OUTDOOR LIVING ALL YEAR
The order matters (a lot)
Why renovate your terrace or courtyard?
In Alicante a terrace is another room for a good part of the year, and yet it’s usually the worst-resolved space in the house: a faded floor, no shade at all, a power point that doesn’t reach and damp that shows up downstairs every winter. The good news is that it’s one of the renovations with the best ratio of spend to daily enjoyment. The bad news is that almost everyone tackles it the wrong way round: the nice floor first and then, when the leak appears, the whole lot has to come up. Our order is the opposite: first we check the waterproofing and the falls, then we dress the space.
From the membrane to the planting
What our terrace renovation includes
We work on the whole outdoor space, from the technical side to the part you enjoy.
Waterproofing first
Before anything else, we check the terrace isn't leaking and sort out falls, joints and drainage.
Outdoor flooring
Non-slip porcelain, composite decking or a continuous finish, chosen to stand up to sun and rain.
Shade and glazing
Pergolas, awnings and glazing to gain hours of use in the day and months of use in the year.
Lighting and power
Warm light points, weatherproof sockets and provision for air conditioning or an outdoor kitchen.
Internal courtyards
Light wells and back courtyards: pale finishes, drainage and solutions that win back brightness.
Planters and greenery
Built-in planters, irrigation and artificial or natural grass to finish the space off.
Outdoor porcelain or composite decking?
These two dominate terraces around here and both are good: the difference is in how they feel underfoot, the upkeep and the budget.
Technical non-slip ceramic, extremely hard-wearing.
- How it feelsCool underfoot, ideal for the heat here.
- UpkeepMinimal: washed with water and it doesn't fade.
- LayingOn a screed or on adjustable pedestals, with controlled falls.
- DurabilityVery high: it takes sun, rain and heavy use for years.
- When it suitsSunny terraces and anyone who doesn't want upkeep.
Engineered timber, warm and natural-looking.
- How it feelsWarm and welcoming, pleasant barefoot.
- UpkeepLow, though it can lighten over years of direct sun.
- LayingOn battens, which lets services be hidden underneath.
- DurabilityHigh, far better than natural timber outdoors.
- When it suitsSitting areas, chill-out corners and shaded terraces.
Not sure? We'll look at it on a visit, explain it without the jargon and you decide with all the information. At no obligation.
What to check first
The building and the façade: what you need to know
Two warnings before you start. If you live in a block, the terrace is usually a communal element for your private use: you can renovate it, but you can’t change its external appearance or enclose it without involving the residents’ association, and glazing has its own rules. And the second, the one that really matters: if the terrace sits above a home, any work starts by checking the waterproofing. Laying a new floor over a spent membrane guarantees that in two winters’ time the whole lot will have to come up. We’ll tell you so on the visit, even if the answer makes the quote bigger.
A quote made for you
How much does a terrace renovation cost?
It depends above all on whether what’s underneath has to be sorted or only what’s on top. This is what matters most:
That’s why we don’t publish fixed rates: every case is different and we’d rather see it before giving a figure. Write or call us and we’ll arrange a no-obligation visit, with a detailed quote broken down line by line, free of charge.
How we handle terraces and courtyards
The technical side first, the good-looking part second. That order is the whole secret.
Visit and condition check
We check the waterproofing, the falls and the drainage, and listen to how you want to use the space. No obligation and no cost.
Proposal and quote
We propose flooring, shade and lighting with real samples and a quote broken down line by line.
Working from the bottom up
We resolve what you can't see first (waterproofing and falls) and then lay the flooring, the lighting and the finishing touches.
Handed over ready to use
We go through every detail with you and hand over the terrace ready to enjoy that very weekend.
Before and after of a real terrace
A job by our own team: the old paving of a villa’s terrace, steps and paths replaced with outdoor porcelain tiles.
Frequently asked questions about terrace and courtyard renovations
Here are the questions we get asked most before starting. If you still have one, write to us and we’ll help, at no obligation.
It depends on the floor area, the flooring chosen and above all on whether it has to be waterproofed first. A sound terrace that just gets dressed has nothing in common with one that leaks and has to be rebuilt from the membrane up. We look at it on a no-obligation visit and give you a quote broken down line by line.
Partly yes: there are floors laid over the existing surface (composite on battens, porcelain on adjustable pedestals) with nothing broken up. That said, if the problem is the waterproofing, covering it only hides the leak; in that case the no-building-work option isn’t an option.
With three decisions: pale finishes that multiply what light gets in, drainage properly resolved, and going vertical (tall planters, screens or hanging plants) so you don’t eat into the floor space. In light wells it’s also worth checking the soil pipes and the ventilation while everything is open.
With our sun, technical non-slip porcelain is the most rewarding option: it stays cool, doesn’t fade and asks for very little upkeep. Composite decking wins on warmth and is ideal in sitting areas with some shade. On the visit we show you samples of both.
To change the flooring or the lighting, normally not. To alter the external appearance, install pergolas visible from the street or enclose the terrace, yes, because it affects the building’s façade. We’ll advise you on what fits your case.
An average terrace that’s only being dressed takes one or two weeks. If it has to be waterproofed and the falls rebuilt, it stretches to two or three weeks counting the drying times, which can’t be rushed without compromising the result.
Yes, and it’s the most efficient way: using the same job to leave the fixings, the power points and the drainage in place avoids having to lift anything again later. We work with pergolas, awnings and glazed enclosures.
Yes: built-in planters, irrigation systems, artificial or natural grass and green wall finishes. Finishing the terrace with greenery is what turns it into somewhere you actually want to be, and it’s worth allowing for from the start.