Welcome!


This is a membership forum. Guests can view 5 pages for free. To participate, please join.

[ Pitmaster Club Information | Join Now | Login | Contact Us ]

Only 4 free page views remaining.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Outdoor Cooking/Entertaining Area Build

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Outdoor Cooking/Entertaining Area Build

    I'm gearing up to do a significant outdoor area refurb and expansion. Currently it consists of a poured concrete slab "patio" that's ~32 feet wide and only 8 feet deep. Being so narrow, it's good for practically nothing. There is an access door at one end off the back of the attached garage, so I have my cookers squeezed into that corner. In addition to everything else, the concrete slab has raised up in parts and sunken in others over the years so it is quite uneven. We've talked for several years about building a ground level wooden deck over the patio and expanding it out into the yard. Now is apparently the time.

    The plan is to build a floating deck (not attached to the house) which will be 32' long by 20' deep. It will be at ground level over the patio. There is a moderate downslope to the yard so the far side will be about 20" off the ground supported by posts and beams. Since it it's floating, I'm not digging footings. The posts will be supported by manufactured foundation blocks. The one sticking point it's the difficulty getting pressure treated lumber at the moment. I have yet to be able to source the 5/4 decking locally. I'm not inclined to use composite for a variety of reasons.

    So far I have had 3 yards of 3/4 clean crushed stone delivered as well as the landscaping cloth for ground prep under the deck. I have the foundation blocks and have marked out their locations, and have about 75% of the framing and support timber and all of the connecting hardware and fasteners.

    The plan for today is to level the ground under where the foundation blocks will go then lay down the fabric and begin moving and spreading the crushed stone.

    Click image for larger version  Name:	IMG_20200810_090310-01.jpeg Views:	647 Size:	2.64 MB ID:	894682Click image for larger version  Name:	IMG_20200810_102218-01.jpeg Views:	629 Size:	2.02 MB ID:	894683Click image for larger version  Name:	IMG_20200810_152329-01.jpeg Views:	639 Size:	1.64 MB ID:	894684
    Last edited by Dewesq55; March 23, 2021, 04:24 PM.

    #2
    You are going to love it when you are finished. Are you building any kind of covering for your cookers? If so, I would recommending building it as close as possible to where you would enter the deck with the food.

    Comment


    • Dewesq55
      Dewesq55 commented
      Editing a comment
      At the moment I'm not, but I can see wanting to down the road. I will most likely want to do some type of outdoor kitchen installation with countertops and a sink, eventually, also.

    #3
    Keep it coming!

    Comment


      #4
      Sounds a lot more fun than the expansion we're considering...because of the slope our deck is a story above the ground...

      Comment


      • Dewesq55
        Dewesq55 commented
        Editing a comment
        Wow, that's a lot of slope. Mine is less than 18 inches at the farthest part of the planned deck. Using a doubled 2x8 beam, I should only have very stubby posts.
        Last edited by Dewesq55; August 11, 2020, 09:50 AM.

      • Dan Deter
        Dan Deter commented
        Editing a comment
        The advantage is I have a full basement, which is unusual as hell in NC. Which exits under the existing deck, so my shop down there will be convenient to where we're working (whenever that starts...). But its going to make a few parts quite nerve wracking. I was going to expand in a lower, multi-level deal, but the SWMBO starting having ideas...

      • Dewesq55
        Dewesq55 commented
        Editing a comment
        Our full basement it's completely below grade. There is an exit through a Bilco door. That's actually a hassle since I have to frame around it. My shop is in a separate outbuilding, but reasonably close by.

      #5
      Do you have an 84 lumber nearby? They usually have good quality 5/4.

      Comment


      • Dewesq55
        Dewesq55 commented
        Editing a comment
        Yeah. The problem is, apparently all of the PT in this area comes out of one plant and it shut down for 2 or 3 months due to COVID. So now, every time a load comes in to one of the local stores, the contractors clean them out first thing in the morning. All pressure treated is hard to get right now, at least around here. What I've managed to get, I had to scrounge around at different stores to find. But nobody has any 5/4 decking.
        Last edited by Dewesq55; August 11, 2020, 10:51 AM.

      • Dewesq55
        Dewesq55 commented
        Editing a comment
        So, it turns out you were right, Donw . I was able to find lumber sufficient to complete my project at my local 84 Lumber. It was quite a bit more expensive than Lowe's or Home Depot would have been had they had the goods, but they didn't.

      #6
      Love projects like this, it's gonna be fun to follow! I'm doing more or less exactly the same, just waiting for the municipality permit before I can get started. That's probably gonna take at least another month. Keep 'em photos coming!

      Comment


        #7
        Looking forward To seeing the pics as this develops. Make sure you leave enough in your budget to buy a couple new smokers/grills. Gotta have some new toys to go with your new BBQ area.

        Comment


          #8
          That's a nice project.

          Comment


          • Dewesq55
            Dewesq55 commented
            Editing a comment
            Thanks!

          #9
          Just weld it yourself, wood is for the birds!

          Comment


            #10
            If you build it they will come... for the food.

            Comment


              #11
              So, it was 95° and humid here today and I don't have backyard shade until late in the afternoon. Also, I'm old and out of shape. The result is I didn't get as much accomplished as I'd hoped to. I got the pads dug out and leveled under half the footing blocks. The boards sitting in the blocks are just there to check that they line up, which they do.
              Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_20200811_194238-01.jpeg
Views:	870
Size:	302.7 KB
ID:	895706
              Last edited by Dewesq55; August 13, 2020, 11:29 AM.

              Comment


                #12
                Dewesq55 looks like your images were a victim of the hacker's attack Ray told us about in another thread. Could you repost them? Or at least the last one that I haven't seen?

                Comment


                • Dewesq55
                  Dewesq55 commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Now I can't get them to post at all.
                  Last edited by Dewesq55; August 13, 2020, 07:48 AM.

                #13
                Just read that Ocean City had to postpone the re-decking of the boardwalk due to the shortages of pressure treated lumber. The city engineer was quoted as saying that while they had several sources for the lumber, the price was now double what it was a few months ago. I realize that the boardwalk decking is much thicker than 5/4, but still wow. If they can’t get a good deal ordering 26 city blocks of pressure treated, then composite starts looking better for yours. Hope you get lucky on your search.

                Comment


                  #14
                  Nice project David! Good luck. We'll be watching.

                  Comment


                    #15
                    So progress had been MUCH slower than I had envisioned due to the heat and the fact that I'm apparently in even worse shape than I thought. Nonetheless, we are plugging along. Today we got the landscape fabric laid down and I will be working on moving and spreading the stone on top after lunch.

                    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_20200813_130216-01.jpeg
Views:	882
Size:	223.7 KB
ID:	895711

                    Comment


                    • Dan Deter
                      Dan Deter commented
                      Editing a comment
                      I have learned that I've gotta pace myself or else I'll wind up unable to do anything for a couple of weeks... Oh, and hiring my kid's college age friends is worth the money (for the right friends, that is)

                  Announcement

                  Collapse
                  No announcement yet.
                  Working...
                  X
                  false
                  0
                  Guest
                  Guest
                  500
                  ["pitmaster-my-membership","login","join-pitmaster","lostpw","reset-password","special-offers","help","nojs","meat-ups","gifts","authaau-alpha","ebooklogin-start","alpha","start"]
                  false
                  false
                  {"count":0,"link":"/forum/announcements/","debug":""}
                  Yes
                  ["\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1157845-paid-members-download-your-6-deep-dive-guide-ebooks-for-free-here","\/forum\/the-pitcast","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2019-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2020-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2021-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2022-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2023-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2024-issues","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here"]
                  /forum/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here