6 Things to Check Before You Order Outdoor Cabinetry
An outdoor kitchen that lasts, starts with choosing the right spot. Get the space right, and the cabinetry will do exactly what it was designed to for a long time.
At Cutshop®, we build outdoor cabinetry from StyleLex, a weatherproof panel made for covered outdoor areas. It's made for outside, with a few conditions, and it’s helpful to know what they are before you order rather than after it's built.
Here are the six things worth checking about your deck, patio or courtyard first. Most take a few minutes with a tape measure and your phone, and every answer makes your visit to Cutshop® quicker.
1. Is there a roof overhead?
StyleLex is designed for covered outdoor areas, such as under a verandah or a covered pergola. It isn't made for fully exposed spots, and the manufacturer rules out uses like exterior wall or ceiling cladding. Our own advice is the same: build it somewhere covered.
If your roof has opening louvres, think about how often they'll be open. When they're open, the cabinetry underneath isn't covered.
Bring: a photo looking straight up from where the cabinetry will go.
2. Is it shaded all year round?
This is the check that's easiest to get wrong, because shade moves with the seasons. The manufacturer specifies that StyleLex should get no direct sunlight at any time of year.
In New Zealand the sun sits in the northern sky, and lower in winter, so it reaches further under a roofline in June than it does in January. A spot that's fully shaded at midday in summer can still catch direct sun in winter.
If part of the run does catch the sun, now is the time to deal with it. A screen or a small change to the layout may be all it takes, and it's simple to do before a single panel is cut.
Bring: which way the space faces, and photos at different times of day if you have them.
3. Is the floor level?
Decks and patios aren't always level, and some are built with a deliberate fall so water runs off. Run a spirit level along the line where the cabinetry will sit, and note how far the floor drops from one end to the other.
Because every panel is cut to your measurements, including the kickboards and base frames, a fall in the floor is something the design can allow for. It's much better to plan for it than to discover it on the day you assemble.
Bring: the drop from one end to the other, in millimetres.
4. Where does the rain go?
A roof keeps most of the rain off, but water still finds its way onto a deck, whether it's rain blown in on a windy day or the hose. Watch where it runs and where it sits.
StyleLex is built for moisture, with a weatherproof core right through, including the carcass panels used for kickboards and base frames. Placing it where water drains away, rather than in the corner where puddles collect, is still the better plan.
Bring: a photo of the floor where the cabinetry will stand, ideally after rain.
5. Where will the gas, power and water come from?
A BBQ, a sink and an outdoor fridge each need a supply, and the cabinetry needs to be planned around it. Gas, electrical and plumbing work in an outdoor kitchen is done by licensed or qualified tradespeople. Talk to them early so everyone is working to the same layout.
StyleLex panels are combustible, so anything near a gas BBQ or cooktop is built to the appliance manufacturer's installation instructions. Bring the manual in and we'll plan the cabinetry for it.
Bring: where the supplies are now or will be, and the installation manual or make and model of each appliance.
6. Choose your benchtop.
StyleLex is for the cabinetry itself. It isn't intended for benchtops or exposed gable ends. It pays to choose your benchtop early. Its thickness decides how tall the cabinets need to be for a comfortable working height, and its overhang affects how deep the cabinets are cut.
Bring: the benchtop material and thickness, if you know them.
If your space doesn't tick every box
It's much easier to change a plan than a finished kitchen. Some things are simple to sort at the planning stage, like moving part of the run out of the winter sun or extending the cover over one end.
And if a spot isn't right for StyleLex, the planning stage is the time to find out. Building to the manufacturer's guidance is how you get the performance StyleLex is designed for.
Plan it with Cutshop®
Bring your six answers into one of our factories in the North Shore, Mt Wellington or Hamilton. There's no appointment needed. Our team will work through your idea with you and turn it into a layout and a cut list that works for your space.
At Cutshop® your StyleLex panels are CNC-cut to your exact measurements, around your appliances and outdoor space, then edge-banded and labelled for straightforward assembly. Delivered anywhere in New Zealand, or you can pick up from your local Cutshop® factory. There's no minimum order, so a simple BBQ surround is just as welcome as a full outdoor kitchen. Can't get to a factory? Upload your measurements, sketches or designs for a no-obligation quote, or call us on 0800 CUTSHOP.
Checked your space?
See what’s possible with Cutshop®’s outdoor kitchens: StyleLex cabinetry for covered outdoor areas, cut to your exact dimensions with no minimum order. Bring your answers into a factory, upload them for a quote, or call 0800 CUTSHOP.
