Our Company Blog
Protect Your Outdoor Space from Winter Weather
When you’ve invested time and money into your perfect outdoor space, you want to maintain it properly. Protecting your appliances, surfaces, and furniture is very important not only during the wet Spring season, but also during the cold and sometimes wet Winter season.
Winterizing Your Outdoor Space
- Shut off the water to your space. Letting water sit in the pipes and appliances can cause them to freeze and bust, causing damaged pipes, and sometimes affecting other parts of your outdoor kitchen. If your outdoor plumbing has its own shutoff valve, you can easily access it. Otherwise, you can disconnect the hoses on each appliance, draining them of water while you’re at it.
- Switch off the circuit breaker to your outdoor kitchen or unplug individual appliances to conserve resources during the winter months. When you disconnect the cords you can inspect them and be sure they are in proper working order for their next use.
- Clean your surfaces and appliances thoroughly. This includes refrigerators, sinks, counters, furniture, stoves, grills, and more. When your appliances are clean it decreases the risk of wild animals searching for food and shelter in your space. Wild animals can cause more damage than you think to your appliances and furniture.
- Don’t cover refrigerators and ice makers. Covering these appliances can cause moisture to be trapped inside the tarp or cover, causing damage to the working parts. The appliances sold for outdoor use are designed to withstand the elements without being covered.
- Remove faucets and store inside. This keeps the faucets from rusting and clogging. It is also a good idea to cover the sinks so that debris doesn’t settle into the basin, fall into the drain, and cause clogs and damage.
- Apply an industrial sealant to stone counter-tops to avoid stains, chips, cracks, and other damage caused by winter weather. You can find a sealant at local home improvement stores or hire a professional to winterize your counter-tops.
- Call a professional to inspect and winterize your gas appliance. You should also call a professional to install the appliance before use in the spring to insure it is in proper working order and safely connected to the gas source.
- Clean out and cover your fire pit. If your fire pit is mobile, you might consider storing it inside, or purchasing a custom fire pit cover. Avoid a cracked and damaged fire pit by covering it completely. If water is allowed to fill the basin and freeze, even durable metal will crack.
Preserve Your Space
This is by no means an exhaustive list of winter tips for your outdoor space. In addition, depending on your appliances, space, furniture, and more, you may need more or less preparation. The important thing is to preserve your space! This means preserving your investments, and maintaining the operation of your space. At IBD Outdoor Rooms we turn fantasy into reality, and we want your dream space to be your dream space next year too!
Tips for Maintaining Your Outdoor Kitchen
You envisioned the perfect home and you realized that dream. Then you imagined your perfect outdoor space, and you saw that through to completion as well. Your outdoor kitchen is everything you wanted—an oven, grill, refrigerator, fireplace, cabinets, and even dining space. You’ve spent time and money making sure you have the space you dreamed of, so what do you do to keep it beautiful, functional, and efficient?
Proper Care and Maintenance
You have to regularly clean and maintain your outdoor kitchen just like you would your indoor kitchen. If you don’t you can invite bugs and wildlife into your kitchen as well as shorten the life of your appliances and cause unneeded costs in repairs.
Take care to remember these things while enjoying your outdoor kitchen:
- Call a professional for repairs, maintenance, and replacement of appliances and parts. Wood, gas, or oil appliances should be serviced by a professional to ensure correct installation and repairs are made.
- Seal your countertops to avoid staining. A professional can apply an industrial sealant on your countertop, or you can purchase a sealant at a local home improvement store.
- Clean the kitchen after use. Wipe the countertops to avoid stains. Leaving food and residue behind can cause animals to come into your outdoor space.
- Keep the grill clean and check it before and after use. Keep all parts of your gas appliance clean and free of debris and wildlife. Keep an eye on the flame while in use. The flame should be blue with a yellow tip. Anything other than this indicates a problem, and you should discontinue use immediately and check hose and valves for problems.
- Protect your outdoor furniture by choosing a material that best suits your needs and that will withstand the weather. You can also protect your furniture by cleaning it regularly, and keeping it covered when not in use.
- Winterize your outdoor kitchen before winter weather arrives. If you don’t take necessary precautions to prepare for winter your pipes can freeze and bust, electrical components of appliances can become damaged, and furniture can become cracked and damaged due to moisture penetration and a process of freezing and thawing.
The Life and Performance of Your Outdoor Kitchen
The seasons may change, but as a homeowner that invested a lot of money and space into an outdoor kitchen, you not only want it to be exactly what you envisioned, but you want it to last! By keeping up with routine maintenance, cleaning, and following manufacturer’s directions you extend the life of your outdoor kitchen.
Afraid an outdoor kitchen will be too much work? Are you not sure where to start planning? Contact IBD Outdoor Rooms to consult with an experienced professional today. At IBD Outdoor Rooms we turn fantasy into reality.
Grill Ideas from IBD Outdoor Rooms
At IBD Outdoor Rooms, we specialize in creating outdoor kitchens, and we take pride in designing unique spaces with features you will not find in the average outdoor kitchen. One of these features is our Kamado Kaddy or Kradle counters. Over the past few years, grills like the Kamado Joe and other brands have become more and more popular, but these appliances can be difficult to fit into the typical outdoor kitchen. This is why we started offering the Kamado Kaddy or Kradle counters, and we have had wonderful feedback from our customers about this option. We would like to tell you more about this feature and the grills that fit into these counters.
What kinds of Kamado Kaddy or Kradle options do you offer?
IBD Outdoor Rooms has designed four different styles of these Kaddy counters, which are all ready to finish with brick, stone, tile or stucco. You can also have your counter factory finished with our unique and low-maintenance Granitech finish with a base of pure granite granules. The San Juan model is the simplest counter and will fit large kamado-style grills of any brand. The Montego model and the Largo model also fit large kamados and offer generous counter space as well as a choice of doors, drawers, cooler pullouts, or storage bins. Our personal favorite model, the Kahuna, is an island that allows you to showcase your cooking skills. With a rounded raised dining ledge, you have space for four barstools for friends and family to sit around the kamado-style grill and watch you cook. This model also comes with an umbrella holder if you need extra shade.
What exactly is a kamado-style grill?
A thick-walled ceramic cooker, a kamado-style grill is similar to the ancient grills used in Asia. These grills give meats, fish, and vegetables a smoky and rich flavor from charcoal as air flows through the body of the cooker. You can use this type of cooker to grill, roast, smoke, and even bake. One of the most popular brands of kamado-style grills is The Kamado Joe. Available in four different sizes, the Kamado Joe is safe to use as its ceramic surface never gets as hot as a regular grill. You can adjust the air flow systems to get the exact temperature you need. One of our favorite features of the Kamado Joe is its patented Divide & Conquer Flexible Cooking System, which is a multi-level half rack design that allows you to cook different foods at different temperatures at the same time.
Considering adding an outdoor kitchen to your home? Contact us at IBD Outdoor Rooms to learn more about how we can create the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.
Enjoy the Holidays in a New Pavilion
At IBD Outdoor Rooms, we enjoy creating beautiful outdoor living spaces for our customers. While we do a lot of outdoor kitchen planning, we also design pavilions, which are free-standing structures located a short distance from homes. Available with a hip roof or a gable roof, our pavilions are covered structures that you can use for just about anything, including a patio space, a dining area, or a focal point for outdoor entertainment. A pavilion can be a great space for entertaining family and friends during the holidays. If you are concerned about cold temperatures, you can add an outdoor fireplace or heater to your pavilion so that you and your family can enjoy it all year long. We would like to tell you about some of the benefits of adding a pavilion to your backyard.
Add architectural beauty to your yard.
Even a small pavilion creates a focal point in your yard, and it gives a bit of architectural beauty that can be enjoyed all year long. With a roof to protect you from the elements of weather, you will not have to worry about canceling outdoor party plans if it is raining.
Provide a shady area.
Not only does the roof of a pavilion protect you from rain, it also gives you a shady place to sit outdoors when the weather is hot. If your yard does not have any mature trees to provide shade, adding a pavilion is a perfect idea to help you enjoy being outside without worrying about sunburns.
Create an outdoor entertainment center.
Since your pavilion is covered with a roof, you can house a stereo to play music outside when you are entertaining. If you have any musicians in your friends and family, you can even host a concert from your pavilion. You can also install a flat-screen television in your pavilion for those who like to watch sports during a cookout. Honestly, the sky is the limit when it comes to entertainment options in your pavilion.
Install an outdoor fireplace.
To be able to enjoy your pavilion all year long, an outdoor fireplace provides warmth for the colder months of the year. You will love having a covered area to be able to sit outside and enjoy being by a cozy fire. IBD Outdoor Rooms has several different options for outdoor fireplaces, and we are happy to help you plan your perfect fireplace for your pavilion.
Enjoy dining outside.
By setting up a table underneath your pavilion, you can serve meals outside to your family and friends. If you would like to incorporate an outdoor kitchen with your pavilion, you can trust our designers at IBD Outdoor Rooms to design the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.
Spend the holidays outdoors in your pavilion this winter. Contact us at IBD Outdoor Rooms to get started on planning your perfect pavilion.
Why Fire Pits Are a Great Idea for Your Backyard
If you and your family enjoy spending time on your deck, patio, porch, or other outdoor living space, you may want to consider adding a fire pit to the area. With a firepit, you are able to take advantage of spending time outdoors no matter what the weather may be. IBD Outdoor Rooms specializes in designing gas-fueled fire pits that are convenient and chore-free. We have several styles of fire pit housings in different standard shapes and sizes, and we can help you choose the best style for your outdoor living space.
Variety of Shapes and Styles
Whether you are wanting an elaborate fire pit that will be the focal point of your outdoor living space or a simple fire pit to provide a gathering place for friends and family, IBD Outdoor Rooms can help you design the perfect fire pit for your backyard. Our most popular design is the octagonal fire pit, but we also have round, square, wedge, oval, and rectangular shaped fire pit housings. If you are looking for something unique, we can show you our Stratford and tall pedestal housings. We carry different sizes of each shape that can fit 19-inch and 25-inch gas burners.
Variety of Uses
Not only does a fire pit give light and warmth to your outdoor living space, but you can also cook food by placing a grate or grill over your fire pit. A fire pit can be even better than a regular grill if you have a larger fire pit that will allow you to cook for a large crowd. You can also treat your fire pit like a campfire to roast hot dogs and marshmallows on skewers. No matter whether you choose to use your fire pit for cooking or not, you can still use your fire pit as a place to gather with friends and family and enjoy the outdoors by watching a fire. If you need a focal point for your outdoor living space, a fire pit can provide the perfect one.
Safety and Ease of Usage
Gas fire pits are very safe to use if they are built and installed properly. You will want to ensure your fire pit is at least 10 feet away from any structure or combustible surface to avoid any accidental fires. Gas fire pits are also very easy to use as you use a knob or switch to turn it off and on and control the flame. You will not have to worry about gathering wood for the fire or cleaning up ashes after a fire with a gas fire pit.
Considering adding a fire pit to your backyard? Contact us at IBD Outdoor Rooms to find out how you can get started on this project.
