Thunderdome 2015 » Printable Version of Topic

Forum: General Stuff
Topic: My outdoor kitchen
started by: GORDON

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 09 2014,16:36

There's a question at the end of all this.

So for the last few years I have been planning on building an outdoor vegetable-washing station out near the gardens. Often times I pick a basket full of stuff for supper, bring it all inside to wash, and the bugs I that didn't see, scatter. So I wanted to be able to wash the bugs out while I am outside.

I built it with 2 existing fence posts, and put in 2 new posts. I built redneck extensions to make the existing posts higher, as you can see.

And I put a nice roof on it and e'rything....

But the thing is, I have been saving this old piece of linoleum counter-top I saved from the kitchen remodel project a few years ago for just this reason. I planned on putting the sink in that section, having a couple feet of prep area, and the rest of the 4 feet I would just slap in a piece of wood, stain/seal both pieces (the raw part of the linoleum especially, so it doesn't absorb moisture), and call it good.

But now that I am seeing it dry fitted, I think have 2 different surfaces looks ghetto, and I should just buy a single piece of wood and then it will look nice.

New piece of wood will only cost me about $40, I already have the stain and shit.

Thoughts? Does the half piece of actual counter-top look nicer than would a uniform piece of stained and finished pine counter-top?

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 09 2014,17:05

QUOTE

Does the half piece of actual counter-top look nicer than would a uniform piece of stained and finished pine counter-top?

No.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 09 2014,17:17

I could pretend the actual counter-top was the washing station and the wood was a butcher block.

My wife's chick friends on facebook are saying the mismatch looks fine, but chicks, man. You know? Chicks.

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 09 2014,18:12

(GORDON @ Jul. 09 2014,19:17)

QUOTE

It's not the mismatch. Wood looks better, particularly outside. It's half a decent top.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 09 2014,18:18

What if I kept the mismatch and disguised the midline by gluing down some tile pieces so it looks all artsy.

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 09 2014,18:20

(GORDON @ Jul. 09 2014,20:18)

QUOTE

What if I kept the mismatch and disguised the midline by gluing down some tile pieces so it looks all artsy.

Increasing the amount of tile is not the goal.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 09 2014,18:25

Heh. It's the cosmetic aspect I have been wrestling with, for utility anything is fine.

Right this second I am leaning toward leaving it as you see it and making it a mini art project, and see how I like it. I can always change it to a solid piece next year with the minimal extra effort if I decide I hate it.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 16 2014,12:47

So here's what I did:

Bought a couple pieces of floor tile of different colors, $2 each. Broke them up. Came up with a design. Used landscape adhesive to put them in place.

The wood portion of the top is actually a good piece of oak that I had left over from when I built my desk. It just happened to be the exact size I needed, I didn't cut it at all.

Added some cross-supports for the structure at the end... it was a little more wobbly than I liked. Plus those 2 long boards in the back will keep some of the rain from blowing in during storms.

Once the adhesive was dry I went ahead and grouted (a first for me) and sealed it all up, twice.

The entire thing is sealed up. All exposed particle board on the linoleum section got a coating of the same red stain/sealant that went on the fence, and the oak portion got sealed up with outdoor polyurethane. The dark brown trim around the whole thing is also sealed with poly, and I put silicone along the top seem to keep water from getting behind it. So we should be good.

Just need to run to Menard's to get a garden hose ---> sink faucet adapter, and I can call it done.

Posted by Leisher on Jul. 16 2014,12:55

My first thoughts on comments:

1. To be finished sometime in 2018.

2. He's slowly and subtly moving his wife out.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 16 2014,13:01

All the wood for the project cost about $100. Two bundles of shingles, $70. Had nails, tar paper, and staples for the tar paper, already. Drip edge around the roof perimeter, about $12.

SO, approximately $200+time project so I wouldn't bring bugs in the house when I pick vegetables in my garden. Maybe $250... yeah, cost of tile and grout and stuff.

Shut up, worth it to me.

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 16 2014,13:04

(Leisher @ Jul. 16 2014,14:55)

QUOTE

2. He's slowly and subtly moving his wife out.

He's moving outside to get away from his wife. The plans for the semi-open cabin are in the works.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 16 2014,13:06

(Malcolm @ Jul. 16 2014,16:04)

QUOTE

(Leisher @ Jul. 16 2014,14:55)

QUOTE

2. He's slowly and subtly moving his wife out.

He's moving outside to get away from his wife. The plans for the semi-open cabin are in the works.

That actually isn't far from the truth. About the livable outbuilding, that is.

I need more space for brewing and a gym and a big garage and stuff.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 16 2014,13:09

On a side note, I ended up with poly all over my hand, one night (I was low on disposable brushes and tried to wash one off... mistake). Fingers all sticking together and shit. Know what takes it off? Vegetable oil. Slather it on, rub it in, then wash your hands in soap and water.

Posted by Cakedaddy on Jul. 16 2014,13:42

$5 bucket of water. Swish vegetables in water. Dump out bug filled water.

Why were you worried about water proofing calk. . . when it's outside. . . . in the rain.

And be sure to rinse all the bugs out of your sink before rinsing the bugs out of your food.

The birds will appreciate the roof over their new stainless bird bath.

Is the hose feeding it permanent, or do you have to move it when you mow?

Thought I just had. . . should have built it up on/by your deck. It could eventually become a wet bar for entertaining. Now it looks too far from the deck for that. "Boy, I sure could use a drink." "Let me go way to the back corner of my yard and fix you one!"

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 16 2014,13:49

QUOTE

QUOTE
$5 bucket of water. Swish vegetables in water. Dump out bug filled water.

What am I, an animal?

QUOTE

Why were you worried about water proofing calk. . . when it's outside. . . . in the rain.

So moisture doesn't get in the seems and support mold and mildew.

QUOTE

Is the hose feeding it permanent, or do you have to move it when you mow?

The faucet is under the counter, I ran that out there a bunch of years ago to make watering the garden easier. I will just put a splitter on it so I can still use the hose for the garden even when it is attached to the sink. Also, I disconnect it every Fall so it doesn't freeze up.

QUOTE

Thought I just had. . . should have built it up on/by your deck. It could eventually become a wet bar for entertaining. Now it looks too far from the deck for that. "Boy, I sure could use a drink." "Let me go way to the back corner of my yard and fix you one!"

It may get expanded to a full-on entertaining area, but that's a few years down the road after I get the rest of my land fenced and the beehives and chicken coop in place. Not a hard job moving the raised beds.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 16 2014,17:44

It just suddenly hit me why the color of grout I chose, "Delorian Gray," is funny.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 17 2014,12:36

(Cakedaddy @ Jul. 16 2014,16:42)

QUOTE

Is the hose feeding it permanent, or do you have to move it when you mow?

I don't know what kind of slapdash operation you think I am running, here.

Permanent water spigot terminates under the counter. I put a splitter on it so I could have everything plugged in at once. Even have room for expansion.

I washed my hands out here today after I weeded the garden. It's like it is already paying for itself.

(Leisher @ Jul. 16 2014,15:55)

QUOTE

My first thoughts on comments:

1. To be finished sometime in 2018.

It is now 100% done.

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 17 2014,12:37

QUOTE

It's like it is already paying for itself.

You were charged some kind of toll walking from your garden to the sink in your indoor kitchen?

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 17 2014,12:39

Paying for itself in convenience.

And awesomeness.

This is WAY better than the outdoor kitchen you built.

Posted by Cakedaddy on Jul. 17 2014,12:52

Not going to paint it? Or do we just not have a painted picture?

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 17 2014,12:55

Nope, going to let it weather naturally. It's treated wood so it doesn't need to be sealed.

Posted by Cakedaddy on Jul. 17 2014,13:02

Utilities hook up: B+ (points off for a garden hose feeding it, but big points for the underground service)
Sink: A
Counter: C (I don't agree with your choice of wood/tile/Formica but B+ for good reuse of old stuff)
Rigging: B (the wood extension looks decent and sturdy)
Functionality: A (Looks like it will do it's job well)
Roof: A (Looks good)
Velcro Use: A

WAIT!! I just saw the wires up the post. Exposed wires?!?!? F!!

Extra credit: Soap and paper towel dispenser (filled with bio degradable stuff so it won't kill the grass and you can just throw the towels in the garden for decomp/fertilizer)

By the way, where does it drain? I see the black hose, but where's it going?

Posted by Cakedaddy on Jul. 17 2014,13:03

I think I would paint it too. Everything else is (including the garden).

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 17 2014,13:20

Garden hose doesn't feed it. Technically it is a washing machine hose.

It drains right next to the thing in another garden. There's about 8 feet of hose. It's downhill and not under my feet. If I get tired of dealing with the grass under there I MAY put pavers down next year, and at that time the hose would be buried in the paving/leveling rocks and stuff. But still draining into the garden.

Good idea on the green soap...... I will have to think about that.

Interesting side note... there used to be another house in my side lot, it was already gone before I bought the place. But there is still some sort of underground pipe right there in the area. It is kind of far from where the house was to be a septic system, but I don't know what else it would be. I have a 6" piece of PVC coming straight up out of the ground (I put a cap on it when I moved in), and it goes down at least 4 feet. I didn't smell any sewage at the time.

Anyway, if I wanted to I could drain into there. I just don't know where it goes.

Posted by Cakedaddy on Jul. 17 2014,16:19

Good idea on the pavers. You should do that. So, project status updated to NOT completed yet. :-)

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 17 2014,17:10

Eh, that's a new project. I have so many disparate gardens in that area that I was thinking of putting pavers in between them all so I could eliminate a mowing headache.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 17 2014,17:31

Christened it.