What cabinets in Miami-Dade and South Florida have to withstand, how wood, stainless steel, polymer and aluminum compare, and how a FREILUFT PureAlu cabinet is built.
01 The climate
Outdoor kitchen cabinets in South Florida stay outside all year. In Miami, the average morning relative humidity is between 78 and 86 percent in every month of the year, and the annual averages are 82 percent in the morning and 61 percent in the afternoon. Miami International Airport averages 67.41 inches (1,712 mm) of rain a year, with measurable rain of 0.01 inch or more on about 141 days a year (1991–2020 normals). Near Biscayne Bay and the ocean, salt in the air adds to it.
For wood, two things matter. Wood decays seriously only when its moisture content rises above about 30 percent, which takes rain, condensation or contact with wet ground, while air-dry wood at about 20 percent or less has a reasonable margin of safety. Humid air alone does not wet wood enough for significant decay, but it does allow mold to grow. And in Miami-Dade and Broward, termites are part of daily life: Two subterranean termites introduced from Asia, the Formosan subterranean termite and the Asian subterranean termite, are both established in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, according to the University of Florida. Their workers feed on wood and digest its cellulose, and an infestation by a large colony can become severe in a relatively short time.
That is why the cabinets of a FREILUFT kitchen are made from 5/16 in (8 mm) marine-grade aluminum, with no wood in the carcass. Wood appears only where it can be looked after: solid oak shelves with five coats of yacht varnish. The FREILUFT manufactory makes every cabinet to order.
02 The PureAlu cabinet
Each cabinet is built from 5/16 in (8 mm) marine-grade aluminum. Aluminum alloys with magnesium, the 5xxx series, resist corrosion in the marine environment and are widely used in marine applications, including hulls in constant contact with seawater. Every part then gets Off-Shore powder coating with a chromate-free, nano-ceramic pre-treatment.
The cabinets take fronts in thirds: 1/3, 2/3 and full-height drawers and doors, handle-free with push-to-open, with 0.12 in (3 mm) gaps between the fronts. The run reads as one calm surface.
Behind the fronts are drawers that shed water: water-repellent, not waterproof. Open compartments take shelves in solid oak, aluminum, natural stone or stainless steel.
03 Materials
No ranking: each material has its strengths, and each needs the right details in South Florida. We plan and supply FREILUFT kitchens with aluminum cabinets, so ask us about every row. A wider overview, including stone, is in our guide to outdoor kitchen materials for Florida, and the metals are compared in detail in stainless steel vs. aluminum.
| Wood | Stainless steel | Polymer (HDPE) | Marine-grade aluminum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain and humidity | Decays when it stays wet; needs a finish | Does not rot | Does not rot | Does not rot |
| Termites | Can be attacked, also by drywood termites | No food for termites | No food for termites | No food for termites |
| Salt air | Not the main question | The grade matters, Type 316 near the coast | Not the main question | Alloy and coating matter |
| Sun and heat | UV turns the surface gray | Common for grills and ovens | Needs UV stabilization; moves with heat | The powder coating carries the color |
| Care | Renew the finish every few years | Regular cleaning near the sea | Ask about UV stabilizer and fixing | Mild soapy water; more often near the sea |
04 Rain and storms
The kitchen does not need to be covered. The cabinets stay outside all year, in sun and in afternoon storms. We still do not call them waterproof. The kitchen has drawers that shed water: water-repellent, not waterproof. Keep anything that must stay dry inside the house.
Clean aluminum and the coating with mild soapy water, clean natural stone without acids, and lubricate the hinges twice a year. Near the sea and around pools, plan cleaning more often. For powder-coated aluminum, QUALICOAT recommends cleaning every three months near the sea and around pools, with a soft cloth, mild detergent and a fresh-water rinse. What to check before hurricane season is in our guide to coastal outdoor kitchens.
05 Color
Fronts and carcass come in one color. You choose from standard colors in fine texture, with nearly all RAL colors available on request; the standard range has 17 colors: six black and gray tones, six neutral tones, two whites and three effect colors. See every color in the color library.
The color sits in the powder coating. After intensive cleaning, the components receive an ultra-thin layer of ceramic nanoparticles that improves the adhesion of the topcoat.
For the worktop, choose from natural stone worktops in Nero Assoluto, Anthracite Black, Taj Mahal and Calacatta Brazil. Compare them on the countertops page.
06 Sizes and details
Base cabinets are 7 7/8, 23 5/8, 31 1/2 and 39 3/8 in (200, 600, 800 and 1000 mm) wide, and every base module has a counter height of 36 5/8 to 38 1/4 in (930 to 970 mm) and a depth of 23 5/8 in (600 mm). Next to them sit modules for water, cooling, a kamado or a gas grill. All widths are listed on the modular system page, and the layouts show how runs form an L or a U.
Every cabinet stands on adjustable leveling feet with a plinth height of 3 9/16 to 5 1/8 in (90 to 130 mm). The standard plinth levels a slope of up to 1 9/16 in over 39 3/8 in (4 cm over 100 cm). The plinth is closed with magnetic base panels in Jet Black (RAL 9005) as standard, or in the cabinet color on request. Add optional stainless steel locks for drawers and doors, useful when the house stands empty for weeks.
They are weatherproof, not waterproof. The kitchen does not need to be covered. The kitchen has drawers that shed water: water-repellent, not waterproof, so keep anything that must stay dry inside the house.
The USDA Wood Handbook rates the heartwood of ipe and old-growth teak as very resistant to decay, cedars and white oaks as resistant and young-growth teak as moderately resistant, while untreated sapwood of essentially all species has low resistance. It adds that decay resistance may be lower in warm, humid climates and varies widely even within one species. Sunlight begins to degrade the lignin at the surface of bare wood within a few hours, and as weathering continues the wood checks, turns gray and slowly erodes. Exterior wood finishes need regular renewal, and the USDA Wood Handbook lists typical service lives of 1 to 3 years for water-repellent preservatives and 2 to 3 years for tinted clear finishes on vertical surfaces. In FREILUFT kitchens, wood is used for shelves, where it can be looked after: solid oak shelves with five coats of yacht varnish.
Termites feed on wood. Drywood termites live entirely inside wood, need no contact with the soil and only little moisture, so keeping wood dry does not protect it from them. In southern Florida, the West Indian drywood termite has become the main drywood pest of wooden articles and infests furniture and other wood sheltered from rain. The carcass of a FREILUFT cabinet is aluminum; only shelves can be oak.
The carcass is marine-grade aluminum AlMg 3.5, an alloy class proven in shipbuilding, and every surface has Off-Shore powder coating with a chromate-free, nano-ceramic pre-treatment. For powder-coated aluminum, QUALICOAT recommends cleaning every three months near the sea and around pools, with a soft cloth, mild detergent and a fresh-water rinse.
Polymer cabinets do not rot and are no food for termites. Two points are worth asking about. All polymers, polyethylene included, gradually degrade when continually exposed to the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. For outdoor use, polyethylene is protected either with finely divided carbon black, which makes it black, or with a UV stabilizer, which allows other colors. Polyethylene expands and contracts with temperature far more than metals. Industry data for polyethylene pipe grades give about 8 to 10 × 10⁻⁵ inch per inch per °F, roughly six to eight times the figure for aluminum, about 13 × 10⁻⁶ per °F.
The kitchen does not need to be covered. A roof keeps the cook in the shade; see covered patio outdoor kitchens.
Yes, with optional stainless steel locks for drawers and doors.
Pricing depends on the layout, the modules, the color, the stone and your site. We give you a fixed quote after the design.
Ask for color samples with your design consultation. A coated aluminum front is easier to judge in your hand and in the light of your terrace.
Tell us about your terrace, the sun and the distance to the water, and send photos if you have them. We reply personally within one business day. Based in Miami, we deliver across the United States; for projects outside Florida, we plan with you by video consultation.
