.png "Norstone Natural Stacked Stone Veneers Logo")
Ebony Planc Outdoor Kitchen Project Built from Scratch
Outdoor kitchens have long been a desirable upgrade for many people to serve as the perfect warm weather grilling spot or place to grab a cool drink. Stacked stone ledgestone style products, like our Standard Rock Panel and XL Rock Panel Series, have been a very popular option for the exterior cladding of outdoor kitchens, but with changing tastes in contemporary design, we’re starting to see more and more projects opt for smoother styled natural stone wall cladding. The project we are profiling today was completed earlier this year and consisted of a outdoor kitchen built from scratch on top of an existing covered deck that was clad with our Ebony Planc Large Format Tile product. Read on to learn more about not only the Ebony Planc tile but also how to use stone on outdoor kitchens!
We love sharing in process photos of our product getting installed to show our readers a lot of the detail that goes into even a relatively small project like this outdoor kitchen. In the photo above, we see the framing of the outdoor kitchen island that this client built directly on top of an existing deck. While wood frame construction is fairly common for outdoor kitchens, metal studs covered in cement board is another construction method you might see for this type of project. Looking specifically at the stone, this photo highlights two things we get asked a lot of questions about relating to installing natural stone tile products. The first is the tile spacers, and whether our Planc Large Format Tile product needs them for installation. The answer is that the Planc tiles are calibrated with enough precision that they can be dry stacked, or installed without grout and spacers over level and plumb substrates, but they can also be installed with tile spacers if that look is preferred. The pattern can impact how much stone is needed, based on where the cuts fall, so when working on a small project like this, make sure your material take off takes the pattern into account.
The other question we get asked a lot is how to install our products when there is no floor or shims to support the tile while it sets. Temporary header boards, as you can see in the photo above, both below the main face of this outdoor kitchen as well as spanning the gaps where the grill cabinet and refrigerator will go, is exactly the right answer. These boards get removed and discarded once the tile sets up.
Ebony is a great color choice for outdoor projects, and as you can see, the finished project turned out great. While the Ebony color is a seriously dark color, it works beautifully in this space tying together the dark railing, dark trim, gutters,and downspout, and the dark window frames. The grey composite decking is the perfect base tone for the overall color scheme matching well with the greyish brick of the house as well and contrasting with the darker accents all around it. The stainless steel grill, grill cabinets and refrigerator are a no brainer not just because they fit beautifully into the overall color scheme but also will provide great durability in this exterior environment. While the client opted not to include a sink, decks like the one this outdoor kitchen are built over provide great cover to hide utilities, such as gas, electricity, water, and drainlines.
If an outdoor kitchen is on your project list, we hope this project inspires you to move forward. Since this is a relatively easy project, you could easily be enjoying many weekends outdoors before the cold weather starts showing up. We have a big selection of natural stone ledgestone and smooth modern format panel and tile product that will be easy to install and look amazing. Reach out to one of our design experts today to get started planning your dream outdoor kitchen today!
