Outdoor Kitchen Cabinets in West Palm Beach, FL

Outdoor kitchen cabinets are where cheap materials fail first in a coastal yard. Painted steel rusts at the edges, low-grade stainless pits and stains, and wood or particleboard swells and delaminates within a season or two of Florida humidity. Good outdoor storage keeps plates, tools and grill gear dry and organized, and it should still look right after years of salt air and summer storms. That comes down to the material, the hardware and how water drains away from the boxes.

Stainless steel: grade matters

Most outdoor cabinetry is stainless, but not all stainless is the same. Type 304 is common and fine inland. Type 316 adds molybdenum, which gives it better resistance to chlorides, the salts that cause pitting and brown tea staining near the ocean. For homes on the barrier island, along the Intracoastal or anywhere the sea breeze carries salt, we specify 316 doors, drawers and access panels. Hinges, slides and fasteners should match; a 316 door on 304 or plated hinges will still show rust at the hardware.

Marine-grade polymer

High-density polyethylene cabinetry, often called marine-grade polymer, is made from the same family of material used on boats. It cannot rust, does not swell when wet and comes in colors and textures that look like painted wood. It is an excellent choice right on the water, and it gives a softer look than a wall of stainless. Ask about color fastness and UV stability for the specific product, since cabinet makers rate and warrant their finishes differently.

Cabinet boxes versus island doors

There are two ways to build outdoor storage. Full cabinet boxes, like an indoor kitchen, give the most organized storage and the cleanest interior. Access doors and drawer banks set into a block or steel island cost less and work well when you mainly need to reach a propane tank, a sink trap or a few tools. Many kitchens mix both: a run of full cabinets for dishes and utensils, plus access doors under the grill.

Keeping water and pests out

Cabinet interiors stay drier when the island base is raised slightly above the patio, the countertop overhangs the doors, and there is a way for any water that gets in to drain out. Gaskets and tight-fitting doors help keep out lizards, palmetto bugs and ants, which will find any open gap in South Florida. We set cabinet boxes on a level base and keep the bottom off standing water.

Refreshing an older kitchen

If your island is sound but the doors are rusted, warped or mismatched, new doors and drawers can often be fitted to the existing openings. We measure each opening, check that the frame is square and recommend replacements in a grade that suits how close you are to the water. HomeGuide lists outdoor drawers and cabinets at about $900 to $4,000 depending on materials and size, and framework at about $200 to $700 per linear foot.