If you are thinking about adding an outdoor kitchen to your home, you will probably spend quite a bit of time researching as you try to find out what the right configuration is for your situation. If you have a very large area, perhaps you can have everything in your outdoor kitchen that is on your wish list. But if you are tight on space, you might find yourself struggling to design even a basic outdoor kitchen that will fit into the area you have.
When you hear someone refer to basic outdoor kitchens, they are talking about a cabinet that can hold a grill, sink, and refrigerator. The cabinet is straight and there is no bar area. This sounds like a very simple set up, but it can still be a challenge to design and build this kind of kitchen at your home.
The first thing to consider when planning a layout as described above is, does the area have the basics to support those three appliances? for example, is there a water and drain at the kitchen area? Is there electric already at the area? When it comes to plumbing, the drain is always the challenge. A water line can be run into the area from the nearest source, either outside or inside the house. But a home’s drain is gravity fed, meaning the water in the drain has to run downhill and eventually to the main drain of the home. In some cases a pump must be used to get the draining water to the home’s main drain. Unless your outdoor kitchen location is near an existing drain that can be tapped into, the installation of a proper drain can be quite expensive. The good news is that you can have a qualified plumber take a look at your situation and he will be able to give you a price fairly quickly so you can make your decision.
You will have to go through the same basic process with the electrical situation. But unlike plumbing an electrician can bring power into the outdoor kitchen area from elsewhere in the house. It doesn’t even matter if it is downhill!
So as you plan your outdoor kitchen, be sure to consider everything. Even a basic design requires real thought and planning, but if you handle the process properly you will be rewarded with a beautiful addition to your home.
