Outdoor BBQ Cart

[Greg Carr]

I am planning to build a BBQ cart cabinet for my deck. This will have a ceramic tile top surface. The top will be around 20” X 30”. The actual size will be determined by the tiles, I want all the tiles to be full, no cut tiles. I was thinking of using concrete board beneath the top, I have a couple of sheets of ½” left over from a flooring project. I don’t know if it would be best to use 2 layers of concrete board or one layer of concert board above a layer of plywood. I assume I will need to use special adhesive and grout for outdoor use.

I am planning to make the cabinet out of cypress unless there is a better choice for around the same cost. I wasn’t planning to paint or stain and varnish the wood. Would bare wood be a bad idea?

The cabinet won’t have to be water tight, I plan to have three plastic charcoal bins in the bottom and a shelf above that to store items in sealed plastic containers. There will be doors on the front. I am planning to use frame and panel construction with stainless pocket screws. The door hinges will be stainless also. The panels will flat panels made of 4-6” wide vertical pieces with a small gap between the pieces. The bottom will be made this way also.

The cart will have wheels on one end and feet on the other. I am also considering a fold down side shelf..

Any recommendations or suggestions are welcome.

Greg

[Myk Rian]

1 layer with the tiles ought to be enough. I've been considering building a BBQ cart also.
Use screws to attach the concrete board to the (3/4"?) ply.

[Ben Franz]

Ditto - single layer is plenty. Thinset and grout don't have to be anything unusual - tile jobs in showers get as wet as anything outside. I'd seal all wood to help prevent greying, checks/splits and penetrating GREASE . It is a BBQ after all - maybe all vegetarian, though? Mmmmm - grilled zucchini .

[Dave MacArthur]

In Phoenix, they usually use hardiboard on the sides and put a stucco coat on it, then paint. IMO this actually looks much nicer with the tiles (or granite which is what most folks use--1ft sq granite tiles are cheap).

Actually, about 70% of the BBQ carts I see are just 3/4" tube steel welded up as the framework, then hardiboard sides and top. Sometimes the framework is made of 2x4s. The reason think this is a wise and better move than using wooden sides, is that hardiboard is fire-proof. Just a much wiser plan than building a fire-enclosure out of wood, Murphy being a real pyro-maniac and all and his law being strong...

[Kevin Begos]

The bare cypress will weather to a nice gray.
Shouldn't be a problem other than that.
I'd keep it out of heavy rain, if you can.

[Greg Carr]

Thanks for the responses. I assume I would need to use some sort of exterior grade plywood beneath the concrete board. Would sealing the underside of regular plywood work out or am I asking for trouble down the road?

Also, how does Cedar compare with Cypress for this application?

I plan to sit the cart in an open unprotected area where it will sit year round. It is replacing a plastic one I have had for probably 10 years that has finally succumbed to UV rays. I use it to store briquette and lump charcoal, wood I use for smoking, and other items like wire brush, aprons, utensils and such.

Greg

[Jamie Buxton]

When tile guys make shower enclosures with tile and concrete backer board, they are careful to put a waterproof membrane between the backer board and the studs. The problem is that the grout and the backer board are water-permiable, as hard as it may to believe. Water can wick through them, where it gets held on the wood and eventually can cause water damage. The waterproof membrane can be several layers of roofing felt, or can be a plastic membrane specifically intended for this use. Tile stores will have the membrane. You just run screws or nails through the backer board, through the membrane, and into the wood. The membrane self-heals around the penetrations.

[Kevin Begos]

Cypress is resistant to weather/rot, many say the same about cedar.

I've seen some beautiful Western Red Cedar.
I use cypress a lot, but I think either would look great.

[Jon Bonham]

If you really want the ply to be water tight, pick up some kerdi. It's the orange stuff he uses on Holmes on Homes. For what you need, you can probably find somebody willing to give you a piece of scrap. You just thinset of to your underlayment and thinset the tile right onto it. Completely waterproof.