The Best Countertops for Outdoor Barbeques
Having an outdoor barbeque can make your house the hottest spot to be when the weather is nice. Many modern homes have been opting to have patio areas with mini kitchens with not only barbeques, but often sinks and even refrigerators. When people are putting this much money and effort into a focal point of the yard, they want it to be beautiful and durable. What countertops should you avoid? What countertops are going to work well?
Quartz: Quartz is extremely durable and comes in a huge range of styles. Is this going to be a good material to brave the outdoors though? The answer is unfortunately no. The resin that makes up quartz easily will discolor under the harsh sun.
Marble: This elegant stone is beautiful in many applications, but is only meant for low traffic areas. Marble countertops will etch and stain more easily than any other stone. For countertops that are going to be exposed to the elements 24/7, and be used heavily with lots of things being set on the surface, marble would be a terrible choice.
Quartzite: Similar to granite in a lot of ways, but even harder, this stone will hold up well to the elements, but needs to be sealed regularly to stay protected. Quartzite comes in only a small range of colors, so make sure that these colors will work well with your design.
Concrete: Indoors, concrete countertops are quite dated. Outdoors they can work well. If they get direct sunlight over time they can start to yellow. Concrete isn’t as tough as other stones, and may chip and scratch easily.
Stainless Steel: These countertops are most commonly found in high use kitchens such as restaurants. They are very durable and require no extra maintenance. The problem with these countertops is mostly the price, but also how shiny they are when under direct sunlight.
Dekton: Dekton is one of the newest engineered stones on the market, directly competing with quartz. This material is a mix of quartz, glass, and porcelain, which are mixed and compressed under high heat to form the slabs. This material is extremely durable, considered to be scratch-proof, stain-proof, heat-proof, and cold-proof, making it perfect for outdoor kitchens.
Granite: This natural stone is going to shine in this type of application. Granite countertops are very tough for high amounts of use and exposure. This is a natural stone though, so sealing the tops regularly is imperative to their longevity. These countertops will look great for years to come and handle the elements the best out of the other options.
Adding an outdoor barbeque range may be exactly what your yard needs to transform from bland to grand. Make sure that you take your time to choose the correct material for your outdoor stone countertops so that they can brave the elements and be beautiful and useful for years to come.
