Rain, wind or shine — get the most out of your outdoor areas.

Pictured: MAXIMUM pressed porcelain

The elements are unpredictable, making it hard to cater homes to different weather types especially when so many options exist. It is so important to ensure you can enjoy a BBQ in your outdoor dining area, whilst allowing your beautiful new area to withstand rain and shine all year round. The following are some different types of surfaces you should consider for any outdoor area whether it is cladding or for kitchen tops.

Porcelain

Products comprised of mostly porcelain, such as MAXIMUM by Finandre, house the attributes seen in the majority of ultra compact surfaces which make them suitable for the broadest range of design prospects. The material has been tested and used as flooring, benchtops and cladding; and has a increasing number of choices regarding colour and style. MAXIMUM, in particular have a range of product which comes in a four sheet series, allowing for a natural style to be linear across sheets. This represents a great opportunity for cladding purposes as a consistent design can be achieved across the large format 3 metre sheets. Like many of the surfaces in this article, it is advertised as UV resistant — and obvious necessity in any outdoor design.

Ultra-compact surfaces

This new wave of material we love to talk about has been made with effective outdoor application in mind. Whether it’s Dekton or Neolith, these materials can withstand everything from heat (both direct and UV), to ice and rain. These brands in particular have been tried and tested as cladding and for outdoor kitchens — and are quickly becoming THE choice for this kind of application. However these surfaces can but susceptible to some forms of chipping (as the surface is so incredibly hard at its core), but unless you are expecting to be hit by a tornado regularly, you should be fine.

Compact Laminate

Laminate surfaces have long been the norm when it comes to choosing materials for your home. However the Laminate on regular surfaces is approximately .7mm thick, when compact laminate surfaces use 13mm of laminate to create a reinforced version of the product. For tops, but for also doors in an outdoor kitchen, this type of surface is impervious to water and any staining. Compact laminate is also UV resistant (perhaps the most important attribute in Australia) and the sheets won’t warp from prolonged exposure to the sun.

Natural stone

Surprising to some, natural stone surfaces such as marble and granite are suitable for application outdoor if sealed correctly. However if not sealed the porous nature of the stone leaves it incredibly susceptible to damage, especially when exposed to the elements. When ensuring that this surface can be used outdoor the correct sealing and constant resealing is paramount. However, regardless the look and feel of natural stone is unmatched by many surfaces available on the market.

Corian

Corian’s ‘solid surface’ is unique in it’s composition and is perhaps one of the most versatile products on the market. It can be manipulated into some incredible shapes whilst also holding onto the attributes of ultra compacts we have grown to love. The surface resists cuts and nicks that ‘occur in heavy traffic areas’ and is resistant to staining like most surfaces nowadays. Once again Corian can be used in an outdoor space without hassle. Corian can also be thermoformed meaning it can be manipulated into shapes and sizes unlike most solid materials we have encountered.

All of these materials would be well suited outdoors. Comprised of different raw materials and available in different styles and sizes, the possibilities for outdoor applications are endless!

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