It’s time to work on this DIY Outdoor kitchen trim!
I started by making sure the grill was safe to use with a wooden frame. I covered the sides of the frame that would be close to the grill with cement board. Cement board is non combustible and is a fire resistant material that can resist high temperatures for hours before melting. So by doing that, I’m protecting the wooden frame from getting direct heat, therefore making the grill safe to use.
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Then it was time to line all of the inside with plywood. The inside will not be exposed to the elements, so I decided to use regular 0.25in plywood like this one to line the inside walls. I cut all the pieces to size and proceeded to attach them to the 2x4 frame using my nail gun.
For the base parts, because I wanted to have sturdy surfaces on the base, I used 3/4in plywood and nailed them to the frame.
It’s already taking shape! Now for the shelves, I started by installing the supports where the shelves would sit. I used 1x1 boards for this and screwed them to the sides. I made sure to drive my screws them into the 2x4 frame.
Once the shelf supports we’re attached, I measured the width of the shelves and cut several 1x2 boards that would become the shelves. I nailed them to the supports and used a piece of scrap wood to evenly spaced each slat.
With the shelves take care of, it was time to trim the whole thing out!
The trim is exterior facing, and although my patio is covered, a strong enough rain can get it a little wet. So I went with pressure treated wood as the trim to avoid any major weather damage.
I started by measuring the bottom part and cutting my 1x6 boards to size. I attached them to the frame using mostly nails, but I did use some screws to try to limit any wood warping.
Then I followed with all the vertical trim. Again, measuring before cutting and attaching everything with my nail gun.
The unit will have doors for each opening, so I made sure to plan my trim accordingly so that I would have the right support to attach the doors.
I finally added the remaining of the trim and I can really tell this step made a huge difference. It truly looks like a built in now!
Next up: How to build the doors!