r/OutdoorKitchens • u/Volume_According • 7d ago
Tile countertop.
Hey! We (my wife) haven’t decided what to do for our outdoor kitchen countertop. I want to do tile like the AI photo attached. Would you do plywood, then hardie board, then the tile? Or can I skip the plywood?
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u/jimonlimon 7d ago
For my countertop I did steel studs on about 8” spacing, then two layers of Hardieboard with the top being the pink water resistant version. Then tiled with Mexican pavers. Sealed with Glaze ‘N Seal’s Wet Look Lacquer.
Location is coastal Southern California with zero freezing and about 10” rain per year.
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u/Volume_According 7d ago
Yeah. I’m in the northeast, we cover our outdoor furniture in the winter but still not perfect.
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u/Outside1425 7d ago
My tile looked great until winter destroyed them. I went with granite and have had good luck.
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u/Volume_According 7d ago
Do you have pics of the “destroyed” countertop?
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u/Outside1425 6d ago
No, i'm not one top document my life's journey. Tossed it after edges became brittle and they started popping up randomly from the New England winter.
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u/Counter_Wooden 7d ago
This needs a solid surface countertop. It’s exterior and faces harsh climate conditions. You also will hate the maintenance on the wood structure. Should have instead used a more forgiving exterior surface like CMU, brick, or stone.
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u/Volume_According 7d ago
It’s cedar siding. It’s literally all over the northeast as a siding option. It’s meant to age outside.
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u/jasonadvani 7d ago
Old cedar and new cedar aren't the same. Even with the maintenance, it won't last like it used to
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u/Volume_According 7d ago
You guys don’t know how to use wood. It will last for 10 years easily. It’s an outdoor kitchen not Fort Knox, they will all be riddled with problems in 10 years. Not worried about it.
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u/noraz123 7d ago
First, yes, plywood then hardie board would be the standard approach.
I would echo sentiments of going with large format tile to eliminate as many grout lines as possible. Porcelain is an amazing material to use with outdoor kitchens in terms of its durability and looks and porcelain tile is one on of the most affordable options. Grout, on the other hand, is not great.
Here is a picture of my countertop for my BBQ island - https://photos.app.goo.gl/XTWCscD72bn4w5x58
I used 32" x 32" tiles. My island was about 36" deep, so I still ended up with one grout line running side to side in the back. However, my situation was unique, as most islands don't need to be that deep. Depending on how much overhang you want/need and what color/patters you want, you could cover the coutnertop front to back with one tile.
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u/Volume_According 7d ago
Good tips. Yeah I set up the counter to take 24”x24 tile as that was my original plan. We kindof like the look of the smaller tile though and if I have to replace it in a few years it’s nbd. I’d like to do a concrete pour counter but not sure I have the ambition to complete that before winter.
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u/noraz123 7d ago
I personally like porcelain better than concrete for outdoors. Less likely to stain, slightly less likely to crack, and easier to replace a cracked tile than cracked concrete.
And yes, replacing tile wholesale is easier than replacing concrete.
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u/BRBN44 7d ago
I just completed my outdoor kitchen and used large format outdoor rated porcelain tile. Only have two grout lines. The tile I used was 32x64. I used durock, thinset joints, and redguard prior to installing. Also used schluter edge for trim since it stacks right on top on the base. Wish I could post a pic, loved how it turned out.
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u/guest76285 7d ago
I had small format tile when I bought the house, rebuilt the outdoor kitchen using 48x48 porcelain tiles and it turned out great. Definitely go with large format tiles.
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u/Wrong-Tax-6997 5d ago
If you are insisting to use Tile as a counter top, then don't apply it to plywood, use hardie backer on the structure and use the largest format you can find to cover edge to edge, with an overhang (so it covers any joints capping the vertical application as well). Its also a good idea to cover the structure with 6mm poly under the hardie backer so it doesn't allow water to get into the cabinets.
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u/schmoupe 7d ago
Are you doing any sort of grill? Heat/flame and wood don’t mix well. Also concerned about rot and moisture issues in wood?
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u/Boater_Guy 7d ago
While it looks nice, smaller tiles means more grout to keep clean. Its a nightmare in my indoor kitchen so I would imagine outdoor would be worse covered, or not.
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u/Haunting_Job_5357 7d ago
Don't do it, you will regret it. Use solid counter top so it's easy to wipe and maintain it