Homeowners these days aim to build fully functional outdoor kitchens. These kitchens don’t only make your lifestyle better by helping you stay outside for a long period of time, but they can add more value to your property as well and increase its resale price. To build a quality outdoor kitchen, other than selecting a skilled outdoor kitchen contractor, you’ll need to use quality materials which will stand the harsh outdoor weather. You should keep the materials the same as a regular outdoor kitchen even if you’re building the kitchen under a covered outdoor area. The materials you use to make your outdoor kitchen will not only affect the kitchen aesthetically, but will also affect its longevity.

Which Materials To Choose?

Here are some key considerations you should make when designing an outdoor kitchen.

For Outdoor Kitchen Counts

The material used in outdoor kitchen countertops will need to be durable enough to withstand grease and food spills. Also, it should be able to withstand high temperature from the grill and additional exposure to environmental elements like rain and dirt.

If you’d like to add stone to your outdoor kitchen countertops, then you should choose non-porous materials like granite or bluestone. You should also get the stone properly sealed to avoid long lasting stains and to retain the natural patients of the used stone. People also use stainless steel to make their outdoor kitchen countertops. Stainless steel is usually considered as a durable yet more affordable option as compared to stones. However, steel is notorious for its highly noticeable fingerprints.

If you need more customizability in your outdoor kitchen countertops, you can opt for cast concrete bench tops. They are very common amongst the homeowners who like to choose their own custom style, size and want to explore a number of different colors and textures for their outdoor kitchen countertops. If you’re using timber for the bench tops, make sure that it is pure hardwood, and is rated for outdoor use. Any type of wood must also be sealed with a sealant to make it water resistant.

Flooring For Your Outdoor Kitchen

The flooring of your backyard kitchen is equally as important as the flooring of your indoor kitchen. The flooring used in your outdoor kitchen must be durable to stand the test of time and external elements. That is because there will be a high volume of foot traffic, grease exposure and food spills in the area.

This is the main reason why a majority of homeowners use natural stone for the flooring of their outdoor kitchens. No other flooring material can match when it comes to durability and aesthetics. There are lots of different styles of natural stone that you can choose from. You can further protect the natural stone flooring by picking a high-quality penetrating sealer. This will help in retaining the natural patina of the stone, and will also avoid permanent stains from developing.

Cabinets For Outdoor Kitchen

Cabinets of your outdoor kitchen will need to be as durable as the cabinets of your indoor kitchen, and even more durable to withstand their exposure to the outdoor elements. Cabinets made from quality materials will be able to withstand heat, mold, moisture, and rust. The most common types of materials used for outdoor kitchen cabinets are marine-grade polymer, stainless steel, and timber.

If you’re going with stainless steel, remember to choose the cabinetry that has welded corners, and is very rigid. This ensures stability of the cabinets and longevity of the whole structure. However, if you’re looking for a low maintenance alternative, you can go for marine-grade polymer. This material is basically watertight, allowing you to simply use a hire and wash the whole thing whenever you need to clean the cabinets up. For timber, it must be sealed. Many timber types are well known to withstand rot even in outdoor settings.

Other Materials

Additionally, you should not forget about smaller parts like the componentry, which includes hinges, draw rollers and handles. All of these components must be made out of quality materials. You should look for specific versions of these components made specifically for outdoor use. You should also discuss with your masonry contractor to decide on durable materials for your outdoor kitchen.