Outdoor Kitchen Countertops & Bartop
by Ingrid Mckinstry
QUESTION:We are building an outdoor kitchen island of 36 inches high by 115 inches with a bar going up on the opposite side of the stove of 42 1/2 inches. I think the total width of the island and bar is around 45 inches depending how wide we decide to make the bar part.The stove will slide into the island with an 18 inch cabinet on the left and several cabinets and drawers on the right ( total of 55 inches long) giving us a nice workspace. The stove is about 25 inches deep. The bar is going to come off behind the stove and is a bout 67 .5 inches long, leaving 37 inches on the left of the island to work on ( big cutting and work area) We are struggling to decide on the width of the bar. We want at least a 13 inch overhang, as I am tall and want to get my legs comfortably under the bar. We want a cabinet under the bar for extra storage. The question is how big of a cabinet to build under the breakfast bar to make it functional and looking good. If we make it 7 inches deep than the total bar surface will be 7 + 13 = 20 inches. We could make it a cabinet of 12 inches which would give us a bar surface of 25 inches. We have enough space to do it but I am afraid that a 25 inch wide bar is going to look kind of top heavy with the lower part of the island being only 25 inches wide as well. Any suggestions on what would work and look the best? Ingrid ANSWER:Yes, Ingrid I think the 25" bar top would look top-heavy. I'd go with the 7" deep cabinet and the 20" bar top.Be sure to provide adequate support for the bar top overhang using sturdy, well-anchored corbels. You have a couple options here. If you use the standard "L" shaped corbels with diagonal support you'll want to keep them at the ends and maybe one in the middle, but positioned so you won't be banging your knees all the time. The better option is more of a DIY solution using thick, flat iron bars bent into an "L" without the diagonal support. You can put 4 of these under the overhang providing very sturdy support without ever banging your knees and they are less visible. Have fun with your project! Good Luck, Ryan P.S. Get all the facts, answers, explanations and simple solutions with step-by-step instructions for any issue, problem or question with our Granite & Marble Maintenance Manuals.
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