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Outdoor Kitchen: Counter Framing, Part 2

From "Build an Outdoor Kitchen"
episode DBOK-101

An outdoor kitchen adds to the outdoor living space and enhances the value of your home.

In this segment of Build an Outdoor Kitchen, host Jay Baker and homeowner Jim Howard shim and anchor the back wall of the counter to the patio and continue framing the counter components.

Materials:

cordless drill; screwdriver attachment; hole saw; spade bit
circular saw
heavy-duty masonry saw blade
concrete screws
deck screws
tape measure
carpenter square
string line
miter saw
level
composite material
extension cord
pencil
plywood
backer board
dust Mask
safety Goggles

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The material used as the base and support for the wall is a composite material that's perfect for this application. The base is where the stone of the patio meets the lumber of the cabinet (figure A). The composite material holds up well to moisture and weather over long periods of time. It's more expensive than lumber, but is only used in the base structure and serves as a weather barrier. It's worth the extra cost to avoid problems that could arise later such as rot and premature wear.
When the base is installed, a 3/4-inch overhang is left to allow for the plywood backing to be installed later. Use a 3/4-inch piece of scrap as a template to ensure the proper offset for the overhang (figure B).

Figure A

Figure B

Cut the composite material to length using the miter saw.
Fasten to the bottom of the wall using deck screws (figure C).

Tip: Screwing into composite material may leave a raised area or divot. Leaving the raised areas could make leveling difficult. You can remove any excess raised material with a sharp chisel (figure D).

Figure C

Figure D

The patio surface may be sloped or uneven. You can use leftover blocks of the composite material, and anchor them to the patio, to make the wall level. Use a hammer-drill and masonry bit to pre-drill the holes. Secure the composite blocks with concrete screws. Check to make sure that the top of the wall is level, then go back and brace up any remaining gaps between the patio and bottom of the wall. Shim the cabinet wall, using thin cedar shims, to make small adjustments and level the wall (figure E).
Once it's level, anchor the entire bottom of the wall to the patio using concrete screws (figure F).
Break off any excess shims.

Figure E

Figure F

Figure G

Next, work can begin building the smaller support-wall dividers for the cabinets. These are built using the same techniques as those used for making the larger back wall.
Once you've built the first of the cabinet walls, using the dimensions in your plan as a reference, place the first wall into position to check the fit (figure G).
You'll build six more cabinet walls the exact same way.

Page 1 | 2

ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
	Building an Outdoor Kitchen: Introduction
	Outdoor Kitchen: Counter Framing, Part 1
	Outdoor Kitchen: Counter Framing, Part 2
	Outdoor Kitchen: Counter Backer-Board