Our Company Blog

We Build Luxury Outdoor Kitchen Islands and More!

Now is the time that homeowners across the U.S. begin to plan their summer festivities. Whether it’s Sunday barbecues or FourthOutdoor Kitchen with Island - IBDODR.com of July block parties, it’s important to have the space you need and the kitchen you want. Outdoor kitchens are growing in popularity—especially among homeowners who like to entertain. With an outdoor kitchen, you can host more guests, you can avoid indoor odors and extra heat by cooking outside. Perhaps your idea of an outdoor kitchen has never been more than a barbecue grill and picnic table on the lawn. IBD Outdoor Rooms is here to turn your fantasy into reality, and that means turning your outdoor space into the outdoor kitchen of your dreams. Custom outdoor kitchen islands are our specialty, and there are plenty of designs to choose from.

Luxury Outdoor Kitchen Islands

In order to bring together your outdoor space, we offer six standard designs for outdoor kitchen islands. These designs range from straight, angled, U-shaped, L-shaped, and custom or serpentine-curved. These island designs come with a standard amount of cutouts in which homeowners might install cabinetry or appliances. They also may include additional cutouts, cabinet liners, caveats, electrical boxes, dining ledges, and backsplashes. When designing with IBD Outdoor Rooms, you can mix and match any of our luxury outdoor kitchen island designs to accommodate your space perfectly. All of our kitchen islands arrive to your home unfinished, ready to finish and install to your liking and with the contractor of your choice.

Accessories and Options to Consider

When you have decided on the basic shape of your new outdoor kitchen island you can begin to look at the rest of the details that will bring it all together. In addition to basic designs, we also offer options including a rounded dining end which can accommodate a fire pit or ice bucket, a dining ledge priced per linear foot, tile top extensions, and additional length, cut-ins, and height. Looking for roofing for your outdoor kitchen? You can add a post hole to the frame of your island to accommodate a pergola or pavilion style structure post.

Wood-Fired Ovens

Your kitchen may have a stovetop or grill surface, but no outdoor space is quite complete without a wood-fired oven. Not only will it provide heat to the guests, but it allows yet another cooking space for all the food prep and entertaining alike. Forget pizza—your wood-fired oven can cook all types of food. Bake, roast, or grill! Let this ancient art slowly cook all your favorite recipes so they’re delicious and nutritious. Not sure if a wood-fired oven will fit your space? These too are unfinished and can be installed and finished to your liking. Make sure you call and secure a general contractor for your installation so that the work is done according to your municipal safety codes and that your units will be safe and work properly.

Are you on the fence about your outdoor space? Not sure if you have enough room to warrant a purchase such as an outdoor kitchen island? Check out some of these outdoor kitchens for inspiration.

Call IBD Outdoor Rooms to get started with your order today. Our products are made in the U.S.A. and delivered to your doorstep.

Dial 704-960-4530 today.

By Sheryl Isenhour | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We Build Luxury Outdoor Kitchen Islands and More!

Storing Wood Throughout Winter

Throughout winter, the average homeowner in the northern states and Canada may burn about four cords of firewood. This is a fairly large portion of wood. One cord is a stack of cut wood measuring 4 ft. x 4 ft. x 8 ft., equaling 128 cubic feet. Considering that most stove and fireplaces will only hold about 3-5 cubic feet at one time, you have to have a place to store the rest of this wood all winter!

Seasoned Firewood

You should only burn properly seasoned firewood in your fireplace, stove, or fire pit. This means that you not only need a place to store it through winter, but also while it seasons. When a tree is cut down, it is filled with water in long tubes that stretch from top to bottom. The water from the wood dries when you cut the length and expose it to sunlight and airflow. Cut and store the best-burning firewood for 3-6 months (depending on the species of tree) so that it has less that 25 % water content.

Storing Your Wood Supply

It can be tricky to find adequate space for all that firewood! The best way to store your wood so that it becomes seasoned properly is to store the stack with at least one side exposed to sunlight and free-flowing air. Storing seasoned firewood inside a shed is also a fine idea. Placing your wood on a bed of gravel prevents your wood from sitting in standing water. This is particularly important in wet climates like the Pacific Northwest. You can also use the bark of the firewood to protect it. For instance, placing the bottom layer of wood bark-down can protect it from standing water. Placing the top later of wood bark-up can help the water to runoff instead of affecting the entire stack. Many homeowners prefer covering wood with tarps to avoid wet firewood, but it’s still important to leave one side of the stack exposed until it is seasoned and ready to burn.

Buying Your Wood Supply

In order to save space, or if trees are not available for cutting, homeowners often buy firewood from a local supplier. If you’re buying wood, it’s important to find a supplier that only sells seasoned wood. Go and see the wood before you make your purchase. Measure and make sure that you’re getting a cord if that is what’s advertised. Don’t pay too much for firewood.

Signs Your Wood is Ready to Burn

Whether you cut and store your wood for the winter, or you purchase and store a cord at a time, you should be sure it’s seasoned before you burn it in your fireplace, stove, or fire pit. When your wood is ready to burn you will see:
-Cracks along the edge of the wood (checks)
-Graying or dulling in color
-Hollow noise when hit together
-Bark pulls away from the wood
-Lighter in weight
-Wood feels dry (inside) when split

Whether you want to store your wood in a shed, a lean-to, or in the open, make sure it’s seasoned, and well away from the house. Placing firewood next to the house is a fire hazard. Most conservation agencies suggest storing your firewood 30 feet from your residence.

By Sheryl Isenhour | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Comments Off on Storing Wood Throughout Winter