Our Company Blog
Winter Weather Can Damage Your Outdoor Entertainment Area
Fall weather might have had a slow start, but winter is in full swing. Most of the country is experiencing arctic temperatures, and it happened abruptly. You might have been enjoying your outdoor fire pit, and now you can’t stand outside to find your car key. It’s cold. This weather doesn’t just affect your heating bill; it can also damage your outdoor entertainment area. Even if you haven’t prepped your outdoor space for winter, there is time to prevent damage from happening.
Prevent Dry Rot, Mildew, and Mold
You can save yourself a lot of work and hassle by simply storing certain things in a garage, shed, or house. Cloth furnishings should be taken indoors to avoid damage to the upholstery. Most patio furniture is equipped with separate cloth cushions so they can be easily removed and stored. Other things that should be removed and stored include curtains, coverings, and decorative elements. If you cannot remove items or store furniture, you can protect your furnishings with a roof or custom cover.
Prevent Rust, Stains, and Deterioration
Your cup holders, sinks, and fire pit will hold water if allowed. Throughout winter, rain and snow fall and collect in these spaces. This moisture will freeze and damage your appliances, furniture, and fire pit. Many cup holders in tables and chairs are removable. If they aren’t removable, cover them. Protect your fire pit with a custom cover, and cover your sinks, or disconnect the drain so that water runs out of them. This will prevent water damage and keep debris from clogging your drains and pipes.
Prevent Damaged Pipes and Connections
Before you forget your outdoor space for winter, disconnect the water from the sink, refrigerator, and any other connection that can freeze and bust. It’s best to also disconnect the gas line to the fire pit, stove, or grill since it will be several weeks or months until you use theses appliances. If you have electricity in your outdoor entertainment area, you should be able to shut it off so that there is no risk of complications, damage, or fire to your belongings.
Protect the Inside of Your Cabinets
Your cabinets are made to withstand the outdoors, but the things you have in your cabinet are not. Double-check that you don’t have items in your entertainment area that can freeze and bust, making a mess that you’ll have to clean later. Open cabinets can allow water in to damage the structure and materials inside as well. These storage areas are a great place for furniture cushions. Take perishables out, and put cloth pillows, curtains, and cushions in. Then lock them up so they’re secure.
Call Us Today
At IBD Outdoor Rooms, we want all of our customers to get the most out of their outdoor entertainment area. We offer many options to create your dream space and add value to your property, and we want it to last. If you’re concerned about your entertainment area during the winter, consider adding a roof to your area. There are many great options that are beautiful and functional. Choose the best for you today. Call IBD Outdoor Rooms at 704-960-4530 to speak with a representative today.
How IBD Outdoor Rooms Builds Cabinets
When designing the ultimate outdoor kitchen for your backyard, choosing quality cabinets is an essential part of the planning process. In an earlier blog post, we discussed several construction mediums that outdoor cabinets may be constructed from, but each has its drawbacks.
Here at IBD Outdoor Rooms, we specialize in designing and constructing outdoor kitchens, and would like to share with you some helpful information regarding the outdoor kitchen cabinet construction and finishing materials we use.
Because of the weight of concrete blocks and their tendency to crack due to water absorption, we choose to use metal and HardieBoard when constructing our cabinets. As a result, our units can be placed on raised decks and other weight restrictive areas. We avoid building units from wood due to their likelihood of catching fire once the wood has dried out.
We create our cabinet interiors using 22 gauge galvanized G-90. We begin with flat metal and bend our own stud and track so we can control the integrity of the structure.
After forming the stud and track, we then construct the island to the customer’s specs. The metal is spot-welded to form the unit. After the spot-welding, the welds are re-galvanized to prevent rust.
The exterior is constructed of HardieBoard, which is designed to withstand the outdoor elements. This material is attached to the frame with glue and then screwed into the studs. All seams are then sealed to prevent as much water penetration into the interior as possible.
The exterior of the islands can then be finished in your product of choice, stone, brick, stucco, tile, stainless steel, various wood or polymer finishes. Each finishing product has its pros and cons – to learn more, be sure to check out our last blog post!
Units will then be shipped to the dealer or taken to a job site for installation.
Choosing the Best Cabinets for Your Outdoor Kitchen
If you are planning the ultimate outdoor kitchen for your backyard, choosing the best cabinets is an important decision. You want to have plenty of covered storage space for your outdoor kitchen, and you also should carefully consider the type of material used to construct the cabinets. You want to be sure your cabinets can withstand exposure to all the weather elements so that they will last without fading or becoming damaged. IBD Outdoor Rooms specializes in designing and constructing outdoor kitchens, and we would like to share with you some information about four materials from which outdoor kitchen cabinets are manufactured.
Polymer
A synthetic material similar to plastic, polymer is more technically known as HDPE, or high density polyethylene. Also known as “marine-grade” polymer because it is also used in boating technology, this type of material is resistant to rust, rot, and other forms of deterioration. Stain-resistant, polymer has the benefit of UV inhibitors that resist fading from the sun. This material is easy to clean and is also impervious to water and moisture. However, you are limited in color choices with polymer, which does not have a lot of visual detail. And, if you are conscious of the environment, you may not want to choose outdoor kitchen cabinets made from polymer as it is constructed from petrochemicals.
Stainless Steel
Resistant to corrosion and staining, stainless steel can be an excellent material choice for outdoor kitchen cabinets. If you like the look of metal, you will love having strong and durable kitchen cabinets either made from stainless steel or coated in stainless steel. Another plus to stainless steel outdoor kitchen cabinets is that they will match your stainless steel gas grill and other outdoor kitchen components to give a uniform look. There are a couple of downsides to this material as it can become very hot in the sunlight. Stainless steel is also difficult to keep clean from fingerprints and oil stains unless it is protected by a special finish.
Wood
Only the right types of wood can be used to construct outdoor kitchen cabinets, and these types include teak, cypress, and ipe. Outdoor kitchen cabinets made from wood also should be treated appropriately for protection from the elements. If you want a warm appearance for your outdoor kitchen, wooden cabinets can be your best choice. You get a beautiful visual detail from the wood grain that you cannot with stainless steel or polymer. A big disadvantage of wooden outdoor kitchen cabinets is the amount of care needed to keep them looking good and in their best shape. Wood can easily fade and break down without the proper care.
Masonry
Constructed from concrete blocks or a metal frame covered in a brick, decorative stone, or stucco veneer, masonry cabinets are extremely resistant to weather effects and the elements. This type of outdoor kitchen cabinets also gives you that “built-in” look. On the downside, this type of cabinets can be the most expensive to install as they are quite labor-intensive to assemble and install. You also must purchase additional exterior components such as doors and drawers for masonry cabinets.
Tile
Tile produces a great look on an island but will need some maintenance to stay looking perfect. Tiles need to be sealed on a regular basis to ensure that the grout does not become stained by the elements. Even with the added time it takes, it does make for a beautiful island. Also, if weight is a problem, tile is much lighter than stone or brick.
Stucco
If you have stucco on your home now and want to match the exterior you may choose to use stucco. Stucco can be colored to match any existing areas. One of the downsides of stucco is the staining that can occur if it’s not cleaned regularly.
Want to know more about outdoor kitchen cabinets? Reach out to IBD Outdoor Rooms to find out about your available options.
There Are Good Choices In Outdoor Cabinets
At IBD Outdoor Rooms, we specialize in creating the outdoor kitchen of your dreams. Of course, grills and wood fire ovens are the stars of the show. However, cabinets are essential for storage space. When choosing outdoor cabinets, the main aspect to consider is how will they stand up to the weather elements in your climate. The best outdoor kitchen cabinets are made from weather- and termite-proof materials like stainless steel, marine-grade polymer, teak, high-quality resin, and stone. When you design your outdoor kitchen with IBD Outdoor Rooms, you have several options of cabinets made from these materials. We are proud to sell NatureKast outdoor kitchen cabinets, and we would like to tell you more about this brand and their selections of cabinet choices.
Experimenting with durable materials and cypress wood led to an amazing product.
In business for over 20 years, Michael Moras, the owner and president of NatureKast, came across a high-density resin that looked exactly like coral stone. So impressed with the durability of this material, he began using high-density resin to create cabinets, fireplace mantels, range hoods, and even wine rooms. However, he continued to mainly use real cypress wood to build outdoor kitchen components, including cabinets. As his business grew and became known as the expert outdoor living area company in Northwest Florida, he began having problems with the cypress wood products warping, fading, and falling apart. Working with finish experts, he tried every finish possible to attempt to best preserve the wood in the coastal conditions. If his customers continued to oil or varnish their cabinets, the success rate was excellent. Nevertheless, not everyone wanted to deal with that sort of extra maintenance, and replacing the cabinets became a big part of his work. Remembering how well the high-density resin works, Moras created a cypress door out of the material, which led to the development of the revolutionary NatureKast outdoor kitchen cabinets.
Building outdoor cabinets with 100% waterproof materials does not mean you must sacrifice style.
While stainless steel outdoor cabinets are weather-proof and match most grills, some people prefer the look of wood cabinets, and NatureKast outdoor kitchen cabinets give you that style using a molded wood grain resin with a UV-resistant finish. You can choose to order your cabinets primed to stain or paint yourself, or your cabinets can arrive custom painted or stained. Available finishes with NatureKast cabinets include a designer weathered finish in charcoal, graphite, desert tan, Spanish moss, and driftwood, as well as stains and glazes in chestnut, cypress, walnut, silver birch, and espresso.
With different cabinet choices in regards to design, you are able to customize your outdoor kitchen to best fit your cooking needs.
With grill and side burner base cabinets, including a yeti cooler pull-out cabinet that can hold ice for up to five days in 100 degree weather, you have the option of installing a suspended cabinet unit in between standard base cabinets, panels, or support posts. These “floating” cabinets give an airy, open appearance and make cleaning below easy. If you use a Big Green Egg, NatureKast has base cabinets made specifically for this grill.
Ready to make some outdoor kitchen cabinet choices? Contact IBD Outdoor Rooms to find out more about your options. Alongwith the NatureKast cabinets, we also carry a selection of stainless steel cabinets for the outdoor kitchen.