Is it possible to lay a board directly on the existing old floor of an open wooden terrace
Open terrace, wooden floor. Can I put the board directly on the existing old floor?
Janetta
Expert Answer
Hello, Janet.
For arranging the floor on the veranda, it is best to use special terrace (they are also called deck) boards. In order to save them, of course, you can replace the usual, planed hardwood lumber (beech, oak, ash, etc.). To protect against fungi and fire, the wood will need to be impregnated with an antiseptic and treated with a flame retardant.
Terrace is laid on pre-laid logs, the cross-section of which should be at least 50x50 mm with gaps between individual boards up to 10 mm. Such gaps are needed in order to effectively remove moisture during rain or snow melting.
It is not recommended to lay boards directly on an existing platform just because moisture will accumulate between the old and new coatings and cause increased rotting of the wood. Nevertheless, if the purpose of the work is redecorating, then dismantling the boards just because of their unsightly appearance is not necessary - it is enough to provide an air gap between the old and the new coating.
This can be done using a mini-lag from the same oak, acacia or larch. Bars with a thickness of at least 2 cm should be laid over old lags. The distance between the individual rails depends on the thickness of the boards. For lumber with a cross section of 20–35 mm, it can be 0.5 meters, while 50 mm oak boards will not bend with logs installed with a distance of 1–1.2 meters.
Finally, we recommend checking the slope of your terrace. If the previous veranda was not equipped correctly, it is necessary to tilt the platform to the outside by 2-3 mm per 1 meter of length. This can be done at the installation stage of the mini-lag, using the bubble or water level, as well as an ordinary building cord. The correct slope will contribute to the rapid removal of water and the drying out of the surface after rain - this will positively affect the durability of the floor on the veranda.
