Since many of you today decide to build some sort of outdoor patio’s, kitchen, grill spaces we decided to give you a rundown on what materials you need for one of those.
Outdoor kitchens have proven to be a very nice addition to any home and garden. You can have a nice party with your friends on a nice summer day outside, grilling or cooking and you can have a conversation while doing so. Sometimes it is nice to have your friends see how you prepare their food and have them be involved in the process which makes for additional fun.
According to a few pieces of research we stumbled upon all of these outdoor additions to your home increase the value, given that it is done properly and according to law. If you have the time and if you are willing to invest a bit to get a big return then an outdoor kitchen is what you need.
In the article today we will consider an outdoor kitchen, as the title already revealed, and here you will get all the basics you need. We will try to explain all the methods you may utilize while doing one of these and will include some pros and cons of each. This will be for both professional and DIY style builders and we believe you will enjoy it.
1. Old indoor kitchen cabinets
If you want to start a project like this it is best to start it with new materials and parts. Reusing old kitchen cabinets from your indoor kitchen is a big NO. If you are willing to spend a big amount of money on a new decking and setup for a new outdoor area then you have to invest in new cabinets as well.
How it would look like to see old, although might be well maintained, already used cabinets on a new shiny decking and granite work surfaces. Something would pop out of that picture and we know exactly what. If you decide on something like this never reuse stuff like indoor cabinets because it will never look right plus it will probably hurt the value of the entire thing as well.
2. Wood/Timber
By choosing these for your outdoor kitchen you will save some money and if you are on a tight budget it is totally fine to go with a wooden theme. Thanks to places like Hamill Creek Timber Homes you have a wide variety of themes and styles to choose from, plus you can choose on a floor plan you like the best. If you opt for this type of material for your outdoor kitchen then you have to see all the pros and cons. The pros to choosing wood are wood is a relatively cheap material and it’s always easily available.
The good also is that it’s easy to work with, and with basic tools you can create a wonder if you have the skills and it’s very lightweight. The cons would be its flammability, the necessity to use insulated liners for places where hot appliances would be, short lifespan due to rotting and decay if not protected well in the beginning.
3. Bricks and blocks
These have been a standard for a very long time when it comes to outdoor kitchens. It kind of has a very nice and rustic look and it fits in most scenarios and themes. It has a very long lifespan, it is an extremely strong material for this type of project. It has been longly used for open firepits and grills as well as BBQ pits due to it not being flammable and thanks to its heat resistance. It is also cheap to build and easily affordable material.
As for cons, you will end up with a lot of messy installation and lots of cleaning up to do. Labour costs for this are high but you really would need a professional for this job. It is very difficult to work with and it is not so flexible in adapting openings and similar ones once constructed so it needs to be planned in detail.
4. Modular building blocks
Now, this is something you probably saw somewhere, maybe at your next-door neighbour?! These types of building material are quite interesting and you have a few different types of materials on the market to choose from. These boast with fast installation meaning you get lower labour costs, again a job for professionals most of the time. It will offer you a very long life span and a neat and clean look that will grace your home, or your outdoor area.
As for cons, these are very heavyweight materials and you have to take good care of them because there is little room for errors. You can have these readily available, meaning you will have to order and wait for it to arrive and it has a big problem with water absorption and the freeze and thaw cycles, so if you are in an area where that is a normal weather cycle you might want to reconsider the choice of materials.
5. Metal frame outdoor kitchen
Metal construction for your outdoor kitchen is a very good choice because you will have something very sturdy and stable for a long period. What is a great thing is that you don’t have to worry about it too much as long as it has been done properly. One thing to know is that metal frames will have to be cladded with cement boards because you have to aim for that flush flat surface to start adding features to your outdoor kitchen of dreams.
Pros of this type of outdoor kitchen are low cost for materials, a very long lifespan that we already mentioned, it is extremely strong material for its weight, it is easily adaptable which is a bonus. As far as cons, one has been mentioned and that is the additional cost of sub cladding in the form of those cement boards and it needs a thorough plan before building.
So after everything said here we believe that there will be no problem for you to decide what material will your new outdoor kitchen be made of. Look at all of these, look at all of their pros and cons and we know that you will make the right decision. Good luck and we hope you make it awesome!