Alfresco Outdoor'ish Kitchen Materials

[DannyG]

Im looking for some ideas as to what materials to use in an Alfresco area for an barby kitchen arrangement.

Its not really outdoor but it will still be exposed to the elements a bit. Im thinking some slight wetness when the wind is blowing the rain hard enough.

My initial idea is that melamine carcass's for the cabinetry might still be ok if I use some reasonably weather proof doors and benchtops??

Or is there another material thats cost effective but more weather proof? What about bench tops? Stainless is a bit industrial and will be expensive and a stone top will be a bit pricey too I think?

Any ideas? Thanks for any help.

[austastar]

Hi,
     Precast concrete carcase and bench top?

Cheers

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

[DannyG]

Hi,
     Precast concrete carcase and bench top?

Cheers

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

I like the concrete benchtops and I have seen them made on youtube but I dont know how to make precast carcass's??

[gronk]

https://www.flatpackkitchens.com.au/diy-outdoor-kitchens

This is just one place...

[DannyG]

https://www.flatpackkitchens.com.au/diy-outdoor-kitchens

This is just one place...

Thanks yeh I have looked at those but at $7000 or more for a pretty basic kitchen it is out of my price range. I am looking to do something myself in a more reasonable price range.

[vern]

I like the concrete benchtops and I have seen them made on youtube but I dont know how to make precast carcass's??

I made concrete benchtops for our last house. Used melamine to make up a mold. Put reo in, concrete mob made up a special batch, think it was just concrete but with 7mm rock. Key tp a good finish is to get all the air bubbles out, so hire a conrete vibrator.
Sealed it with a special sealer to prevent staining, then coated it in beeswax.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[DannyG]

I made concrete benchtops for our last house. Used melamine to make up a mold. Put reo in, concrete mob made up a special batch, think it was just concrete but with 7mm rock. Key tp a good finish is to get all the air bubbles out, so hire a conrete vibrator.
Sealed it with a special sealer to prevent staining, then coated it in beeswax.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Thanks Vern Yeh I have watched a lot of Youtube vids on the subject. I am keen to give it a try.  Id love to make a large outdoor table using the technique.

[Marcus73]

I am looking to do something myself in a more reasonable price range.

Cardboard box perhaps?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DannyG]

Cardboard box perhaps?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes ill make a special cardboard box outdoor table for you to sit your steak on....

[gronk]

I work at a benchtop manufacturer....Laminex only. A white back laminex top will be pretty waterproof for any water falling onto it....and I can't see how it would get wet underneath.

[vern]

Thanks Vern Yeh I have watched a lot of Youtube vids on the subject. I am keen to give it a try.  Id love to make a large outdoor table using the technique.

Our island bench we made was 50mm thick, 1000mm wide, and 3200mm long with a sink in it. Was pretty heavy, we just made the plinth and carcasses with a few extra double walls in them, worked a treat. Also did bathroom and other kitchen benches too.
Think it cost ne $149 for concrete, reo we had, and whatever the cost of the melamine was

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[DannyG]

I work at a benchtop manufacturer....Laminex only. A white back laminex top will be pretty waterproof for any water falling onto it....and I can't see how it would get wet underneath.

What do you mean by a white back laminex top? Is it melamine on the underside?

Would it be safe to say that a sheet of melamine is reasonably weather proof if no water gets to the chip board under the laminated finish? Im not talking about being outside in the rain but just in a potentially exposed environment. They use it for bathroom vanities for instance.

Our island bench we made was 50mm thick, 1000mm wide, and 3200mm long with a sink in it. Was pretty heavy, we just made the plinth and carcasses with a few extra double walls in them, worked a treat. Also did bathroom and other kitchen benches too.
Think it cost ne $149 for concrete, reo we had, and whatever the cost of the melamine was

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Good work, care to show us some pics?

[gronk]

A white back top is similar to melamine.  Similar to a bathroom vanity, it is unaffected by moisture unless it gets to the chipboard.

A vanity or even kitchen cupboards will only swell around the bottom if it sits in water or continually gets damp.

[KeithB]

Many years ago, in another life, I had a BBQ business. We made benchtops out of compressed fibrous cement. We would epoxy clue strips around the edge to make them look thicker than they really were. Tile over that and you have a bench that can be lifted by hand, will take a bit of weight and last outdoors indefinitely. You can lay them on brick piers with a bed of mortar. You'd have to hire a wet saw to cut them.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/our-range/building-hardware/building-boards/fibrecement-accessories/compressed-cement-sheeting

[glenm64]

I made my alfresco kitchen with a treated pine frame and cement sheet cladding with a acrylic texture coat finish.
Doors are all natural timber but theres always lots of options for doors.
I picked up 2 marble slabs cheap that I used for the top. But I reckon a concrete top would be easy to DIY.

Cheers Glen

[paceman]

I made my alfresco kitchen with a treated pine frame and cement sheet cladding with a acrylic texture coat finish.
Doors are all natural timber but theres always lots of options for doors.
I picked up 2 marble slabs cheap that I used for the top. But I reckon a concrete top would be easy to DIY.

Cheers Glen

have you got any pics of this?

i am currently in the process of trying to design a new BBQ stand/kitchen bench...

[kylarama]

HMR Melamine should be fine for the carcasses.  For longevity seal all the raw cut edges of the carcass with an epoxy paint, or even a bondcrete/PVA & water solution. Maybe even caulk the internal joins of the carcass with silicone, incase water pools.

If your budget allows.  Look at Compact Laminate (by Laminex group) for the doors and top.  We use this stuff all the time in toilet and shower partitions.  Also joinery in laboratory fit outs.


Also another brand Tricoya.

https://www.gunnersens.com.au/info/tricoya/?gclid=CjwKCAjwy_XaBRAWEiwApfjKHgKXQ4jFTtQYQb-vVrkerUvSuc4ML8lT7pDvuG5viTvIwPPKXtcBAhoCW44QAvD_BwE




Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

[DannyG]

Thanks for the info gents some really good ideas for me to consider.

Now I am wondering how much heat melamine or even laminated bench tops can handle. I may have to put some sort of shield around the BBQ so its not getting the cabinetry too hot.

[glenm64]

have you got any pics of this?

i am currently in the process of trying to design a new BBQ stand/kitchen bench...

Im on shift for the next few days.
Will get a few later..

Cheers Glen

[kylarama]

Thanks for the info gents some really good ideas for me to consider.

Now I am wondering how much heat melamine or even laminated bench tops can handle. I may have to put some sort of shield around the BBQ so its not getting the cabinetry too hot.

You definitely want something non-combustible around the sides, base and back of the bbq.  Maybe line the face of the carcasses with cement sheet.
Benchtop should be okay.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

[Pete79]

The cabinet in our outdoor entertaining area is all solid timber.
Our area is reasonably exposed and we built a small wall to give the cabinet some shelter so it doesn't get rain on it directly, but the floor 300mm in front of it does get very wet in storms.

I guess our climate is a little different to yours, but during our wet months one side of the house doesn't really dry out for many weeks. At this time the timber swells a lot and half of the doors become very hard to open and close. The drawers aren't that bad.
This summer I expect I'll rip all the doors off and give the edges a hit with the plainer.
I expected some movement with solid timber, but didn't expect it to swell as much as it does.

I haven't built my bench top yet, but when I do I'll be using some thick Fibro sheeting and tile the top of it.

[glenm64]

have you got any pics of this?

i am currently in the process of trying to design a new BBQ stand/kitchen bench...

Heres a link to it.
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=28369.msg802476#msg802476
I made the frame and clad it with blue cement fibre sheet. Acrylic rendered it all and then put it in place. The black marble top is in 2 pieces with the join at the BBQ, so you cant see it. The doors are natural edged timber with stainless steel inserts. For the cupboards my son cut me up melamine to box them out and seal everything up. You can see the last one on the right that didnt have a door on it when the photo was taken.
It is cladded around the BBQ areas to insulate the frame. It doesnt transfer any heat to the timber.
It gets a bit of weather during winter but the melamine doesnt get any water on it. About the only maintenance it needs is some danish oil every 2nd year on the door timber. I could estapol the timber but it would lose some of its tone that I like.

[DannyG]

Really nice Glen. I might do a similar thing but I'll weld up some stainless frames for the doors and use stainless inserts.

I like the rendered look, it gives colour options.

[paceman]

Heres a link to it.
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=28369.msg802476#msg802476
I made the frame and clad it with blue cement fibre sheet. Acrylic rendered it all and then put it in place. The black marble top is in 2 pieces with the join at the BBQ, so you cant see it. The doors are natural edged timber with stainless steel inserts. For the cupboards my son cut me up melamine to box them out and seal everything up. You can see the last one on the right that didnt have a door on it when the photo was taken.
It is cladded around the BBQ areas to insulate the frame. It doesnt transfer any heat to the timber.
It gets a bit of weather during winter but the melamine doesnt get any water on it. About the only maintenance it needs is some danish oil every 2nd year on the door timber. I could estapol the timber but it would lose some of its tone that I like.

Thanks mate... looks tip top...

What sort of joins did you end up using for the timber in the bbq cavity?

This is the spot that I am having trouble working out how to do...

The bbq has some weight to it, and I'm not a carpenter's bum hole, so any tips would be great...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[glenm64]

Thanks mate... looks tip top...

What sort of joins did you end up using for the timber in the bbq cavity?

This is the spot that I am having trouble working out how to do...

The bbq has some weight to it, and I'm not a carpenter's bum hole, so any tips would be great...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Think they were just lap joins.
Quick and easy to do.