Support pads for terrace pavers – when to use and how to choose?

Terrace support pads for pavers are low-profile elements made of durable plastic. Unlike adjustable pedestals, support pads have a fixed height and are used for point support of pavers. In a raised deck terrace system, they are responsible for:

• stabilizing terrace pavers
• enabling water drainage
• providing a ventilation gap between pavers
• protecting the substrate from direct contact with the paver

They are most commonly used under various types of pavers made of materials such as porcelain, natural stone, or concrete.

If you are not yet familiar with how the entire system works:

See also: What is a raised deck terrace

Support pads for 2 cm pavers are used in situations when:

• the substrate is already level,
• there is no need to level the substrate or height differences are minimal
• only separation of the paver from the substrate is needed
• we are building a terrace on the ground

In such cases, there is no need for threaded adjustment – stable, point support is sufficient.

If the substrate requires leveling:

See also: Adjustable terrace pedestals - application, construction and selection rules

Used in cases of extremely low heights, when we need to create even gaps between pavers, or to create at least a minimal ventilation space.

These types of support pads are available in various colors - black, transparent, and gray. They have 3 mm built-in spacers, which can be changed to 5 mm.

Support pads made of plastic or rubber with heights of 8, 10, 15, and 16 cm can be stacked. This allows us to achieve greater heights.

They also have built-in 3 mm spacers, which can be changed to 5 mm.

First of all, the pavers rest on point supports – at the corners and at the intersections of the joints. This creates an even gap between the pavers which:

• allows water to drain away
• compensates for thermal stress
• eliminates the need for grouting

Thanks to this, the terrace retains its appearance for longer because it is not exposed to the effects of water. Additionally, the entire terrace installation process is significantly accelerated.

About installation principles:

See also: Laying pavers on a raised deck terrace - installation rules

In the standard layout, support pads are placed at the corners of the pavers (60x60x2 cm). For larger formats, additional support pads can be placed along the sides by breaking out the joint spacers.

Each support pad must be placed on a stable base:

• concrete screed
• concrete block
• paving slab
• hard surface, at least 200 kPa/m2

1. Placing support pads on an unstable surface.
2. Failure to maintain a gap between pavers.
3. Too large a paver format without additional support.

More about mistakes:

See also: Most common mistakes during the installation of raised deck terraces