2 Part.. Contrete counter in cold and covered vs uncovered..

[kk5551]

What an incredible forum!! So glad to find a group w/ a passion the same as mine.

I have just moved from Arizona to Salt Lake City, Utah and have a two part question as I plan my outdoor kitchen.

1) Does anyone have a covered patio and have their built in grill under the covered portion. The ceiling of or 20 x 20ft back patio is about 12 feet tall, but I am concerned about smoke and such underneath this area. For this reason I am considering building so that the grill itself is outside of the covered portion. Any thoughts?

2) Would concrete countertops be a viable option for the freeze/thaw here in Utah? A good part of the countertop would be outside of the protection of a roof. Ultimately I would like to go w/ concrete, but I want some feedback as to it's durablity in cold winters and fairly warm summers.

Thank you very much and I look forward to sharing in other's projects.

James

[RTflorida]

James,
I can speak from experience on question #1. My built in grill is under the covered portion right where the roof ends (eave,soffit). Yes, if the wind blows just right, I have a problem under my covered area. This does not happen often, but it can happen.
The smoke does make the soffit area quite dirty over time (in my case the smoke usually goes up, hits the soffit and curls out to the open air. I've never thought of this to be much of a problem either; since I pressure wash my entire exterior twice a year (I live in FL, mildew is a problem from the humidity and summer rains). My guess is that you will experience the same things to some degree, based on wind speed/direction, ceiling height, and distance from free space.
Before I did my built ins, I used a standard portable gas grill in the same area for several years, so I knew what I was in for. You may want to do the same. before you build anything in.
Hope this helps

RT