[Kurt Bonk]

We have recently had a request for Corian for an outdoor barbecue area. Being the good little fabricator I am; I called my local Tech. rep and left a message regarding an inquiry about the pro’s and cons of outdoor applications. Looking for a little technical enlightenment. No response as of yet.

Anyone else using Solid Surface Outdoors? Which Brands? Things to consider. We potentially have 15 to build about 34″x 105″

Thanks,

Kurt

[Joseph Winters]

Kurt, read this:

http://ssacrylics.com.outdoor.htm

[Wags]

Dave, those are good people, I have known them for years. They make good tables also. You can use an acrylic SS outdoors, not polyester. Polyester will fade under the sun. The problem with a BBQ area is the heat. You need to make sure your far enough away from the actual BBQ so heat is not a problem, probably 6″ or possibly more. I would suggest Soapstone for a BBQ. Heat is not a problem, it won’t stain and will look the same 50 years from now as the day you installed it.

I did some counters, many years ago, for a 6 flags park. It was outside in the Chicago winters and summer, never a problem, so its not the weather, its the heat from the BBQ

Good Luck !

[Karl Crooks]

Wags is right on, we have seen many out door SS installs and never any real problems except when installed right up to a BBQ. Just do a nice wide trim ring of tile or steel around the BBQ.

[Norm Walters]

A ceramic tile border with a stainless transition strip would work too.

[Linda Graves]

Kurt,

This probably goes without saying, but stay away from dark colors. They not only absorb more heat but also show oxidation more than the light colors. Regular cleaning helps with that but after the new wears off, the cleaning stops until they are ready to use it again. If someone wants black, just so NO.

Linda

[Andy Graves]

I actuall think 3cm granite is a much better choice outdoors than solid surface. Too much risk involved.

That said, if someone wants solid surface outside, I’ll do it. Just support the seams, make sure the suptop is flat and leave plenty of room for expansion.

[John Cristina]

Like previously stated I would use the soapstone. Any solid surface fabricator can fab it pretty easy to do. It can take the heat and is non-porous. We used to do quite a bit of outdoor kitchens in the stuff. If someone insisted on solid surface I would still do it but would warn them of what could happen, especially with the grill area or with those great big cook top that only have a 1/4″ flange.

John

[Kurt Bonk]

To all,

Many thanks! I have a meeting with the customer this morning to discuss the project. They were originally looking for granite and decided against it for a number of reasons. SS is what they are after now.

Regards,

Kurt

[Terry Stone]

We made some engraved plaques from HiMacs for a garden two years ago and they still look like new.

[Gordon Doull]

Kurt –

Glad to hear that you got the info you needed. Some additional thought s are that one must be careful where the outdoor applications are. We just got done with a job that has granite outdoors at a BBQ counter and it is suffering from a fairly severe salinity problem. As it is close to the seashore, the dew at night has a very high salt content. Well, sealed or not, the dark granite that was installed began to fade dramatically within just a few months. Especially the facets of the stone that face the ocean wind. Fallout from trees (and birds), local bodies of water, sun exposure levels and of course, Summer and Winter temps (especially freezing) are all valid considerations when installing material outdoors. Hope that helps.

[Ken Dolph]

The oldest outdoor installation that I know of is a picnic shelter roof at the Corian plant in Buffalo NY. It gets some extreme temperatures and has been there between 25 and 30 years.

[Kurt Bonk]

Gordon,

I bet that close to the ocean you get a lot of extreme weather changes. So id the homeowner going to replace the granite with something else.

25-30 years is a long time.

Thanks for the info!

Kurt

[cj]

Gordon, what sealer if any was used?? There are certain ones that will dispel any salinity.

[Gordon Doull]

Dave, I don’t know. We didn’t install it. They said it had been sealed, but you know how that can go. Can’t say on the product used to seal, the cleaners used on it, or the frequency of either.

Ken, what color is that roof? That’s amazing. Maybe because it has no walls to confine it? We do see some SS failures in the local mountain homes out here if they let the indoor temps drop below freezing. Mostly seams. There is no question in my mind that SS fairs better outdoors in extreme temps than granite will.

Kurt, no. We just did some polishing and color enhancing to bring it back and then a top coat.

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