Owning your own home

It kinda does help rationalise it in a way... Mrs 116 is half French, it can be a
'nod to her heritage" or something.
My sister, who lives in Spain, its constantly complaining about all the Terrazzo the Spanish use everywhere, I assume it must be cheap ont continent.

That threshold needs drainage (a channel normally) feeding to the nearest drain. I'm surprised that this wasn't originally specced.

I'd definitely prioritise that over your nice tiled courtyard - having water pooled up there like that could give you damp issues.

As most have said, you should have a drainage channel. I would put it on the side of the patio opposite the door running the width of the patio and slope the patio by just a few degrees. Then connect the drainage channel to the downpipe. The industrial type of channel is pretty cheap but fancy covers can be sourced if the budget allows.

It was cheap, not sure it is on the continent now.

It was invented as a way of using up left over marble chips, the sweepings off the metaphorical factory (more like quarry) floor. The first people to use it were Italian quarry workers taking the leftovers home.

It was very popular post-war here as a cheaper alternative to marble or granite and that's why you see so much on the continent.

I wouldn't be worrying about using it in an East London terrace. If it's cheaper in Spain, could your sis import some for you? :p

fancy covers can be sourced if the budget allows

Or you can use a cellular foam insert which lets water in but keeps debris out.

Our architect suggested this, we never got round to it and now I get annoyed by leaves going into it.

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Love it. Very ‘changing rooms’. Any MDF credenzas or similar?

Looking good. Where are the cabinets from? Looking for something similar.

Please tile under the units!! It's just cork/you'll save about £4 not doing it.

Or one day someone will move in and remove the kickboard and spend an eternity in the kitchen pondering why you chose not to tile beneath.

Or the legs of all appliances will fall off the tiles at the back and rip up the floor if you need to remove them for any reason.

Or the lot will pop up when water gets underneath them from spills going under the cabinets.

Diykitchens.com

Is there an issue with putting kitchen cabinets on top of cork tiles? presumably they compress under the feet?

Yes. You'll have cork tiles.

There’s no need to tile there. You never see it so why spend the money??

It goes all the way to the wall under the oven because that has no plinth.

This is the correct way to do it

Because tidyness and compulsion?

Have you finished the floor yet?

Yea, I never understood the horror show people leave behind their kitchen cabinets in the UK.
It's a room like any other so just finish the room first and then put a kitchen in.

Adding the kitchen over all the crap and horror is finishing the room. Duh!

I kind of a hankering for a real neatly done room in to which a kitchen is added, though.

When installing kitchens this is always my request to the builder. Never happens mind.

Ha was waiting for that.

We didn't get the floor tiled under the cabinets because it seemed a waste of tiles and effort.

Then we had to get half a unit ripped out to fit a catflap (within a year of having the kitchen fitted), and then I had to tile and put skirting in the part that used to be hidden myself, and now it just looks a bit crap.

Pulling out appliances when there's a change in height / tile lip is a shitter.

Really enjoying the cork tiles controversy, in my 37 years I don't think I've ever seen them in a house.

what happened to the corner of your window?

Mr partner and I own a two bed house. We would like to get somewhere bigger in a cheaper area (houses will cost roughly the same). We saw a mortgage guy and, due to my partner now working part time after the birth of our son, we will now get loaned significantly less than when we bought our house. What are our options? Is there a way we can port our current mortgage across (we are only 20 months into a five year fixed mortgage)?

If your mortgage guy is worth his salt he’ll answer that for you. Our mortgage advisor arranged porting of the remainder of my wife’s mortgage + a new loan to buy our current place. It’s all possible, just have to find a lender that’ll do it.