My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

[mstang1988]

Ok, I have finally spent the time to CAD up my kitcken and even made the proper texture for the stone etc. I built my burner, doors, grill (modified one actually), etc to scale. I love the concrete counter tops and the way they match but for some reason I want them to match the patio which I don't want to build out of concrete. Any suggestions for materials for the two? How about just the patio and have it still look nice.

I want to do the roof above the oven out of the same material too, how the heck am I going to support that weight over the oven?


Attached are the CAD images.

[cynon767]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

You might be able to do some sort of lighter-weight veneer or precast over backerboard and a more traditional house structure, with a polished outer surface over what is essentially a stucco structure. Anyone else with more concrete experience than me have more ideas?

[mstang1988]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

I decided I might need a fridge. I'm thinking about doing what the DIY brewers do and build one using insulation and a window A/C unit. I'm working with them on their forums to see what they thing. Here are the latest pics.

I also got to thinking more how I could do the roof and I may support it with the walls or do some serious framing, durock, then a thin layer of concrete. I also talked to a limestone contractor in the area and might be able to do a limestone vaneer.

[cynon767]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

It seems to me that, even with the insulation below the oven, some heat might still leak down into the fridge. If you are going to put it beneath the oven like that, you might want to increase the insulation on the slab, and you'll definitely also want to put some insulating panels on the fridge side as well. Looks good, though. I like the hot over cold look. Access might be a little difficult, however. If it were me, I'd consider putting it between the sink and the oven. That's pretty much exactly what I'm thinking about doing in mine, actually. Plus, that way you have the option of converting an existing top-loading freezer- probably cheaper and more energy efficient than anything I could build. I've seen come pretty good conversions of top-loaders where they turned the lid into a bartop with built in taps. Front or top, however, it would be easier to run the lines to your taps as located on your drawing if you put the kegs directly below them rather than routing them out through your oven's block stand.

[mstang1988]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

Below the Oven was the only place I could come up with large enough to store everything I needed and I don't think I need 3 wood storage spots, hence the fridge. I'm not super worried about the leak down as it will take a while to warm that space, the insulation and the hearth should wick most of it out, and 6" of insulation is way more then what a keezer has r-value wise and you are right, access will be tough but as long as I have that tap and coke spout on the left I shouldn't need to get in too often :-) Just prep storage of dough etc. R value should be > 30 for me and hopefully closer to 40. I think some of the insulation boards are close to 8/inch which is what I'm hoping for. 6x8 = 48R... Even if I get 5/inch it's about 30R plus a radiant/moisture barrier product.

Chest freezers are probably about 14-20 and fridges 5-11 or so.

Thinks I needed to fit in the fridge:

2 Cornie Kegs
2 C02 Tanks
2 5 Gallon Boxes of Soda Syrup
Soda Cold Plate
Soda Pumps
Soda Carbonator

Height 2'1.5"
Width 2'10"
Depth 2'10"

The height is the only one I'm really worried about so the floor may loose an inch or two so I can fit the taller 25" cornies with the hoses attached (Will have to use low profile).

I looked at doing a keezer and yeah, they are super efficient. You will be making off like a bandit and that sounds like a good plan. I just needed a lot of space for all the things I wanted and had the plans already drawn up and just stuffed the fridge in where it would fit. It should be more insulated then a keezer though and shouldn't cost much more to run with the window A/C. People doing the same thing with walkin-in freezers are only running like $12/month in the summer in georgia which is a great deal for cooling a 5x5x7 room to 35-37.

Basically mine will be a smaller version of this:

My Latest Project - Walk-in Cooler

Although it will be phase two... The oven/main structure with grill etc will be phase one!

It seems to me that, even with the insulation below the oven, some heat might still leak down into the fridge. If you are going to put it beneath the oven like that, you might want to increase the insulation on the slab, and you'll definitely also want to put some insulating panels on the fridge side as well. Looks good, though. I like the hot over cold look. Access might be a little difficult, however. If it were me, I'd consider putting it between the sink and the oven. That's pretty much exactly what I'm thinking about doing in mine, actually. Plus, that way you have the option of converting an existing top-loading freezer- probably cheaper and more energy efficient than anything I could build. I've seen come pretty good conversions of top-loaders where they turned the lid into a bartop with built in taps. Front or top, however, it would be easier to run the lines to your taps as located on your drawing if you put the kegs directly below them rather than routing them out through your oven's block stand.

[Ema Rich]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

Use a material that suits your likes and lifestyle.Are you in a warm or cold climate?Easy clean is porcelain tile . It is harder that most ceramic and can be applied over sound concrete with a polymer modified thinset.Use an epoxidized grout so it stays clean and doesnt soak up water which may cause a problem.You could use wood, which is warm, comfortable and quiet. Put a pressure treated sleeper directly on the slab and screw to that using pt, cedar or a composite.Use what you will be happy with.

[Fairview WFO]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

mstang, howdy to a fellow Texan. I did a corner oven as well and went with tumbled travertine over the conrete floor for some traction, and then did granite for the counters for just the opposite reason. When you scoup up the pizza you need a smooth surface underneath. Just some thoughts, you might look at my pics in my photo log.

[Neil2]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

Concrete.

Then gind and polish to a 3000 grit finish. Inexpensive, any shape you want, looks good, last forever and you can roll out pizza dough directly on it.

You can add various dies to get a colour if you want.

[mstang1988]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

mstang, howdy to a fellow Texan. I did a corner oven as well and went with tumbled travertine over the conrete floor for some traction, and then did granite for the counters for just the opposite reason. When you scoup up the pizza you need a smooth surface underneath. Just some thoughts, you might look at my pics in my photo log.

The oven looks great! I think I've actually decided on a stone patio, this stone http://www.freewebs.com/stonecleaner...ool%20deck.jpg to be specific. My kitchen will be a random patern of the stone that creates the side walls so I think it matches fantastically! I think I'm also going to go with polished concrete for the counters and hopefully will be able to match the roof of the oven with concrete as well.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Did you build your oven yourself? If not, mind if I ask how much the stone work cost? I was considering doing the stone work myself but the labor on it in Austin might make it worth just hiring somebody and having it done now instead of taking forever and having it done later.

[mstang1988]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

Concrete.

Then gind and polish to a 3000 grit finish. Inexpensive, any shape you want, looks good, last forever and you can roll out pizza dough directly on it.

You can add various dies to get a colour if you want.

That's the plans!

Thanks!

[Fairview WFO]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

Nice flagstone. We almost went that route but we wanted something a little smoother to have stools and chairs on. It all depends on how rustic you want it. I too almost went polished concrete on the counters until I decided I didn't have time to do it myself and then I priced it out. I think you'll find that granite is actually cheaper, smoother and looks better. There are a bunch of granite companies in the $25-30/sf range now. Also look on youtube for some pizza peel videos by that Italian peel company. They show how the slotted loading peel is used to scoup the pie right off the granite counter. So you will want a smooth surface that's easy to clean. We put a lazy suzan in the center of our 6' circle and everyone rolls out pies and loads on toppings right there. Works great and you just wipe the flour and stuff right into the pullout trash when your done.

I did the structure and the oven constrution myself, but hired out the stone veneer work. It ran about $9k with stone and supplies included. I had a lot of stone. It was well worth the money as you will be dead tired after getting the oven built. Good luck!

[aurik]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

The two surfaces that my wife and I are considering for our countertop are granite tile (DIY'able, can be had for $10/sf or less, and can be nearly indistinguishable from a traditional granite countertop), or Pennsylvania Bluestone slabs, which a local stone place has in 24x24 (and possibly larger) slabs for $7.50/sf. Right now I'm leaning towards the Pennsylvania Bluestone...

[Millstone Man]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

I have the bluestone around my existing grill and smoker but will put granite around the WFO. The stone is absorbent, easily stains, has a rough texture which does not lend itself well to the pizza making process. My two cents.

[dmun]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

I too have bluestone on my oven landing. Yes it's porous, and stains, but it goes with the rustic effect, and the grease spots fade after time. The worst culprit is pulling the tuscan grill out to turn and retrieve the meat. Pizza really doesn't mess it up.

I just realized you were talking about the pizza making area. It pays to get something smooth and hard here. Bluestone may be too rough.

[lwood]

Re: My Kitchen Design, What material for patio and counters?

I'd go with Granite, nice and smooth easy to clean surface. I think it's the best pizza prep surface you can get.