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Outdoor countertops and bar top

Posted on 3/7/23 at 9:10 am
Posted by GCTigahs
Member since Oct 2014
2026 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 9:10 am
We are starting on the outdoor kitchen build portion of our poolhouse. This area will be covered but will still be exposed to some periodic sun.

My wife and I are leaning towards a leathered, black granite countertops. The builder is suggesting concrete. Anybody have any pros/cons or experience with either?

Also, there will be a bar added as well. It’s the red area in the attached pic. We were going to use the same material for this bar top but our builder suggesting doing a live edge slab of cypress that he would epoxy the hell out of. This would tie in the other cypress beams and tongue and groove we have on the ceiling. What’s your thoughts on using cypress as a bar top instead of granite or concrete?

Posted by poochie
Houma, la
Member since Apr 2007
6179 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 9:14 am to
I poured concrete countertops for mine and sealed it several times and it still stains. I would go stone unless the builder shows you some examples of concrete that have held up.

And while cypress would look cool, I would do stone as well. And never have to worry about maintaining it.
Posted by Shexter
Prairieville
Member since Feb 2014
13838 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 9:35 am to
quote:

What’s your thoughts on using cypress as a bar top instead of granite or concrete?


Cypress is a very soft wood like pine.
Maple or walnut would be better for a bar top, but wouldn't match your other cypress.
Posted by Booyow
Member since Mar 2010
3989 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 9:45 am to
quote:

builder suggesting doing a live edge slab of cypress that he would epoxy the hell out of


Seems like that would be a maintenance nightmare.

I have leathered granite on the counters and island in my outdoor kitchen. I would definitely recommend it as a suitable, low maintenance option.
Posted by AmosMosesAndTwins
Lake Charles
Member since Apr 2010
17886 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 11:19 am to
Granite
Concrete
Cypress

In that order.

I’ve got polished granite and concrete, granite just cleans so much nicer. Even leathered would have superior texture.
Posted by Crusty
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2011
2423 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 11:42 am to
I've had leathered granite on my outdoor kitchen countertops and I would highly recommend. However, I would try to find a lighter color if possible as the pollen (yellow) and the dust will be quite visible on the black top. If you don't have a lot of trees and you're not worried about the sun hitting those black tops too much...go for it. It will look great when it's clean.
Posted by Tigers13
New Orleans
Member since Feb 2005
1750 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 12:08 pm to
We put in leathered dolomite. Has more of a marble look but durability of granite. Have been very happy with them.
Posted by magicman534
The dirty dell
Member since May 2011
1563 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 12:42 pm to
quote:

I've had leathered granite on my outdoor kitchen countertops and I would highly recommend. However, I would try to find a lighter color if possible as the pollen (yellow) and the dust will be quite visible on the black top.


Came here to say the same thing. We did fantasy brown leathered dolomite. This weekend it looked clean but I wiped it and it was full of yellow pollen but couldn’t tell.
Posted by MizunoDude
Member since May 2020
725 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 12:50 pm to
Dekton
Posted by tigerfoot
Alexandria
Member since Sep 2006
56195 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 1:41 pm to
Concrete will stain, and I would not put a leathered surface. Pollen is hell, and anything that catches it will make daily cleaning this time of year harder.

I am certain it would be pretty, but I dont know.

My buddy has an acrylic on top of a some stainless and it is beautiful, I have some kind of light granite and would trade in a heartbeat. I bet it was expensive as rip to have made.
This post was edited on 3/7/23 at 1:48 pm
Posted by lnomm34
Louisiana
Member since Oct 2009
12604 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 2:18 pm to
I’ve got black leathered granite. No difficult to clean, but yes, pollen shows. But pollen this time of year will be a mess on anything.

Posted by NOFOX
New Orleans
Member since Jan 2014
9925 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 2:24 pm to
I’ve had a leathered granite in my cabana for ~5 years now. No problems and still love the look. I would definitely go for the granite again.

Mine is not as dark and not uniform so pollen/dirt does not show. I just need to wipe it down before using it which would be necessary with any type of surface.

This post was edited on 3/8/23 at 9:10 am
Posted by Drop4Loss
Birds Eye Of Deaf Valley
Member since Oct 2007
3849 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 4:42 pm to
LINK

Granite all the way
Steel frame, stucco, poly siding
Posted by armsdealer
Member since Feb 2016
11492 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 6:52 pm to
We covered our concrete with epoxy at our last house. The concrete was full of stains from the outside and inside (rust coming through). The epoxy looked great for about 6 years but I would just do something better to start with.
Posted by Milesahead
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2007
572 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 8:20 pm to
Has anyone tried a dark stained concrete? That may address many of the concerns.
Posted by bluemoons
the marsh
Member since Oct 2012
5502 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 8:47 pm to
I’ve got leathered black pearl granite on my outdoor countertop. The bar area faces south and has exposure so it got really hot. Fixed that issue with a shade sail, but just be aware that black countertops will get hot if exposed to sun.

Other than that, I love them. They’re easy to clean. They definitely show pollen but I use my outdoor kitchen a lot and I wipe the countertops down after cooking most of the time anyway. I’d rather the counter stay clean regardless what color it is.
Posted by Chicken
Jackassistan
Member since Aug 2003
21944 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 11:27 pm to
quote:

The builder is suggesting concrete.
this is what I went with...no complaints...looks great...gray color
Posted by dlambe5
Prairieville
Member since Jul 2009
625 posts
Posted on 3/8/23 at 1:28 pm to
I have black leather granite now and had a lighter leathered granite. It shows on both. Chose whatever one you think looks better. Highly recommend leathered granite outdoors.
This post was edited on 3/8/23 at 1:29 pm
Posted by GCTigahs
Member since Oct 2014
2026 posts
Posted on 3/9/23 at 9:08 pm to
Appreciate everyone’s suggestions. We ended up at Omicron in Loxley, AL where we reserved a few slabs of leathered black granite, Via Lactea to be exact. The cool thing about this slab is it’s dual sided. We are using the unpolished side outside and the polished side inside. Can’t wait to see it finished.
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