Why does a low-maintenance lakeside hotel terrace reduce operating costs?

For a hotel, a lakeside terrace — like every other commercially used terrace area — is a business factor: it increases occupancy, shapes the first impression, and at the same time stands in wind, sun and moisture all year round. How heavily it weighs on the operating budget is decided by the choice of material. This article shows which cost items drive a hotel terrace over the years, and where a low-maintenance surface makes the difference. You will find an overview of WPC decking for the hotel industry with the range and the process on our industry page.

What sets a lakeside terrace apart from a private one?

Terraces in lakeside locations meet a combination of stresses that rarely occurs together in private housing: expanses of water reflect sunlight, and UV exposure is noticeably higher than on a sheltered garden terrace. Morning dew, lake mist and splash water keep the surface damp for long periods. Added to this is constant mechanical strain — furniture is moved, service trolleys roll across, guests cross the area in every kind of footwear. And after the summer season come the freeze-thaw cycles that turn residual moisture in the joints into a stress test.

Under these conditions, untreated or pressure-treated timber requires recurring maintenance intervals that are difficult to coordinate in day-to-day hotel operation — usually within the short window outside the season. This is exactly where WPC comes in.

Which product properties matter in hotel operation?

Stain resistance in food and beverage service. On hotel terraces with table service, red wine, coffee, cooking oil and sun cream are part of daily life. For heavily used areas, co-extruded boards are particularly suitable: their closed top layer makes it harder for liquids to penetrate, and cleaning remains simple. Which board suits which zone is something we clarify in a specialist consultation, using the values in the respective datasheet.

Slip resistance on a wet surface. Lakeside terraces are often damp in the morning — from dew, splash water or cleaning. Slip resistance comes from the individual board and its surface, not from WPC as a material. According to its datasheet, the Eco Deck Slim board can be used on both sides — the grooved side for wet areas and walkways, the smooth sanded side for lounge zones. This allows an area to be planned zone by zone without changing material.

Colour stability under sun and reflection. South-facing lakeside positions receive light from above and from the water. How well a board holds its colour differs from product to product — so check the shade and the surface in daylight on your own area before ordering: we deliver the sample box free of charge.

Wooden Tec Eco Deck CoEx WPC Decking Board

The WPC CoEx composite decking is the next generation of decking materials. Vibrant colours and increased stain resistance make it the ideal choice for your terrace.

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What should you expect in operating costs?

For a hotel terrace, the purchase is only the smaller part of the bill. The recurring items decide the outcome over the years of use — and that is exactly where the materials differ:

The item most often underestimated is the last one: maintenance intervals have to be organised, the terrace cleared, operation interrupted — internal effort that appears in no material quotation. The quickest way to work out concrete project figures is the cost calculator; for a reliable quotation we record area, substrate and use together with you.

Planning and installation in a hotel project

Roof terrace and build-up height. On roof and attic terraces, centimetres decide. According to the datasheet, the standard build-up heights of the decking boards — depending on the substructure and including rubber pads — are 4.8 cm, 5.8 cm or 7.3 cm. This allows the connection to door thresholds and to the existing drainage to be planned early and precisely.

Installation window in the off-season. For hotels, the season is untouchable. We schedule delivery and installation in the window your operation allows — on request, our installation service takes on the professional execution, with a prepared substructure and pre-cut material.

Substrate, gradient and joints. Frost damage is not caused by the material, but by standing water. The installation instructions set out the key values: a gradient of 1–2 %, at least 1 cm clearance from walls and fixed structural elements, substructure spacings of ideally 30–35 cm (maximum 40 cm), and rubber pads against water build-up. For projects in the St. Gallen / Lake Constance region and in Zürich we have partners for planning and installation directly on site – and in the rest of Switzerland we also support you with experienced installation partners.

Maintenance during ongoing operation

With a WPC system, the following are permanently eliminated: regular oiling or painting, sanding down raised fibres or splinters, scaffolding for surface treatments. What remains is the seasonal basic cleaning with water, a brush and a mild cleaning agent — manageable by your own in-house team, without closing the terrace for days. How the surface gets through the winter is something we have summarised in a separate article on preparation for cold, care and frost protection.

As a Swiss specialist dealer and expert, together with our partners we accompany your hotel project from the board to the finished surface — consultation, delivery and installation. Tell us about the area, the use and the schedule via our contact form, or first get an overview of our WPC decking boards.