LH Renovations did a Great Job to Fix a Standing Water Problem for our Outdoor Kitchen

I have blogged before about how we had a pool and outdoor kitchen added to our backyard. I have also mentioned that Stonewall Pools declared bankruptcy before completing the job. I then blogged about how LH Renovations came to the rescue and finished the electrical for the kitchen. Yesterday, LH Renovations came to the rescue again.

Our outdoor kitchen consists of a grill, a drawer, a cabinet, and electrical in a cinder block structure with a tile facade. No sink. No mini-refrigerator. Adding a sink would have meant tapping into the sewer line, which would have complicated the permitting process. Friends who have outdoor mini-refrigerators told me that they rarely use them. So as simple as our kitchen is, how could there be a problem?

The original design of the kitchen specified a built-in barbecue grill — one that's just the grill bottom and cover with no legs nor shelves. From my experience with grills, I have found that Weber grills are like no other. They are simply the best. When purchasing the parts for our kitchen, I could not find a built-in grill made by Weber. So I went with a Weber Genesis II.

Our nearby Ace Hardware would assemble and deliver the grill at no extra charge. Done.

This meant that the cinder block design needed to be modified to accommodate the Genesis II, so Stonewall Pools essentially redesigned and built the kitchen around the free-standing Genesis II. At the time, I didn't think much about rain. The modified Stonewall design was not subjected to any CFD analysis. Alas, months later, I found that rainwater would pour off the countertop and pool in the cinder block chambers for the drawers and cabinet.

I was worried about mold, so I asked LH Renovations to propose a solution. Lupe Hernandez proposed:

1. Drill small drain holes at the base.
2. Use self-leveling cement to create a slope in the cinder block chambers to allow any accumulated water to drain.
3. Seal the top with a Hardie board surface.
4. Cover the surface with water-resistant paint.
5. Add a top coat of paint that mates with the color of the house.

And voila — problem solved.

LH Renovations charged us a very fair price and completed the job in one day. They were professional and did a quality job. My wife and I recommend them highly. We also wish to thank Lupe Hernandez for coming to our rescue again personally. And throughout the entire process, he and his crew were able to maintain social distancing.

By the way, on the right is a frozen drink machine whose designer is now at start-up and Inventor/Fusion 360 customer, Drink Machine Works. No outdoor kitchen would be complete without a drink machine.

Water abatement is alive in the lab.