Custom Modular Outdoor Kitchen Assembly Guide

Provide a drawing or sketch of your space that provides the basic information needed to design your OLF. This should be no different than any other project with any other construction method. If the project is a renovation of an existing space, then pictures would be very helpful. Many times, a project will be designed off architectural plans. In this case, the plans should be enough if the tolerances of the project are within +/- 1/4″, especially where utilities are involved. If this is not the case, then actual site dimensions need to verify all drawing dimensions, and any changes can be made before the components are ordered.

In the example above, the pavilion footings were poured, and a hand drawing was provided for an estimate. The estimate was given, and a deposit was paid. The pitch is coordinated in the initial project meeting to ensure that no future changes are required and project expectations are set for OLF, you, and your client. Preliminary Drawings were executed.

Drawings were provided with the utility landing locations. These are green dimensioned positions where utilities can enter cabinets. The drawings also provide the overall cabinet dimensions and appliance dimensions to ensure actual interior space is defined for the quantity and connections of pipes, boxes, etc. You can see the drawings that follow that show this.

The example above shows a photo that followed up on the hand drawing that was provided, and the drawings that followed before the concrete slab and utilities were installed. The red circles show where the columns were coordinated from the beginning. The utilities were measured against the drawings, and follow-up dimensions provided by the contractor ensured the utilities were properly located.

Once any drawing changes have been made and the drawings get signed off, final payment is made, and the project gets put into production. From this point, the project ships within 5-7 business days.

Find the high point of the outline. This is where you will start with your first leg unit and have the leveling foot retracted fully to allow for a 1/4″ gap with the floor and face panel. Your pitch plan always considers these steps, and in your design, excessive floor pitch will be avoided or accommodated from the beginning of your project.

First, remove your custom outdoor kitchen parts and arrange them for installation. Inside each crate, you will find a folder with these instructions, a drawing including any custom changes with
instructions, a long extension with a bit for leveling feet, and a bag with the following tools and materials. If you are receiving multiple crates, the hardware and literature will be in the crate marked “Crate A”.

Here’s how to remove and organize your parts for installation:

1. Use a utility knife to cut the plastic wrapping and banding on the crate. Cut out and remove the packing list and BOL for your records. Remove the plastic Ziploc bag that contains the instructional booklet. Remove the hardware box, which will always be in the crate labeled ‘A’ in the case of multiple crates.

2. Use the screw gun and Philips bit to remove the screws and take the sides off the crate. You will not need the crate sides, so you can discard them readily. Be careful to remove all screws, and it should not be necessary to use a crowbar of any sort to remove the sides.

3. Remove the remaining parts and lay them out in your work area. Keep the leg units (shown left) together and the back panel, as they are the first items to get connected. Remember, the only difference between a Spec Sheet Modular or Customer-Assembled Modular and a Custom Modular kit is that you must lay out the appliance positions and locations, and cut the Modular to size and with cutouts.

You will refer to your exploded view plan, and where there is a leg, you will reference the location of the End Panels. End Panels are just that, a panel at the end of a run. This happens at the termination point of an assembly and at refrigerators, kegerators, pizza oven shelves, and a variety of custom applications. You will apply adhesive as you will between all connections, and brad nail as shown on each side with 18-gauge brad nails. This may be screwed as well, just a countersink and no predrilling, but when the adhesive is dry, it is unnecessary.

When installing your Outdoor Living Foundation, start at the highest point of the patio where the unit is located. Ideally, you start on the end of the assembly for shorter units or for larger assemblies, over 12″ 0″, you may start with the leg that is in the middle of the assembly. In the case of the larger unit, you will set this leg at 1/4″ reveal off the ground, and level each consecutive leg from that module

Note: If you start in the middle of your OLF, your first panel attached to the leg will be mounted with only a 2″ overlap on the leg. If you start at the end of a Unit, that Face Panel will always overlap the leg by the complete 4″.

Apply a generous amount of adhesive in an “S” pattern down the face of the leg and at the faces in the notch that will touch the ledger strip. Then you will stand up the first rear Face panel and slide the ledger strip onto the notch in the top of the leg. Use a Brad nailer with 18-gauge stainless steel nails to secure the panel in place. Make sure that the Face Panel is flush with the leg module.

The next Leg will get attached to the opposite end of the Face Panel that is attached to the first leg. When legs are attached in line, they will always be split between the two face panels, and each will overlap 2″. Continue adding each back panel and each leg until you have your full run of the assembly. Make sure to level each leg as you go to the leg on the high spot. If the back panels and legs are not staying straight, you can clamp a 2×4 to the top of the face panels to keep everything in line. You want the first leg to have a minimum of 1/4″ off the ground. Adjust the leveling feet with the extension and bit from the top.

In this case, we have started at the end of a Highland Park unit. From your layout exercise, you should have found the highest side of the unit. You have set the first leg on the highest section of the patio, which you found with a laser or level. You then attached each consecutive leg, leveling it as you assembled the back wall.

Note: You can let one leg hang in between two legs and level the one hanging in the middle after you have set the second one. Do not install a whole line without leveling as you go, otherwise it will be very tedious to level, and you risk creating gaps in between panels.

Once you have leveled the legs with the rear Face panels attached, make sure your assembly is in its final position and start attaching your face panels. Start from one end, apply your adhesive on the two legs as you did on page 20 when attaching the rear panels, and nail off the panel on each leg. Make sure the face panel is flush with the side of the leg module, where there will be an end panel. On the seams at the leg modules, you will mark 2″, which is the center of the 4″ leg, and apply adhesive on one side. Apply an “S” pattern on that side with a bead along the edge of the panel. When you adhere the next Face Panel, make sure that the face panels are tight with no gap and the adhesive oozes from the seam.

Note: As you attach the face panels, use a framing square to ensure your interiors are square. The Tray Panels in the next step, which will guarantee they are square if you have assembled everything in place and correctly.

Once you have nailed off all of the panels, you will want to drop in your bottom Tray Panels. This will square up the assembly. You want to DRY FIT the panels first. Sometimes things move slightly when assembling the panels, and a 1/16″ may need to be trimmed from your initial measurement. We find that more often than not, if you are accurate in your cutting and your assembly is tight, you will more often than not have no problems.

Step 1: After dry fitting, remove the Tray Panel and run a thick bead of adhesive along the ledger on the bottom of the Face panels and along the edge of the Lower Tray Panel Support on the legs.

Step 2: Nail off the Panel (you have verified the opening is square and your cut on the Tray Panel is square) with the SS brad nails every 3-4″.

Note: If your Face Panel is bowed, you will push in with your foot as you nail so that it sits tight with the Tray Panel.

It is important that all the edges are flush and within 1/16″ when you adhere your end panels to ensure your assembly is square and there are no gaps between panels. You will apply adhesive between the face of the Leg Module and the End Panel. It is not necessary to screw the End Panel unless you are applying a veneer stone.

Use a metal countersink, wood counter sink (with no pilot bit), or a spade tile bit to make a countersink hole deep enough.

Screw the Face Panel to the leg module with a 1″ or 1 1/4″ coated deck screw, or stainless-steel deck screw.

Waterproofing

Once the whole assembly is screwed, the Tray Panels are in, the unit is level and square, you are ready to start applying your waterproofing. It is advisable to waterproof most of the unit now, as it will be lighter to flip. You can waterproof the Upper Tray Panels after they are installed. You can use a variety of waterproofing products. In this case, we are using an acrylic-modified latex, Elastomeric from Surecrete. This membrane is formulated to have concrete micro toppings adhered directly to it without the need for sand broadcasts or other materials for bonding.

Note: In large units, you can assemble two units next to each other and leave out a single Face Panel at a refrigerator unit, or two Face Panels in the middle, along with a Tray Panel. In this case, you will need to waterproof the bottom of the Tray Panel and the bottom of the Face Panel, as you will not have access to waterproof them after you have attached them to the complete assembly.

These will need to be precut with a custom modular purchase.

Before you can add the CS5 Strips to the openings, you need to drill for the round vents in the Lower Tray Panels. Each cabinet will get a vent. If there are no gas appliances, 1-2, depending on the size of the cabinet, is sufficient, and there is no code associated with these vents. These vents may be used for gas venting, but the area and quantity must follow the appropriate local codes. Under the grill, 3-4 are typically used, and 2-3 for side burners

NOTE: These are strictly suggestions for air flow and do not consider venting for gas appliances. This must be approved by a local licensed plumber or municipal inspector.

These will need to be precut with a custom modular purchase.

The CS5 carrier strips are 5″ widths by precut standard lengths (or cut to size in the case of Custom Modular Kits) that will reinforce the openings of the Face Panels. The horizontal Strips go from leg face to leg face. The Vertical Strips are cut to the same size as the vertical opening.

Step One: Take the lower horizontal strip and apply adhesive to the face that will sit against the inside of the Face Panel. Use the Brad Nailer and nail every 2″-3″ through the Face panel into the edge of the CS5 reinforcing strip. It is difficult to toenail the edges into the leg and can take time to get right. (You will be putting supports under the CS5 Strips for access doors, and it is advisable to insert these support strips, as seen in Fig. 1.)

Step Two: Take one of the vertical strips, apply adhesive and nail through the Face Panel to adhere it. Repeat this step for all the verticals in that section.

Note: If the space is less than 1/2″ on the vertical sides between the opening and the leg module, you do not need to put in a strip, as it will be in the way of the appliance. The less than 1/2″ gap will easily be accommodated when screwing the access doors or drawers into the leg and shims can be used if necessary, at hinges.

Step Three: The top horizontal strip will be installed next and will get nailed through the Face panel and into the tops of the vertical strips. If you can toenail it is beneficial.

These will need to be precut with a custom modular purchase.

Step 1: Make a mark 1/2″ down from the inside face of the opening you are setting a Tray Panel.

Step 2: Carry that mark on all interior sides of that cabinet. You can easily do this by measuring down from the top of the Face Panels and the Leg Modules.

Step 3: Option – This is an option because a properly waterproofed Appliance Tray will not leak water. Also, if you decided to pitch the entire unit forward 1/8″, then it is not necessary to pitch the inside of this tray. NOTE: If you decide to add this pitch, make sure that your appliance spec for the cutout will accommodate this minimized space in the rear of where the grill sits. Coordinating these variables may be found to be confusing for some, so this step is not completely necessary, but it is good practice.

Step 4: Cut the Front and rear CS17 Carrier Strips to the length between the legs and subtract 1/8″ for clearance. Apply adhesive and set with the 18-gauge Brad nails.

Step 5: The side CS17 Carrier Strips will be measured along the leg, between the front and back carrier strips. These will also be 1/8″ less than the measurement and will get glued and attached with Brad nails.

NOTE: When completing the ledgers, the nail in should be even and in a flat plane. Level if you did not pitch the rear strips, and if you added pitch, it is important that the strips are in a “Flat Plane,” which means the tray does not rock or not sit flat against the Carrier Strips.

These will be precut with the Custom Modular purchase.

The Tray Panels, upper Tray Panels are also called “Appliance Trays”, are mainly used to direct water when it comes through grills and side burners away from going directly into the cabinet below. They also keep the face panels at the cutouts straight, so make sure to squeeze the parts tightly together when you are nailing off the Tray Panels. They get trimmed to the dimension between the inside faces of each leg module.

Waterproofing

Waterproofing is a critical step in the process. You have multiple options to choose from, and it can be done in a variety of ways. Watching the videos and taking classes are good ways to get a comprehensive understanding of how to apply it in the way that best suits your needs. Strengthening the edges and seams with a reinforcing fabric is advised. Make sure to fill the seam at the face panel so water goes completely out of the structure. You can also waterproof the bottom CS5 strip, which should be pitched forward to drain wind-driven rain. It is not necessary to waterproof the CS4 Carrier Strips, as they sit above the tray; you can follow this step after you have installed the Rear Countertop Support Strips.

These will be precut with the Custom Modular purchase.

The Rear Counter Support Assembly supports the small sections of countertops that are behind the appliance openings. These get dropped into the pre-slit openings in the top of the legs, which you cut free with a jigsaw or reciprocating saw. You must first measure the Assembly Length. The width of the leg modules are 4″. If you terminate a CS4 Assembly, you measure from the inside of the opposite wall you will cut. This measurement is 3 1/2″, this is also the length you will be short with the 1″ or CS17 Strip that will cap the CS4 strips and make it flush with the top of the legs.

Once you have your dimensions for the lengths, you will cut the strips and put together the assemblies in the next step.

NOTE: If you plan on moving the assembly later, you can just drop the CS4 Rear Counter Support Assembly into the slots, drop in the reinforcement caps, and adhesive later. For all permanent installations, apply adhesive. Once you install the Reinforcement caps with adhesive, you will no longer have access to the leveling feet unless you drill a hole through them.

The reinforcement caps strengthen the area of the leg that you cut out. Applying adhesive locks, this area is held together.

Step 1: Cut your parts to length

Step 2: Apply adhesive between each set of CS4 Carrier Strips. Squeeze them together, and nail after the faces are tight.

Step 3: Apply adhesive to the top of the CS4 Strips (keep in mind they are 2″-4″ shorter than the end of the CS4 strips, depending on their location. Nail them together.

These areas must be cut regardless of Modular or Custom Modular:

The following directions are general for all types of units. These pages are for reference and may have information that is not applicable depending on your finishes or countertops. It is expected that contractors are familiar with “Outdoor Living Construction” and can navigate the variables after the assembly of the OLF Foundation on their own. If you have questions or comments, please call or email us.

NOTE: If you are wiring the appliance yourself, you may want to run wires before you install the accessories. If you are using natural gas, you will want to make sure you assess the interior space so that you have enough room to maneuver inside.

Step 1: Unpack the refrigerator and remove all the packing and shipping supports.

Step 2: Assemble the door pull and handle according to the included manufacturer specifications.

Step 3: If the unit is leveled properly, all sides should be parallel. Check that the back wall is straight, and you have sufficient clearance to slide the fridge in between the side walls, an 1/8″ to 1/4″ gap on each side is typical.

Step 4: Slide in your fridge or ice maker and observe the fit. You may need to level the fridge to sit parallel to the wall and even with the face. NOTE: If you have pitched the foundation unit forward, you may not want the fridge or ice maker to sit out of level. The doors should be proud of the side walls, and the 1/4″ angle of the foundation unit compared to the fridge or ice maker should be unnoticeable.

Step 5: When installing your electrical boxes, be aware of the placement of the boxes and that you have enough clearance to slide the fridge in. NOTE: You may drill a hole to plug in your fridge inside the unit. Ideally, this is under the grill where outlets will need to be mounted. You may not have enough cord to reach the box when you first insert the grill. Use a piece of string to pull the cord through as you slide the appliance back. Additionally, use a grommet with brushes or seal the hole so that critters do not have access to your cabinet.

First, here are the tools you’ll need:

• Caulking Gun
• Silicone
• Blue Tape
• Tape Measure

Countertops typically come in two or more pieces and seams behind the grill. This makes
installation easier and transport safer. Most seams get hidden behind appliances. Countertops can be either concrete, tile, or stone. It’s important to note which one and understand the differences between them for handling and care instructions.

Silicone application to seal and keep water out of the cabinets is required. There should not be any gaps greater than 1/16″. If there are, the unit was not fitted properly, and you will need to shim gaps greater than 1/16″ with wood or recommended polymer shims.

Step 1: To set the tops, apply a continuous bead of silicone using your caulking gun around the perimeter of the foundation, as shown in the image to the left.

Step 2: Set the first top as seen in “STEP 2” in the image above. Make sure that you measure the overhang that is specified on your Exploded Model assembly drawing for overhang dimensions.

Step 3: Place the second top on the back edge and lower the front to the top of the Foundation as seen in “STEP 3″ in the diagram above. Make sure the opening of the countertop aligns with the opening in the Foundation.

Step 4: Staying a couple of inches away, apply tape on the edge, then apply enough silicone to the center of the seam face so that it squeezes out to the edges when you push the tops together. Finger or scrape clean and remove the tape. Wipe the surrounding area of any silicone that has found its way onto the finish, and it is recommended to apply a bead on the outside if you are unsure that you were able to maintain a full bead underneath.

Before beginning, there are several important considerations to keep in mind.

How to install your grill and side burner:

1. Unpack your grill carefully. Make sure not to use razor knives indiscriminately, so as not to scratch the stainless surface.
2. Remove all the interior grates and loose items to make the grill lighter and easier to lift.
3. Do not drag the grill into position. Try to make multiple lifts until you must remove your finders at the back of the opening and push in the last few inches. Then you can remove the cardboard.
4. Finally, when your appliances are hooked up and the utilities are connected, you will silicone the perimeters of the appliances with clear silicone. NOTE: This step may wait until your grill has been tested for leaks and started up an initial time to make sure all the connections are properly hooked up, so you don’t have to remove the caulk if there is an issue.

First, make sure you have all the required tools for installing electrical, plumbing, and gas connections:

• Saws
• Pencil
• Tape Measure
• Work Gloves
• Eye Protection
• Dust Mask

Now you can begin adding connections as follows:

1. It is recommended that all utility hookups (electric, gas, and plumbing) be stubbed up prior to setting your Outdoor Living Foundation, and cut the floor panels to fit as you set them. This way, you can seal the openings with expanding foam if the holes are too large, and you will be able to connect the utilities after the unit is set.
2. If you bring utilities into the side of the cabinet, make sure that you use the proper tools for your particular finish. If you enter the cabinet from the side, use silicone to seal the openings.
3. Custom finishes will have instructions with them for any modifications.
4. A regular hole saw, or drill bit, is sufficient for cutting through most finishes and the material the foundation is constructed from. You may also use diamond or carbide tools. You can use a masonry grinder, jig saw, or oscillating saw for larger holes. Make sure to be as tight as possible and seal the openings afterwards.
5. Do not cut holes larger than 3″ square or diameter, and if required, make sure there is enough support left in each panel.
6. DO NOT cut more than three 1″ holes or similar in leg units on each side, and they must be at least 1″ apart from each other.
7. You can screw directly into the legs and inside walls to mount any variety of items, such as electrical boxes, transformers, pipe clamps, and control panels. You should always use coated or stainless steel screws when mounting into the board.

Examples of Utilities Being Cut in and Connected

This is a natural gas junction below the BBQ accessible from the double access doors in front. The main line will “T” off and have shut-off valves for the side burner, firepit, and fire table.

This is a gas line run with a “T” at the grill, and it continues through to the side burner. The holes are drilled just below the horizontal supports. the top of the leg assemblies. The electrical connections for the grill are run up through the vent holes for the air flow.

This image shows the gas line connected to the side panel of the propane drawer and the propane flexible hose connected to it.

Electrical, Plumbing, and Gas Connections Continued

When installing outlets, you can fit them
in the center of the leg, as shown, or anywhere on the face or end panels. DO NOT cut into or through any horizontal structure material. Use blue tape on the face, and you can cut plastic old work boxes. Mark the box location first and
make sure the hole is clear of any interior
structure.

Next, drill holes in the corners and use a jigsaw, Sawzall, or oscillating saw to cut the opening. If you are using face mount boxes and putting a finish up to them, you can screw through the back of the box and into the structure panel of the Foundation and/or finish.

This image shows mounting the transformers, controllers, and electrical boxes directly to the inside panel. Always use coated screws and hardware. When affixing items to the board, it is useful to know that the board will hold moisture if it gets wet or the environment is very humid. Uncoated items may rust.