Alfresco Outdoor'ish Kitchen Materials

[GBC]

If you have a bit of budget we have had great results from using HPL board and reconstituted stone (Caesar stone).

https://lamicolor.com.au/washroom-partitions/

You’ll only need to do it once.

BBQs like Weber q’s Don’t throw heat downward. I use mine on a plastic table. If you are looking at Laminex tops I’d think about that style of bbq.

[JPH]

Hi Danny, I'm a cabinetmaker in Vic and have been doing quite a few of these lately. We've been using Polytec Alfresco Eva board ( https://www.polytec.com.au/products/alfresco/evaboard/ ) for the carcass, it has a high moisture resistance and we normally just edge the bottom and any other exposed edges. Doors you can get away with standard laminate doors if it's well protected, compact laminate is a much better option, just dearer. Both Polytec and Laminex offer these cut to size and will drill hinge holes. Compact lam is only 13 mm thick, so requires a bit more thought. For benchtops we've been either building up the front edge is to make it thicker or using ultra compact recon (Dekton). This is far superior than standard recon stone as it is rated to over 400 degrees, although it's not that cheap!
The big issue is creating a non combustible layer between your carcass and BBQ. We've been using 15 mm compressed FC sheet and then making a stainless U capping to finish it off. Usually do this on the sides and under the BBQ.
 I have a contact in Launceston who could cut the carcasses to size, if you need it. Hope this helps

Cheers Josh.

[DannyG]

Thanks very much for the ideas. I have taken a lot out of it and now have some direction.

I am leaning towards two different ideas but ill make the decision when we have finished building the house and get a better feel for what I want.

The first is just framing up the kitchen using treated pine and cladding it with cement sheets and rolling a rendered finish on it. Ill just use whatever for the shelves.

The second is to do the whole thing how ill do the doors for both ideas. And that is to weld up some 25x25mm stainless frames and just fill the inserts with stainless sheets.

Both ideas should be weather proof for years. It just depends on the look I am after I suppose.

As for the top, I wouldnt mind trying my hand at making some concrete tops. Because if they work out ok Id like to make a large custom dining table for the same area using a concrete top so the whole thing ties in together.

Josh, thanks for the offer of the contact. If I go down that path Ill look you up.

[Fizzie]

Hey Danny, just saw this on Whirlpool: https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2745376

Maybe some other ideas

[DannyG]

Bit of an old thread but possibly worthy of an update.

I ended up welding together some alloy for the frame so that part will last the test of time being semi outdoors. The barby is just the old cheap barby top I have been using for years which is also ok in the elements.

But I used normal old cheap melamine for the lining and an even cheaper Bunnings bench top for the top....for now. Its not really getting any real weather on it but of course just being in an Alfresco area in Tassie it is subjected to some very cold conditions

At a later date Ill look at a more permanent solution for the bench top, assuming this one eventually swells up. I also have fold up some stainless inserts to fill a couple of gaps yet but for the most part its done and being used.

DURING BUILD PROCESS


OUT IN ITS HOME


I also used alloy framed frosted glass doors which I think adds that outdoorsy look to it.

AND THE OUTLOOK THE BARBY LIVES WITH!

[Marcus73]

Alfresco


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[loanrangie]

Nice job, gal SHS would also work and be easier for the diy welder.

[Steffo1]

Looks good. How do you reckon you'll go with gunk on the ceiling above the burners?

[KeithB]

Looks good. How do you reckon you'll go with gunk on the ceiling above the burners?

That's a good point. It's a wonderful looking job. Congratulations.
I once had a customer who didn't put any absorbent material (clay based pet litter is best) in his drip tray and the thing caught fire. It burned down his entire outdoor structure. A cheap gal canopy a bit bigger than the barbie with a big fan ducted through the roof is the ideal way to go. No need for filters. It will make life barbecuing much more pleasant and stop smoke blowing back into the house. It's also nice to put gunk proof lights inside the canopy.

Keith

[GeoffA]

Very nice Danny.

Love the view, too...

 

[DannyG]

Thanks gents yeh you could build the frame out of steel and paint it too I guess.

Looks good. How do you reckon you'll go with gunk on the ceiling above the burners?

Good question. We cooked a double roast on the rotisserie Sunday night and there was a little bit of smoke under the ceiling so it’ll definitely need some sort of extraction at some stage.

[edz]

240 V to 12 V or solar power supply and a small inline bilge blower to create an updraft airflow to draw smoke / fume up through a small over head canopy vented up inside the eave then through some 75 mm expanding tube to an eave vent on the side of the house away from that area maybe.

[DannyG]

240 V to 12 V or solar power supply and a small inline bilge blower to create an updraft airflow to draw smoke / fume up through a small over head canopy vented up inside the eave then through some 75 mm expanding tube to an eave vent on the side of the house away from that area maybe.

Thanks Edz it looks like you have already build me one

When we built the house the good wife wanted a good rangehood so she got this Italian made thing that is so noisy you have to wear ear protection when it is only running on low and if you dare put it up high it will suck the pots and pans off the cook top!

So it has to go. I am thinking it can go outside above the barby and ill duct it out to the eave the same way it is in the kitchen. It may not 'look' very outdoorsy but itll certainly remove anything that dares to go under it.

[KeithB]

If you are going to put a new rangehood inside, might be worthwhile having a look at Qasair.
https://www.condari.com.au/
We had them in our last two houses and they do great job. Very quiet on low speed and running flat out will pull the carrots out of the saucepan. And the filters will fit in the dishwasher.
If you are going to make up a separate canopy for the BBQ, I'd put in a commercial fan of at least 12 inches diameter designed to deal with the heat and muck. You need really good airflow to pick up the smoke from a  BBQ. I used to manufacture this kind of gear. But that was two wives ago.
Keith

[DannyG]

Thanks Keith we will check them out when the time comes.

But that was two wives ago.
Keith

That was a quite a lot of money ago

[glenm64]

Dont muck around with an el cheapo range hood Danny, you will just end up replacing it with one that will do the job. I put in a commercial one, wasnt cheap, but it just works.

[sparksy]

I got a Kleenmaid range hood not the best but had a reasonable size fan and motor. Wouldnt extract the smoke and fumes from the bbq when cooking.
Discussed this with a sheet metalmaker mate of mine who said the secret is to fit a skirt around the outside of filter section larger than the area of the bbq and get it as low as possible.
I pressed up some SS sheet to make this. Works a lot better.