Building your outdoor kitchen island or outdoor BBQ island is a fantastic investment in your home and lifestyle. But if you get the planning, design, construction or materials wrong. You could be dealing with a disastrous disappointment instead of an outdoor entertaining victory. Of course, building your outdoor kitchen can be fun, but it’s worthwhile getting some input from an expert grill island designer. Here we look at 7 outdoor kitchen island mistakes you definitely want to avoid when building your outdoor kitchen.
#1: Choosing Design Before Considering Function
When it comes to building your outdoor kitchen, you most likely have a long wish list of features and appliances you want in your outdoor island. However, you also need to consider the practical aspects of building an outdoor kitchen island, including what you really need in terms of features and functionality and the space you have to build in. Choosing design and accessories over functionality and practicality may mean that you end up with an inappropriately sized outdoor island that’s difficult to cook in and enjoy. If you’re short on space but big on ideas, it’s worth speaking to a professional outdoor BBQ island designer to make sure you fit in all your features without sacrificing functionality.
#2: Failing to Plan A Budget – Building Your Outdoor Kitchen
Just as with any home improvement project, the golden rule for successful and stress free completion is to properly plan and prepare a budget. There’s nothing worse than building your outdoor kitchen island then running out of funds halfway through. Planning a budget not only helps you to get a realistic idea of building your outdoor BBQ island. It also helps your BBQ island designer or build contractor to develop the right solution for you.Â
#3: Not Planning The Infrastructure
A successful and fully equipped BBQ grill island requires certain infrastructure and amenities to function most effectively. These amenities are gas supply, water, electricity and lighting. If you don’t plan the positioning and set-up of your grill island correctly, you could end up with an outdoor island that has no lighting or plumbing. You may have to undergo expensive and laborious work to divert infrastructure from our existing structures to your outdoor island. With proper planning and expert advice, you can set-up your BBQ island in the most effective way to access the infrastructure.
#4: Choosing the Wrong Appliances
You may know the appliances, grill and other features you want when building your outdoor kitchen island, but are they right for your space? Of course you want to avoid Johnson Island installing unnecessary appliances. But it’s also important that you make sure you choose appliances that are suitable for your unique design. If non-outdoor rated appliances are used outdoors, they may not withstand exposure to environmental conditions. You also want to ensure you have the right sized appliances for your space, and double and triple check the cut out measurements for your appliances before the cut out is made, in order to ensure the projected space you have to install them in is big enough when building your outdoor kitchen.
#5: Not Leaving Enough Counter Space When Building Your Outdoor Kitchen
We often overlook the importance of counter space in a cooking area. When building your outdoor kitchen, adequate counter space and food preparation areas are critical. This is where you may be juggling many dishes at once. When your outdoor grill doubles as an eating area, make sure there’s enough space for everyone to relax and eat comfortably. Consulting with an expert BBQ island designer can help you find the right balance between outdoor kitchen gadgets and preparation.. This is to get you everything you need out of your kitchen island without being cramped in your space.
#6: Incorrect Positioning Of Features and Appliances
Because space can often be an issue in designing and building your outdoor kitchen islands. Carefully planning the positioning of appliances and setting up ‘cool’ and ‘hot’ zones is really essential. While it can seem like a good idea to help save on space, you should never place a refrigerator underneath or next to your grill. This is because all of these fixtures produce heat on the exterior, and being placed close together without adequate ventilation space could cause them to overheat, wear out more quickly and become less efficient.
#7: Incorrect Materials or Construction When Building your Outdoor Kitchen
The center piece of building your outdoor kitchen grill island is most likely going to be your grill. This is where you will cook and prepare your barbecued dishes. However, that flame-grilled taste we love requires fire and heat, which always creates the risk of a fire hazard. Without the right construction and the proper materials, a small oil fire could cause your grill to go up in flames. Working with an experienced outdoor grill island designer helps to ensure your island is built for safety and performance. Ensuring the right ventilation, insulation, design and materials will ensure you to stay safe while using your outdoor kitchen. It can be a good idea to use an insulated grill jacket, fire proof material like brick or stone. Always allow adequate ventilation to ensure cooking smoke and fumes are quickly removed.
Building your outdoor kitchen island may seem simple enough, but a few simple mistakes can ruin your outdoor space. It’s vital to get the planning right before construction begins. Contact Bay Area BBQ Islands to help you work on the right design, budget, layout and materials.
Start visualizing the right outdoor island at our Pinterest page; if you have a smaller space we have ideas for that too.
