Hi All,
I am laying a patio and on it I will have an outdoor kitchen (approx 3m long). If I lay the patio with a 1:80 slope then one end of the kitchen will be 38mm higher than the other. So the question is.... should I level the kitchen units and therefore have the 38mm height difference or should I go with the run of the patio so the units are the same height off the floor. If I go with the former, then fitting a kick-board will be problematic too.
Any ideas appreciated.
Thanks
Lee.
Make the worktop level. I hope any material which makes up this kitchen is proof against rain.
On 29 Aug 2022, snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk wrote
If I understand the description correctly, sloping it to match the slope of the patio would drive me absolutely nuts[1]: not only would things roll down the slope of the worksurace, all the verticals will be....not vertical.
Assuming the patio slopes in just one direction, I think you're stuck with either placing the 3m kitchen unit(s) at 90 degrees to the slope (so that the work surface can be made level from front to back rather than side to side), or biting the bullet and custom-fitting the kick- boards.
[1] YMMV, of course, but I think it would look deeply wonky. Cheers, Harvey
Actually looking at this again the problems get worse :) Behind the kitchen units I am creating a "wall" (studs and cement board) which comes up around 330mm above the worktop height to fit plug sockets on etc. So I have the same levelling issue with this too. I guess whatever I do for the units, I will have to do the same for this otherwise you will notice the 38mm height difference?
If only the patio could slope perpendicular to the way it runs and then the units will be level. Unfortunately all the drainage has already been run so can't change that now :(.
On 29 Aug 2022, snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk wrote
Yup -- the studs of the backing wall will need to be vertical, and the top of the stud wall will need to be level. Like the worktop, if it slopes, it's just going to look very wrong.
That's a bummer, for sure. I don't think there's any way to position the kitchen units satisfactorily, though, that won't involve customising the heights to make them vertical.
Think of it like a fence that goes up a slope, where the fence posts have to be vertical -- you can't set the posts at 90 degrees to the slope. In the same way, you can't set the kitchen units at 90 degrees to the patio slope without it looking wonky.
Cheers, Harvey
Cast a level concrete plinth and put the units on that
Or make up some pillars where the legs will go (could be cast, stacks of tile, or threaded rods where you can adjust the height). That may not be necessary if the legs are adjustable with enough travel. You could either cast a level front so the kickboard sits horizontal, or just cut an angle to the kickboard.
(if this is outside, are you doing something better than the usual chipboard kickboard?)
Theo
Can you not make the patio so that the kitchen units are on a horizontal plinth at the top of the slope, with the slope running away from the units? From what you say, that might mean that the patio slopes across the house, rather than away from it, but that would probably not look as bad.
I think it is getter to go the other way because then the surface is always the same distance from the ground. The only real downside is that a few things that are round will tend to roll down the slope but there isnt much like rolling pins like that and its unlikely that they will be used much outside.
And pigeon shit for that matter. Personally, I think outdoor kitchens are a very silly idea, doomed to fall to bits and get all kinds of nasties inhabiting them. Brian
On 29 Aug 2022, The Natural Philosopher wrote
Excellent solution.
More so the kick boards which may trap the moisture on the underside and take a long time to dry out.
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