Having an outdoor kitchen at home is a great way to entertain your friends and family. You can throw parties, reunions, and even just simply catching up with the people close to you.
An outdoor kitchen is a great place to cook because it also keeps the undesirable food smell outside such as deep-fried fish which smells can linger for days in your condo unit.
But you are not a contractor. How can you build your amazing outdoor kitchen with all the fun cooking gadgets such as a gas grill, rotisserie, oven, smoker, etc.?
In this article, we will walk you through a step-by-step plan on how to build your outdoor kitchen without outsourcing the work to contractors.
Nine Steps on How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen
1. Build the Structure
Start from building the post for each box. With the use of a circular saw cut at least eight lengths of 2×4 depending on the height of your kitchen counter. If you want to add cabinets, use a 2×4 support in the middle of the bottom frame.
2. Wrap the Frame
When sheathing the frame, screw three boxes on each side then flip the frame over and screw a metal post standoff to the bottom which will serve as the feet. Leave openings in the sheathed area to fit any cabinet openings.
3. Place the Lath
Cover all the wooded areas with felt by using a staple gun. Start from the bottom up and overlap the sheets of felt by a couple of inches to avoid any liquid getting inside. Look closely on a sheet of wire lath and note which way the honeycombs are protruding outward. Check by running your hand over the wires–in one direction the sheet will feel like a cheese grater. Ensure that the cables face up as you lay each sheet over the builder’s felt. Then trim the wire lath using tin snips.
4. Apply Some Masonry by Troweling on a Scratch Coat
Mix a bag of mortar with water until it reaches a thick consistency, and it can cling to a trowel when turned upside down. Push the mortar into the crevices downward. If at any point you feel the lath moves, stop and nail it tight to the sheathing. After that, you should not be able to see any mesh.
5. Groove the Mortar
To do this, score the surface when the scratch coat is firm using a half-inch of a notched trowel. Keep the lines straight and parallel to the ground as you can, so you can use them as guides when you start setting the stone.
6. Spread the Bond Coat Before Placing the Stone or Tile
Collect the stones into multiple piles based on the corner, short, long, and rectangular pieces to organize them, and it will help to create a random color pattern. Scrape excess mortar from the edges, and then use the trowel point to create V-shaped air pockets.
7. Lay the First Course of Stones or Tiles
In doing this, start from the base corner by setting L shaped stone firmly on the grooved scratch coat. Scrape the excess mortar and push the tile or stone to tighten the seal. Try knocking the tile or stone at any point and feel if it’s loose. When you feel it loose, remove it and reseal it.
8. Veneer the Rest of the Frame
Continue setting the stones/tiles and include stones in various sizes to make it look natural. Do not lay any stones over the flanges of the cabinet boxes. Position straight-cut stones on the top edge so they sit flat against the underside of the counter.
9. Lay the Fixtures
Once you lay the stones, set it for 24 hours before you install the fixtures such as cabinet doors or boxes. Then install the countertop and grill.
Materials for an Outdoor Kitchen
If you are building a permanent outdoor kitchen, look for sturdy, long-lasting materials, such as brick, concrete, or stucco, along with details made of metal or tile. These look attractive and create coherence when used on an outdoor structure, such as a kitchen.
In building an outdoor kitchen, consider how many household members will be cooking outdoors and what type of cooking they usually do.
Kitchens are the heart of your property. This is where everyone gathers for a laugh while sharing a hearty meal at home. If you’ve got basic construction skills and a couple of friends who love to DIY, you can join forces in building your grilling station outdoors.
