Renovation at Costa de la Calma
The plots here are small and open, with very little standing between the property and the weather. Wind is the constraint people underestimate, and designing for it is most of what makes an outdoor space usable outside high summer.
Shelter is worth more than square metres
A large terrace nobody can sit on for half the year is not a large terrace. On an exposed plot the difference between a space used in April and one used only in July is almost always shelter: something solid on the windward side, a roof or a pergola with real structure, and glazing or planting arranged to break the flow rather than to frame a view.
Wind also decides how things are built rather than only where. Pergolas, awnings, screens, gates, roof tiles and anything else fixed to the outside of the building are loaded far harder here than a few streets inland, and the fixings are usually what fails rather than the item itself. Specifying for it costs very little at the point of ordering.
The other effect is on the building envelope. Driving rain finds its way through details that would be adequate in shelter, so the same window, the same render and the same roof junction perform differently on this coast. It is a reason to be specific with any company quoting the work about which side of the property faces the weather.
What exposure changes on a small plot
- Solid shelter on the windward side, rather than screening everywhere
- Pergolas and roofs designed as structure rather than as decoration
- The fixings behind anything mounted outside, which fail before it does
- Glazing chosen for wind load as well as for the view
- Roof tiles and ridge details on an exposed pitch
- Driving rain at window and door junctions
- Gates, railings and shutters that are used hard by the weather
- Planting that can survive as a windbreak rather than as decoration
- Outdoor furniture and equipment that has somewhere to be stored
- Making the most of a small plot without losing the shelter it has
Most asked for here
How your request reaches a company
Mallorca Renovation is a comparison service. A request for work on an exposed plot goes to the renovation and building companies on our list; they quote the work and carry it out, and any agreement is between you and the company you pick.
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01
Describe the job
Tell us the property, roughly what you want and where it is. Photographs and a rough plan help, though neither is required.
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02
We match it
The request goes to companies that work in your area and take on this kind of job at this size.
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03
They quote you
Each company contacts you directly with its own price, timing and approach. We do not set any of it.
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04
You compare and choose
Put the quotes side by side and take the one you want, or none of them. Using the site costs you nothing.
Is a pergola enough shelter?
For sun, usually. For wind, only if it has a solid side and the structure to take the load. A pergola designed for shade and one designed for weather look similar and are not the same thing.
Why do fixings outside fail so quickly?
Because they are loaded repeatedly rather than constantly, and repeated loading works fasteners loose in a way steady weight does not. Specifying properly for the exposure costs little and prevents most of it.
Can a small plot still get a usable outdoor room?
Frequently yes, and it is more about position than size. One well sheltered corner is used far more than a large open terrace, and it is worth designing for that rather than for the maximum area.
Get quotes for an exposed coastal property
Describe the plot and which way it faces, and let several companies price the same scope.