Flush threshold

[claire1518]

Hi, we have sliding doors (Sunflex) fitted in summer of 2021. We are only now just looking to do our patio and the plan was to have a flush threshold. The sliding door company sold us Aquabocci drains R47.

However because the doors are set back slightly, the blues bricks that the door sit on protrude, so how can we get the drain next to the doors as per the original plan?

 

Reluctant to cut the blue bricks back, fear of damaging door and disturbing inside floor?

 

Thanks for your help

[BotusBuild]

Got any pictures of the current situation and the drains that are to be fitted?

[claire1518]

Yes I'll attach some photos

[claire1518]

[Russdl]

I don’t see the blue bricks. I wonder if you can do it the same way we did. 
 

I set an Aco drain below the door drip and then used pedestals for the patio. All the water off the door goes into the Aco and the patio goes right up to the door. All the water on the patio falls down the gaps in the tiles, thanks to the pedestals. 
 

Edited April 28 by Russdl
Added a picture.

[claire1518]

Thank you that's a helpful idea. The blue bricks are under the black plastic you can see. The blue bricks are level with the house, the doors are set back slightly hence the blue bricks protruding. I can't see how we can put any type of drain next to the doors because of it......

[Russdl]

For you to do what we did would take a bit of digging out of that hard core but I reckon it could work, even with a normal patio construction. 
 

Is there a drain under there somewhere? Clearly that:

 

7 hours ago, claire1518 said:

Aquabocci drains R47.

should be connected to a drain. 

[claire1518]

Yes there's drains ready to be connected to. So your idea would be to put the drain really low down below the blue bricks? 

 

I would just use a cheaper version drain for this. The Aquabocci drain was £1400 😭

[Russdl]

42 minutes ago, claire1518 said:

So your idea would be to put the drain really low down below the blue bricks? 

 

Not necessarily ’really low down’ just underneath the door drip which would be below your blue bricks. I’ll try and dig out some photos. 
 

Either way, you’re going to have to dig down and then your original drain will work, apart from:

 

42 minutes ago, claire1518 said:

 

Yes there's drains ready to be connected to.

 

Where are they then? Above the blue bricks?? Deep underground? Picture. 
 

42 minutes ago, claire1518 said:

I would just use a cheaper version drain for this. The Aquabocci drain was £1400

 
That’s a premium over an Aco, no doubt but whilst it’s no real help I (and probably others on here) have made some expensive purchases that weren't absolutely necessary and have kicked ourselves afterwards. 
 

Edited April 28 by Russdl
Photo added

[Andehh]

We had exactly the same with our sunflex, blue brick step out.

 

Pic below is what we did. Set back a blade drain, enabling tiles either side of it. Not as surgically attractive as it could have been, but soon Iver looked....

[Andehh]

Issue we created was having our sliders able to slide both ways meaning outer sunflex panel forced us to sit the tiles down 20mm due to the lip the door created, meaning not truly flush, was annoying but again... Soon forgotten!

[claire1518]

Yes our third panel is fixed so have the same issue that it isn't flush. Apparently Sunflex make them flush now 😏

[Andehh]

Yeah, they were finalising a bolt on part or something to enable flush fitting last year when we had ours installed, but couldn't afford the delay to wait and see.

 

With the channels the doors sit in, you naturally step over it all and 20mm, isn't noticable unless looking at it.

 

For us it also acts as a final 'fail safe' for water flooding/pooling risks in driving wind.

 

If your panel is fixed could you not tile tight to it, and have flush tiles, then a thin bead of black silicone round it all to hide minor gaps?

Edited April 28 by Andehh

[markharro]

3 hours ago, Russdl said:

pedestals for the patio

Hi @Russdl how do these pedestals work? Surely the tiles don't just sit on top with a gap below? We have groundworkers coming this week to do a few things including making up the ground to our sliding door for a flush finish. We are not placing a drain but I am still confused how the final finish is done. Part of our issue is that we still haven't decided what the capping will be - probably stone rather than tile but one issue is that stone would be too thick to butt level with our threshold!

[Russdl]

14 minutes ago, markharro said:

Surely the tiles don't just sit on top with a gap below?

They do. And it can be really crappy underneath, I’ll find a photo. 
 

 

14 minutes ago, markharro said:

probably stone rather than tile

We’ve got 20mm porcelain tile, still looks like new after 2+ years our previous experience with stone is the new look didn’t last long and the grouting loved to make a little space for a weed or three. 
 

Edited April 28 by Russdl
Photo added

[markharro]

Interesting thanks....is the system designed simply to work with tiles? Do you have a link @Russdl to where you get these things. How do they stay put when you are setting out?

[Russdl]

@markharro you can get all manner of pedestals and as far as I’m aware you can put anything on them, our porcelain tiles are very heavy - no issue.

 

Some have articulated tops to allow fall/make up for an uneven sub base - overkill I think.  I used the cheaper ones and sand to level the base. 
 

Word of warning though, they’re not cheap, but if you’re DIYing then they will save a fortune over employing someone else to f*ck up your patio. If you go down this route let me know and I’ll provide all the hints and tips that I have/remember.  
 

17 minutes ago, markharro said:

How do they stay put when you are setting out?

Not sure what you’re asking there but we had compacted type1 which was all over the place, I got it vaguely level and then let the height adjustable pedestals do the rest, bit of sand underneath the base for final levelling (with a tiny fall) and jobs a good ‘un. 
 

Google ‘patio pedestal system’ or some such thing and you be inundated with results.