Category: Outdoor Kitchen Countertops

Maintaining and Cleaning your Outdoor Kitchen

You’ve done it! You are now the proud owner of a Custom Outdoor Kitchen, undoubtedly you’ve hosted a few outdoor cookouts and relaxed under the sun with friends and family. It’s easy to enjoy your investment but let’s not forget to keep up with maintaining our wonderful Outdoor Living Space. By its very nature, our outdoor kitchens will attract dirt and, and not to mention wear and tear from the elements. Let’s go over some basic tips and guides for maintaining and cleaning our outdoor kitchens.

Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances and Surfaces

Our outdoor living spaces were designed to meet the outdoor weather head-on! However, that doesn’t make them invincible against wear and tear. As a general rule of thumb, never cut on a stainless steel surface, instead bring out or store a cutting board in your outdoor living space. With that said stainless is really easy to clean! Typically you’ll only need soapy water a microfiber towel and good helping of elbow grease. Be sure to clean these surfaces regularly by including in your weekly cleaning schedule.

How to make it Shine!

We’ve all been there, after a few months or a year of heavy use, oil and finger smudges accumulate into a fine but noticeable haze that covers the surface or certain spots of your shiny stainless steel appliances and surfaces. Never fear! Stainless Steel Polish is here! Apply a penny-sized drop of polish to a microfiber towel and rub the polish into the stainless steel in a single direction, working it in circular motions can lead to “swirling” which will only complicate resurfacing it next year. After applying the polish be sure to rinse it off completely using a CLEAN microfiber towel and soapy water. Once down rinsing dry the stainless steel with another microfiber towel as the chloride found in most tap water will stain your shiny new surface.

Protect that new shine

For this step, you may want to consult a professional but it is a task that most outdoor fanatics can tackle. To protect your stainless steel appliances and surfaces from corrosion and rust you can add a few coats of powder or clear coat. Clearcoat with brings out another level shine that polish alone cannot produce, while powder coating surfaces can add a layer of color and texture. Think of this step as you would a leather jacket, it will keep you both safe from the weather and most minor abrasions.

Update your Outdoor Kitchen Living Space

Spending time outside enjoying the lovely Florida sun with friends and family is arguably the sweetest fruit of our labor. The size of the outdoor space hardly matters you make it your unique outdoor paradise. Planning your outdoor kitchen correctly and safely will maximize the usable outdoor kitchen living space available to you.

Outdoor Fung Shui

The right tile and outdoor material will bring out the desired color of your outdoor kitchen living space. Outdoor tiles and materials are the foundation that brings the entire outdoor experience together. Whether you go with a neutral finish such as stone or opt for warmer materials such as brick molded concrete, the outdoor floor defines the mood of the space

A touch of Green Thumb

Having plants in your outdoor living space helps elevate the mood and makes the whole experience more organic. Plan the color of your fixtures around the color of the types of plants you’d like to have to create an additional layer of aesthetic. Plants introduce a number of benefits that include lowering the carbon dioxide levels, and keeping the temperature a little lower!

A Splash of Water Features

Whether it’s a bubbling hot tub or a pouring fountain, there is nothing more relaxing than the sound of moving water. Introducing this pleasant babbling feature no matter the size will help stress relief for both you and your loved ones.

Simplifying The Process: Owning an Elegant Outdoor Kitchen, It’s Ease and Your Happiness

Elegant Outdoor Kitchens, outdoor kitchens, bbq, outdoor living, barbecue islands, custom outdoor kitchens, custom outdoor living, florida, naples, ft myers, fort myers

Owning an Elegant Outdoor Kitchen is different than going to Home Depot, writing out all the products you wish to include, hiring a general contractor and piecemealing your thoughts into an inconvenient, stress-amplifying experience. The ease we provide to our customers is beneficial for many reasons. Not only do we remove you from the unwanted burden placed upon yourself to achieve the desired result, but before the process even begins we guide you through a series of pertinent questions that may have been otherwise overlooked.

For instance, will you be hosting parties or the occasional intimate family gathering? Will you need refrigeration, natural gas or running water? Do you have the proper water lines or gas lines running to your outdoor living area? If not, have you inquired about an estimate? What type of fuel will your primary cooking components use? (Natural gas, charcoal, wood, propane, etcetera). Will you be dining outside? If so, do you want your outdoor kitchen to have reasonable accommodation for such? What type of cooking are you most interested in pursuing? Will it be grilling, baking, smoking or a combination of the previously mentioned? What kind of material finishes will you be selecting and have you considered how they’ll fair in the Southwest Floridian weather? Do you need functional storage and trash storage? What design layout works best for your allotted space? Have you spoken with a professional design consultant yet?

Reading these questions may seem overwhelming. Not only are they valid concerns, but there’s also quite a few. Many of them would’ve arisen once the general contractor had been hired, creating an added pressure to have an answer before you know if it’s the correct one, had you not considered each prior.

Andrea and Ben Poulton of Elegant Outdoor Kitchens indeed simplify the process. You can contact us for a free consultation, we’ll come by your home at a time of your selection, and together we’ll navigate the parameters and possibilities within them while focusing our attention on what’s practical, within budget and aesthetically appealing. We’ll create a mock outdoor kitchen in our software, propose it to you based on the information we’ve discussed, further reworking the design if necessary, and once you’re happy with the layout, action will ensue. You won’t have to worry one bit; continue on with your life. We’ll just be in the backyard shrouding your vision with sawdust and hard work; however, once the debris settles and our final tool goes back into its bag, you’ll realize in that moment that your selection to choose us was one you won’t regret.

Call us today for a free consultation. Let’s create something lasting, something you take pride in, something beautiful, something you.

Winter Season Maintenance Tips for Outdoor Kitchen Granite Countertops

Close-up of Saturnia Granite & California Gold Stacked Stone

With the winter season approaching, keeping your outdoor kitchen and living areas clean can seem like a daunting task.
Sure, during this time we tend to be a bit more relaxed with the amount of cleaning and maintenance we perform. If you’re reading this article, the chances are that you own an outdoor kitchen area that you would like to maintain during Winter season. We’ve included some maintenance tips you could use that will ensure that your countertops don’t damaged or deteriorate during the winter season.
That’s why we’ve compiled a few helpful tips on how to keep your granite countertops in good shape during this time:

Sealing Granite Countertops

Obviously, one of the crucial steps to maintaining your outdoor granite countertops during the winter is to seal them.
Keeping your countertops in good condition largely depends on sealants. Especially if your countertop is exposed to snowfall, sealing your countertops on a more regular basis is of the utmost importance. Increased exposure to moisture will wear out the existing layer of sealant, and we all know that moisture can be detrimental to your countertops. Whether your countertops are granite, marble or quartzite – moisture will adversely affect them. So be sure to seal them regularly!

Watch Out For Freezing and Thawing (Even in Areas that Don’t Receive Snow)

Another aspect to be on the lookout for is the cycle of freezing and thawing. It’s important to watch out for this because the cycling of freezing and then thawing can certainly lead to cracks in your countertops.
While there’s not a lot you can do to prevent this, we recommend – as we stated above – that you seal your countertops more regularly. Plus, if your countertops are exposed to snowfall you can brush away the snow to further prevent any stains or cracks.

What about Sinks on Your Countertops?

This section depends on if your outdoor living area has a sink and is also based on your overall Winter intensity. Be sure that you close off the water valves and be sure that those lines are drained. You can even remove your faucets and store them indoors.

Outdoor Kitchen Countertop Considerations

Custom Granite Outdoor Kitchen Countertops by Elegant Outdoor Kitchens

Custom Outdoor Kitchen Countertops - Granite

Custom Outdoor Kitchen Countertops – Granite

When it comes to your elegant outdoor kitchen, countertops are one of your first considerations. Countertops improve the aesthetic appeal of your barbecue Island. Outdoor kitchen countertops are the primary place for food preparation and serving. It’s important to understand how much counter space you’ll need, along with whether you’ll add any features and or components to it. Adding components like a sink or sideburner, or features such as a backsplash are things you must keep in mind. Functionality and durability should be top priorities when building your outdoor kitchen. Looks are important, but not before functionality and durability. It’s extremely important to select a material that will complement the style of your home, along with how you intend to use it.

An outdoor countertop needs to be durable, weather-resistant, and beautiful. Outdoor countertops will be exposed to natural elements such as UV rays, heat, humidity, rain, etc. Therefore, durable and weatherproof outdoor countertop materials are of the utmost importance. Other considerations are material strength and resistance to spills, staining and frequent use.

Three of the best choices for your outdoor kitchen countertops are stone, concrete, and tile. Stone, concrete, and tile are designed to stand up to the outdoor elements and use. It’s always a good idea to check with the manufacturer before installing. The last thing you want to do is install a countertop material, only to find that it’s made for interior use only. We wouldn’t want your beautiful countertop to fade or deteriorate too quickly. Durable and protective materials can be costlier in the initial construction process, but these costs up front will end up saving you in the long run.

If you’re thinking of building a custom outdoor kitchen area and need to speak with a professional, give Elegant Outdoor Kitchens a call today. We’re the premier outdoor kitchen construction company in Southern Florida. Schedule an on-site consultation today!