Do you and your family enjoy eating a lot of meals in your backyard throughout the warmer months of the year? If so, you might want to consider building an outdoor kitchen that you can use while doing it.
Creating an outdoor kitchen will make it so much easier for you to prepare meals prior to eating outdoors. It'll also help you avoid having to run in and out of your house all night long, both before and after your meals are done.
There are, however, some things you should know before building an outdoor kitchen. You won't be able to put together plans for the perfect outdoor kitchen without putting the proper plans in place. We've come up with a guide that will make building an outdoor kitchen so much easier than it would otherwise be. Check it out below and use it to bring your new outdoor kitchen to life.
Decide Who Will Help Build an Outdoor Kitchen
Unless you have enough experience to do it, building an outdoor kitchen on your own should not be an option. It's a lot harder to build an outdoor kitchen than you might think.
For this reason, you should hire a company that can help you with building an outdoor kitchen from start to finish. Look around at the carpenters in your area who specialize in completing outdoor kitchens. Hiring the right carpenter will get your outdoor kitchen project off to a strong start. It'll ensure that you'll be in good hands as you set out to create the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.
Figure Out Where to Put an Outdoor Kitchen
Once you have a reliable and reputable carpenter in your corner, you should schedule a free estimate with them. They'll be able to come out to your home and tell you approximately how much it'll cost to build an outdoor kitchen.
While they're there, they'll also be able to help you figure out where to put an outdoor kitchen. They should be able to make suggestions based on how much space you have in your backyard and what you actually want out of your outdoor kitchen.
An outdoor kitchen is going to take up its fair share of room, so you should be sure to put it in the right place. You should be able to get a general idea of where you would like your outdoor kitchen to go after speaking with a great carpenter.
Come Up With a List of Must-Haves for an Outdoor Kitchen
Which things do you want to see in your outdoor kitchen? It would be worth making a list of the must-have items that you would like to see appear in your outdoor kitchen.
While you're generating this list, you should keep your preferred cooking styles in mind. It'll make it possible for you to decide which cooking equipment you want to have available to you in your outdoor kitchen.
From a grill to a stovetop to a smoker, you're welcome to put whatever you would like into your outdoor kitchen. You'll need to figure out which items you want to see the most in this space.
Design the Right Outdoor Kitchen Layout
Once you know what you want to have in your outdoor kitchen, you can start to design the right layout for it. A great carpenter will be able to go over a bunch of different options for you. Anytime you design a kitchen, either inside or outside of your home, you'll want it to have a functional layout. Everything that you'll need while working in your kitchen should be at arm's length so that it's easy to get to as you cook and entertain.
Take a look at which outdoor kitchen layout ideas a carpenter brings to you and pick out the one that seems like it'll work the best. This will be one of the most important steps you'll take while building an outdoor kitchen.
Find Places to Put Outdoor Kitchen Lighting
You're going to prepare at least some of the meals you make in your outdoor kitchen when it's still light out. But there will also be meals that you'll make after the sun has set.
Because of this, you're going to need to incorporate great outdoor kitchen lighting into the mix. You should have at least a few lights worked into your outdoor kitchen plans so that you're able to see well when you're cooking in your kitchen.
Finding places to put lighting in an outdoor kitchen can be tricky since you'll likely have to run electrical wiring throughout the space. But an experienced carpenter can figure out how to put lights wherever you would like them to be.
Settle On Where Outdoor Kitchen Seating Will Go
You're going to be using your outdoor kitchen to do more than just prepare meals. You'll also likely use a portion of it to eat meals with your family and while you're entertaining others.
As a result, you'll need to have outdoor kitchen seating for when you're eating. You should be able to find places to set up chairs where people can sit and eat and even just talk to you while you're cooking.
You should also think about creating a patio space surrounding your outdoor kitchen with additional seating options. It would be a good idea to set up a large outdoor dining table that can accommodate a large number of people.
Just make sure you don't wait until the very end to set up outdoor seating. It could put you in a position where you'll have to scramble to find enough space for everyone to sit.
Select the Best Materials for an Outdoor Kitchen
More often than not, you won't be able to use all the materials you would use while building an indoor kitchen in an outdoor one. For example, installing hardwood cabinets in an outdoor kitchen will expose them to the elements and ruin them before long.
With this in mind, it'll be your job to select the right materials for an outdoor kitchen so that they all last a long time. Something like high-density polyethylene (HDPE) will be a much better option for building outdoor kitchen cabinets than hardwood. Stainless steel cabinets have also become very popular among those building outdoor kitchens.
Your carpenter should be able to talk to you about which materials would look and work best in an outdoor kitchen. You should ask them to walk you through your different options so that you can select the materials that you like the most.
Stick to a Budget When Building an Outdoor Kitchen
Building an outdoor kitchen isn't always going to cost as much as building an indoor one. But there will be times when creating an outdoor kitchen from scratch can get to be very costly.
It's why you need to come up with a budget for an outdoor kitchen from the start and then commit to sticking to it as best you can. You should let your carpenter know what your budget will be and have them make suggestions to you based on what you can afford to spend.
There will, of course, be some instances in which unforeseen circumstances might force you to spend a little more than you may have planned to on building an outdoor kitchen. But generally speaking, you should aim to stay on track as far as your budget is concerned.
You should also give yourself some wiggle room in your budget from the start, just in case any surprises pop up. It'll increase your chances of staying under budget from the start.
By establishing a budget, you'll make building an outdoor kitchen less stressful overall. Your family will be able to look forward to all the memories you'll be able to make in your outdoor kitchen as opposed to worrying about what it's going to cost to build it.
Contact Us for Help With Building an Outdoor Kitchen
Building an outdoor kitchen can be a challenge if you don't have the right carpenter on your side. LGB Carpentry is here to help you with all your carpentry needs.
If you've been dreaming about building an outdoor kitchen for a long time now, we can bring all your dreams to life. We would love to sit down to talk about the ideas you have so you're able to start creating an outdoor kitchen that your family will be able to enjoy for years to come.
Contact us today to obtain a free estimate for an outdoor kitchen.
Comments