I'm thinking of alternatives to granite, concrete, etc for my outdoor kitchen counter tops. These will be covered but still subject to rain blowing in during hard storms. So they need to hold up to getting wet.
I've got 3/4 cabinet plywood down now and was hoping to marine varnish it but the temps and the rain haven't cooperated. it's got a little bubble here and there. So I'm looking at options.
I think I want to wrap the plywood in light gauge galvanized flat tin sheet. Should patina well and fit my aesthetic. Do you guys think laying the tin directly on the plywood will eventually rot the ply from inter-layer condensation? Should I put down a layer of tarpaper and then tin on top?
I'm thinking wrapping the edges under so it would be pretty well protected.
How's that for the random weird thread of the day?
In reply to ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) :
If you check with the big box stores they sell their display granite countertops for cheap money. $50. Usually every year.
Granite will last like , er, Granite even outdoors and look great longer than you will live. Go ask the cabinet guys when they change them.
My outdoor countertop is made of leftover quartz that came out of the kitchen I remodeled. If you want that look, I'd definitely be going to places such as Habitat. But of course it's a different aesthetic than a tin slab.
I don't think you'll have condensation problems - that requires a temperature differential between the metal and the air. That seems unlikely on an outdoor countertop other than occasionally when you're cooking.
Nice stone is awesome but definitely not the look I want. The bases are already wrapped in roofing tin, it's a beach bar or BBQ shack kind of thing. Plus I've got circular cutouts for my kettle grill, no way I can duplicate that in stone myself.
I know that the metal chairs sitting by the countertop have heavy condensation some mornings. There's enough condensation on the tin roof to run off like rain. This is in Georgia, where we have two seasons - hot and wet, and cold and wet. If we get below 60% RH here people's skin shatters. But I'm not sure there's enough air gap between the tin and the wood it's laying on to be an issue.
Question about metal countertop. The first two responses are to use stone? Seriously, how do you guys get from metal to stone?
I doubt condensation would be a huge deal and your varnish should take care of any that happens. I would be more interested in having a solid surface under it to keep the dents to a minimum. Maybe bed it in epoxy.
In reply to ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) :
How would you deal with the corners? Folding it would be the only way to prevent the underlying wood to get wet.
And if a metal countertop is ok, can you just find a metal counter from a used restaurant supply store? All of the restaurants I worked in had SS counters.
did my outdoor kitchen last month
counter was $150 from leftover local store
ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) said:
Nice stone is awesome but definitely not the look I want. The bases are already wrapped in roofing tin, it's a beach bar or BBQ shack kind of thing. Plus I've got circular cutouts for my kettle grill, no way I can duplicate that in stone myself.
I know that the metal chairs sitting by the countertop have heavy condensation some mornings. There's enough condensation on the tin roof to run off like rain. This is in Georgia, where we have two seasons - hot and wet, and cold and wet. If we get below 60% RH here people's skin shatters. But I'm not sure there's enough air gap between the tin and the wood it's laying on to be an issue.
Ah, dew. I remember that :) I picture it as only forming on the top surfaces, but it probably doesn't adhere to the bottom.
I agree that a lack of air gap will probably prevent problems.
How did we get to stone? Because it's a solution for an outdoor countertop. But if you read carefully, it's not the ONLY solution.
Lose the plywood, find a used stainless counter top from a lab. The plywood is going to die, no matter what you do.
Or do it in stone.
Streetwiseguy said:
Lose the plywood, find a used stainless counter top from a lab. The plywood is going to die, no matter what you do.
Or do it in stone.
If you don't like granite, use Blue stone. The nice thing about blue stone is you can cut it to shape yourself. It's slow work and dusty. But gives you control.
If it fits your aesthetic, a stainless food service table/countertop might be the way to go. Online surplus auctions, FBM, CL, that's how I got mine.
Cabinet plywood just doesn't hold up well outdoors. It's not just the humidity, it's the glue that is used. Cabinet plywood uses a very rigid glue because it is designed to be in a house where the temperatures and humidity are pretty consistent. As the alternating layers of grain expand and contract in a more extreme environment like outdoors, it breaks the glue bonds. That's why marine plywood is often shaped like a bowl. The glue is more flexible, so when the layers of wood expand and contract, they allow the wood to bow.
I would say your idea of putting tin over plywood is fine, but I would expect frequent replacements would be required.
