Category Archives: Modern Wood Designs

Best Wood for Outdoor Kitchens

Best Wood for Outdoor Kitchens

Ipe Wood Outdoor Kitchen

Building an outdoor kitchen is a major investment. You want to make sure you are using materials that are going to hold up to the outdoor environment as well as the abuse of kitchen wear and tear.

You are probably looking at spending thousands of dollars on top of the line stainless steel appliances for your outdoor kitchen.

The last thing you would want is to spend a lot of time and money on an outdoor kitchen and have your grill in your outdoor kitchen rust out after 5 years and force you to redo your outdoor kitchen.

Many homeowners want their appliances to sit in cabinets or an outdoor bar built out of a beautiful long lasting wood.

Woods You Should Not Use for an Outdoor Kitchen

We suggest staying away from softwoods such as pressure treated pine, cedar and redwood.

These softwoods are all susceptible to rot, wood boring insects and are can catch fire quickly. In addition they require yearly maintenance with waterproofing sealers that will peel off.

This will leave you scraping and sanding all the wood and then reapplying the sealer each year. Waterproofing sealers help keep water from penetrating the grain of softwoods which would lead to faster rot and decay.

Additionally your outdoor kitchen will more than likely be placed on a concrete slab foundation. Depending on the design of your outdoor kitchen your cabinets or bar will be sitting on top of the concrete.

Concrete wicks moisture so softwoods sitting on top of concrete will rot faster at the base.

These are just a few reasons why we don’t recommend these softwoods for an outdoor kitchen.

Best Woods for Outdoor Kitchens

There are a few species of wood that we’ve found to be proven to perform incredibly well in outdoor environments such as outdoor kitchens.

These species are Ipe, Cumaru, Tigerwood, Garapa and Massaranduba. They all come from South America and have proven to last up to 75 years or more with very low maintenance.

Ipe wood decking and Ipe outdoor kitchen cabinets

Above you’ll see a picture of an outdoor kitchen built with Ipe wood deck boards. The deck is also built with Ipe wood decking.

Ipe wood decking is one of the most durable, long lasting decking woods available. It is more durable than teak and is more cost effective as well.

It is also naturally resistant to mold, mildew, rot and decay, wood boring insects can not chew through the wood, It has a Class A rating against flame spread, does not splinter like softwoods and it has proven to last 75+ year on commercial boardwalks like Coney Island boardwalk in New York.

Here’s another outdoor kitchen built with Ipe Wood:

The second most durable wood we recommend for outdoor kitchens is Cumaru which is also known as Brazilian Teak.

Cumaru is almost identical to Ipe it’s just got a little more color variation which ranges from golden brown to a reddish brown. Ipe is more consistent in color which is a chocolate brown.

Many people are drawn to Cumaru because it’s typically 30% cheaper and also a very beautiful and durable wood. It has all the similar properties like Class A rating against flame spread which makes it an excellent wood for outdoor kitchens.

While we don’t have pictures of an outdoor kitchen built with Cumaru wood most of the jobs we supply are used to build decks.

Just like Ipe wood is most commonly used to build decks both of these woods are great for a wide array of outdoor projects.

Here’s a picture of a deck built with Cumaru:

Cumaru Deck

Tigerwood Outdoor Kitchen

This is our 3rd most popular option for an exterior hardwood that is great for outdoor kitchens.

Tigerwood Outdoor Kitchen

Tigerwood is not quite as dense as Ipe or Cumaru but it’s still a very dense and durable hardwood that’s great for outdoor use. In fact Tigerwood is more than double the Janka hardness compared to Teak.

These 3 wood species are the best woods that we recommend for outdoor kitchens.

When building an outdoor kitchen with wood you can often use short length boards depending on your design of course.

We sell short length boards at a significant cost savings that can save you up to 50 percent. Click here to view these discounted hardwoods

Using Classic Decking Components To Achieve a Modern Design

Architectural projects around the world have embraced modern design in recent years. This style favors minimalism and rejects ornamentation, resulting in a look that is both pleasing to the eye and easy to implement—an important consideration in regions experiencing skilled labor shortages.

modern ipe deckIpe Decking with Garapa Border and Stainless Steel Cable Railing

Designers of this style have been keen to incorporate wood elements into their projects. Modern design, with its clean lines and crisp angles, can come across as cold; the natural patterns and warm colors found in wood create a pleasing contrast. Wood has been used in modern designs for privacy screens, accent walls, decking, and more. Take, for example, the fence and privacy screen at this hotel in southern Florida:

modern wood fenceFence and Privacy Screen Built Using Advantage Cumaru

Not all wood is created equal. The exotic “super woods” produced under the Advantage Decking® brand rise to the top when it comes to weatherability, flame spread testing, and strength. Through proper forest management and adherence to the strictest environmental laws, Advantage Decking® boards are also a truly renewable resource. In an area the size of a soccer field, only 1–3 trees are harvested, ensuring the forest remains healthy and flourishing.

The most popular Advantage Decking® species are Ipe (Brazilian Walnut), Tigerwood (Brazilian Koa), Cumaru (Brazilian Teak), Garapa, Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry), and Massaranduba (Brazilian Redwood). Choosing between species often comes down to desired colors and project budget; costs between species can vary as much as 50%.

Whether the project is commercial or residential, modern designs favor the use of narrow boards to achieve a sleek look. This is a win-win for the modern design client, since narrow boards are a plentiful byproduct of sawmill operations, and thus are less expensive. The other benefit to narrow boards is greater stability. All fine craftsman know the basic woodworking concept that the wider the board, the more it moves. Since decks are often subjected to the harshest elements, narrow boards go a long way toward maintaining a flat surface that resists the cupping and twisting seen with wider boards.

narrow hardwood deckingProduction of Narrow Cumaru Decking Boards at AdvantageLumber.com Factory in Brazil

 

Just because narrow boards are the rising trend doesn’t mean wide boards have no place in modern design. Take this resort in South Beach:

modern ipe gateAdvantage Ipe Gate and Pergola

This residential fence combines block and hardwood. This simple combination always delivers a crisp and effective look:

stucco wall with hardwood top

This modern marina uses wide Ipe deck boards. The borders and angles break up the space in a manner consistent with modern design, while simultaneously allowing the dock to fit perfectly in the space allotted. The Ipe was allowed to weather without any oil treatment, resulting in the “silver teak patina” you see below. Applying a coat of Ipe Oil® will restore and preserve the color if desired.

ipe wood modern marina

Keeping it short! These are 6-foot Cumaru deck boards. The short lengths allow for this modern, perpendicular pattern, but they also save money. Short boards, like narrow boards, are abundant in sawmills and therefore cheaper.

discount decking

So far we’ve seen modern designers go the narrow route, and we’ve seen them go short. What if you combine them? Advantage deck tiles do just that, and it’s proved to be a very popular option. Deck tiles are budget-friendly and they’re the perfect embodiment of the modern style. They come in a variety of sizes (such as 12”x12”, 20”x20”, and 24”x24”) and they come together in a snap. They can cover up an ugly concrete slab or rubber rooftop membrane while allowing water to drain underneath. They can even pop loose for easy under-tile access if necessary. Advantage deck tiles have been used in both commercial and residential projects for decks, rooftops, showers, balconies, porches, walkways, and countless other applications.

Ipe Hardwood Deck Tiles

A cohesive design means choosing your furnishings to match your architecture. These poolside cabanas were constructed using modern Ipe decking components, such as 4x4s and 2x6s.

ipe cabana

If ever there was a wood created just for the modern aesthetic, it was Tigerwood. Also known as Brazilian Koa, this brown wood is run through with streaks of black. The project below was modernized by combining Tigerwood with metal rail spindles and a chevron pattern. More good news for the wallet: Tigerwood is one of the cheaper hardwoods in the Advantage DeckingⓇ lineup!

modern tigerwood deck

Rainscreen hardwood siding has seen a lot of growth in the market. The advent of specialized hidden fasteners designed specifically for Rainscreen profiles has made the installation process much simpler and have helped to popularize the use in both residential and commercial projects.

When the exterior is complete, Advantage has many materials to help you carry the modern look to your interior. This live-edge desk with “waterfall” ends shows off the wood grain in its simplest, natural form. This slab is made from Advantage FSCⓇ Tigerwood, which is also available in decking, siding, soffit, v-groove, or solid T&G flooring components to match.

Slabs as art! The Advantage Urban Log Recycling Program produces a wide variety of live-edge wood slabs out of its Florida sawmill. These slabs are used for tables, desks, bar tops, and wall art.

Most of the slabs are cut from trees that are storm-damaged, dead, diseased, or invasive. The live-edge wall art below was harvested from an invasive Banyan tree. Invasive species crowd out and kill native species, which has become a serious problem in many communities. Thankfully, this piece will live out a more peaceful existence, admired for its beauty as natural art. Many of these pieces can be found at www.WoodSlabs.com or can be cut to order by calling the Florida sawmill at 941-388-9299.

wood wall art

Keeping with the modern theme, AdvantageLumber.com has retooled and modernized it’s factories in both the US and Brazil in order to continue delivering responsibly harvested hardwoods of outstanding quality. As the only US company to own a decking mill in Brazil, Advantage is the direct source for sustainably produced exotic hardwoods. With proper forest management, facilities at the source, four US mills, and nearly 300 awesome employees, AdvantageLumber.com is an internet leader for hardwoods and ahead of the curve when it comes to responsible harvesting. The Advantage team—and their families—appreciate your purchases and hope to be part of your next awesome project!

A board, a bundle, or a truckload shipped direct to your home or jobsite worldwide!