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I'm going to be building a semi outdoor kitchen; outdoor but under a roof. Please note I live in a tropical country.

The kitchen I'm looking to build has an L shape, won't have much equipment in them and will only have a base and countertop. No cabinets need to go up. I've been thinking about using metal studs for the framing.

What I'm thinking is to build simple frames and space them apart every 16 inches. I use drywall to close the whole thing off, and buy a countertop. If I can't cabinets below, I would hang a wooden door from the metal studs and create a box inside with its own feet for weight support. To me this seems like the fastest way where termites won't eat my kitchen.

The only two concerns I have are this:

1) can the metal studs carry the weight of a countertop and the work that happens on there? They're designed to hold up walls after, which creates different forces.

2) how do I handle the drywall to be able to withstand being exposed to outside air? It won't be in direct rain or anything, but temperatures swing from 70-120 (20-50C) with high humidity.

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1) can the metal studs carry the weight of a countertop and the work that happens on there? They're designed to hold up walls after, which creates different forces.

Depending on the material of the countertop and it's span, sure. Metal studs should have no problem supporting a plywood with tile countertop. If your going to go with a stone (granite, marble, etc...) you may want additional cross bracing - again, depending on the span.

2) how do I handle the drywall to be able to withstand being exposed to outside air? It won't be in direct rain or anything, but temperatures swing from 70-120 (20-50C) with high humidity.

Don't use drywall. Find concrete board or similar. Looks like drywall (in America, it's generally 3 ft x 5ft) and cover the concrete board with your material of choice - tile, some sort of vinyl material, etc... The concrete board will give the metal studs rigidity and stand up to weather better. This is how outdoor kitchens are built in NY where it snows and it stands up just fine.

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  • Thanks for your comments. Very helpful. I am not familiar with concrete board. What material do I use to make it look nice (like compound for drywall) and can I also just use some kind of paint to decorate it rather than other materials such as your suggested tiles and vinyl? Please excuse the ignorance!
    – Rob de Jonge
    Commented Sep 30, 2016 at 14:42
  • No ignorance in the question. Different climates call for different finishes. Concrete board is basically concrete reinforced with fiber glass or other material. You could paint it, but it's texture is not smooth. Cut and hang concrete board like drywall - use metal screws, etc... Instead of compound for drywall, fill the gaps with thin set. You could skim coat the concrete board with thin set or maybe even drywall compound and paint that. Use a sponge or brush and give it a bit of texture - then paint it.
    – lsiunsuex
    Commented Sep 30, 2016 at 14:49
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    It's name varies by manufacturer but roughly homedepot.com/p/…
    – lsiunsuex
    Commented Sep 30, 2016 at 14:50

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