washing and oiling the terrace, you will be able to use it calmly for at least a year. Unless you are a “terrace pedant”, then you can purchase “washing oil”, which will both wash and replenish the wood surface with the necessary layer of oil in one go.