How to Build a BBQ Island in Five Days 02/12/2012
Here's an day by day step through on building a BBQ Island in 5 days. Our process calls for building a welded frame in sections which is then assembled level at the home. We offer the assembly and finish work service but also turn over the welded structure to the homeowner or contractor who wants to finish the island themselves. Add Comment How To Build a BBQ Island 08/20/2011
 Construction 1. Do not use wood (fire hazard) or interior galvanized steel studs that are available at the big box stores. Interior galvanized steel studs are too thin and do not have enough galvanization to hold up for exterior use. 2. Purchase 20 gauge, galvanized 60 steel studs commercially. It’s best if you use both stud and track, since the track allows the studs to slip inside for perpendicular assembly. 3. Using screws to attach the stud and track works, but will make the top and sides “lumpy” when you apply the cement board. The finish product will look better if you can rivet or weld the pieces together. 4. Use a square to keep the structure and stainless openings true and remember to cross brace the studs so the structure will remain square. 5. Think about the spacing between items on the top and face so they are symmetrical. The bottom of every opening should be the same distance off the ground. 6. When cutting upright pieces, its best to use a chop saw with “stops” so each piece will be exactly the same height. This will help keep the structure square and level. 7. Most of the stainless appliances have an outside flange (top, bottom and both sides) that is larger than the opening. If you don’t space the openings far enough apart, the items may not install properly if the flanges overlap. 8. When figuring the height of the grill, side burner or beverage center, be sure to take into account the finish material. If you only measure from the outside of the unfinished top, the gap below the grill, side burner or beverage center will be exaggerated. 9. Depending on which grill and doors you selected, the unfinished structure may have to be a minimum of 36” tall. To properly calculate the minimum island height, you need to add up the height of the doors including the top & bottom flange, plus the height of the grill, plus a minimum of 2” for spacing above and below the door flange. 10. The island depth (front to back) can be usually be determined by adding to the depth of the grill plus the “hood throw” (the clearance distance between the back of the grill and the furthest distance the hood reaches when fully opened. The island depth is particularly important when the island backs up against the house or a wall; or if a backsplash or raised bartop will be used behind the grill. Be careful not to make the island depth too shallow resulting in the grill hood only able to partially open. 11. If you use 20 gauge galvanized 60 steel studs, the distance between studs can be 16” apart as they would be when framing a house. Cement Board 1. There are four cement board options for facing the studs to make the island structure finish ready. Of the four, only one is warranted for exterior use: PermaBase manufactured by National Gypsum. Its available at specialty building material supply stores like Thompson’s. 2. Avoid using Hardibacker. It’s clearly stated right on the label that the material is for interior use only. 3. ¼” thick material is available, but we only recommend using ½” thick material. It will add significantly to the structural integrity of the island. 4. Try to minimize the amount of seams, using larger 4’ x 8’ pieces will add to the structural integrity of the island and also reduce the number of seams that will have to be taped prior to applying stucco. Leveling & Anchoring 1. You’ll probably notice the ground on which the island sits slopes, often in two directions. Gas appliances operate more efficiently and your island will look better if it’s installed level, not sloping with the ground. 2. Use pieces of PermaBase to shim and level the low sides of the island. This is best done before installing PermaBase on the sides, so the PermaBase sides can run all the way from the top of the island, over the shims to the ground. 3. Once the island is shimmed, level and ready to install the sides, you’ll have to decide if you want to anchor the structure to the ground. Red Heads are a good anchoring device if you elect to do this. However, most islands once finished with the stainless installed are heavy enough not to require anchoring. Finishes 1. The countertop should be finish ready after the PermaBase is installed. We recommend using a higher grade thinset, such as Versabond for applying tile, travertine, slate, etc to the counters. 2. Stucco Preparation. Prior to applying the stucco, you will need to tape all the PermaBase seams with drywall net (yellow or white plastic net). Adhere the net to the PermaBase with speedset or thinset using a taping blade as you would with drywall mud. Make sure the taping is applied smoothly since you don’t want to sand the speedset or thinset after it dries. 3. Stucco Application. We use a premixed acrylic product called DryVit for the sides. The product comes in different textures and can be finished smooth, semi-smooth or sanded. It’s possible to either spray or trowel it onto the PermaBase. The product comes in many standard colors but can also be custom colored. The application is quite thin, approximately 1/8” thick. 4. If you are using stone or rock on the sides, you may be able to apply it directly to the PermaBase. If the rock is quite thick, you may have to attach a diamond steel mesh to the sides prior to installing the rock. It’s best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Material Sources 1. Thompson’s Building Materials (714) 637-7373 – PermaBase 2. Cal-Wal (714) 637-3450 – 20 gauge/galvanized 60 steel studs & DryVit stucco 3. Home Depot – self tapping stainless screws for screwing steel studs & track, self taping drywall screws, VersaBond 7 Best BBQ Island Design Tips 08/20/2011
 Designing a BBQ island that works for you and your yard is not overly complicated but it’s easy to make mistakes. Here are 7 tips that will help you design an island that is both beautiful and functional… 1. Put the grill downwind from where your guests will be sitting so the smoke does not blow in their face 2. The back of the grill is the “messy” part of the grill. Position the grill so the back has the least amount of exposure as possible from the yard or home. 3. Try to keep the cooking appliances together and the cold appliances together. The grill and sideburner should be at one end and the sink & refrigerator at another end as an example. If possible leave enough room for others to get into the refrigerator without making the chef step aside from the grill. 4. Leave a minimum of 9” to 12” inches of counter space on each side of the grill or sideburner if possible. Dinner plates are typically 9” in a diameter and you’ll appreciate having enough room to set one down on both sides if possible. 5. If you are including seating behind the island, try not to put anyone behind the grill since it will be hot, smoky and messy. Figure on 30” per chair for seating. A five foot (60”) bar top will seat 2 people for example. 6. Consider adding a kickplate with the same material you use on the countertop around the base of the island to protect the stucco finish from standing water. 7. If you plan to use stone on the sides of your island, you will want the top to overhang the sides by at least the thickness of the rock. The island looks better when the top overhangs the sides. Take advantage of our free island design service by contacting any of our stores or just come on in. Store locations and hours can be found at http://www.bbqgrillsandislands.com/locations.html What Wood Chips Are Best For Smoking & BBQ? 07/16/2011
 Pairing wood chips with meat is little like pairing a wine with a meal. The right wood with the right meat makes the meal that much better. Before talking about which wood works best, let’s get some wood chip smoking myths out of the way. Here are a few myths you can ignore:
1) Mesquite – adds a hint of sweetness with a strong earthy smoky flavor to it. It is very popular and often used in restaurants. Sweeter and more delicate than hickory, it's a perfect complement to richly flavored meats such as steak, duck or lamb. 2) Hickory – the classic BBQ flavor and is more pungent and smoky producing a bacon-like flavor. The most common wood used. Good for all smoking, especially ham, pork and ribs. 3) Apple – has a more delicate flavor than either Mesquite or Hickory. Apple works wonderfully with poultry, game birds, seafood and pork. Serve with a chutney made with apples to accentuate the flavor even more. Slightly sweet with a fruity smoke aroma. 4) Grape (Cabernet) – is traditionally used in Italy and France, and offers a more delicate flavor than hardwoods. Grape wood is recommended for use with fish and poultry. Aromatic, similar to other fruit woods. 5) Pecan – is the best for a beautiful golden-brown turkey. Try it with other poultry products, game birds, seafood and even pork for that delicate pecan flavor. Similar to hickory, but not as strong. 6) Cherry – is also a lighter smoke than mesquite and hickory. It has lighter, sweeter smoke and is excellent with poultry, game birds, seafood and pork. Serve with a chutney made with cherries to accentuate the flavor even more. 7) Maple – is lighter than mesquite and hickory but stronger than apple, alder or cherry. The smoke is slightly sweet and is excellent with poultry, game birds and pork. 8) Oak – is a heavier smoke, similar to mesquite and hickory. Oak is excellent with beef, pork and game meat. 9) Alder – another lighter wood. It’s the perfect choice for salmon and turkey. See the link below for store locations and hours to purchase wood chips and smoker boxes: http://www.bbqgrillsandislands.com/locations.html Which BBQ Grill Features Are Most Important? 07/06/2011
 Like every industry marketing departments for grill manufacturers like to find ways to differentiate their product from the competitors. This can become very confusing. Do you really need an infrared burner? Is a back burner important? Is a stainless burner better than a brass burner or is it the other way around? Let’s take a look at a few of the most important components in a BBQ grill, which include: 1. Burners 2. Flavor grids or briquettes 3. Sear Burner 4. Rotisserie Back Burner 5. Igniters Burners Other than avoiding cast iron burners, the two most important things about any burner is how much heat will it produce and what is the warranty. The manufacturers are getting better at producing heat, but all burners will fail over time. How long is the warranty and how good is the company behind the warranty? A lifetime warranty from an unknown manufacturer doesn’t help very much when they go out of business. So in the end brass is no better than stainless or vice versa it’s all about the warranty and the company. Flavor Grids or Briquettes The middle layer in any gas grill is primarily there to produce smoke, aroma and flavor. The material doesn’t matter so much, it’s the heat that does all the work. Here are four important questions you want answered about the flavor grids or briquettes: · Does grease easily pass through to eliminate flare ups? · How easy are they to clean? · What is the warranty, like burners they will fail over time? · Will they help produce even heat to the grilling surface? Infrared Sear Burner Most manufacturers offer and want you to buy an infrared sear burner. For some people it makes a lot of sense and not so much for others. Some grills produce so much heat that a sear burner is not necessary. Other grills are too small and when you lose 33% or 50% of your BBQ to searing, you don’t have enough space left over for grilling. Rotisserie Back Burner If you like to rotisserie, a back burner is a really nice feature. It does two important things. With the heat in the back you no longer have to worry about grease dripping from the meat and catching fire from the burners under the cooking grates. Moving the heat source to the back, your meat is safe. Secondly it allows you to place a collection pan under the meat to collect drippings for gravy. Igniters In every grill this is the weakest component with normally a shorter warranty than other compone. There are 3 types of grill igniters: · Battery - The most likely to fail but can usually be replaced easily. · Piezo – A mechanical igniter that produces an electrical charge when a “hammer” strikes a quartz crystal. Usually more reliable than battery igniters. · Electrical Glow Plug – It uses electricity to produce high heat on a metal probe next to the burner, hot enough to ignite the gas. The most reliable igniter system used in BBQ grills. You’ll enjoying see the various components and options in our stores. Our staff will take as much time as you want to explain the various options. We have the best grills at the best prices on display in our stores. The following link shows store locations and hours. http://www.bbqgrillsandislands.com/locations.html How Big a Grill Should You Buy? 07/04/2011
 Picking out the right size BBQ grill is one of the most important decisions in selecting your new grill. The choice requires some balancing between cost, available room and actual grill space. Available Room If the grill is a free standing cart, be sure to note if the shelves fold down if your space is limited. Some grills have folding shelves, many do not. If the grill is built-in to an island, it’s always best to leave at least 12 inches of counter space on either side of the grill. 12 inches allows room for a plate or platter. If the grill section on the island is 5 feet long, a 3 foot grill (or less) is the perfect choice to leave enough counter space. Grill Space Rule out the largest party or two a year and determine what size is a “typical large” group to entertain. For my wife and I that is about 12 people. Next determine what you typically grill when you entertain. Both chicken breasts and steaks take up a good amount of space. Let’s say that the average chicken breast or New York steak takes up about 24 square inches with a little room between the pieces. For every 100 square inches of primary cooking space you can cook for 4. For a party of 12, I need a grill with at least 300 square inches of primary cooking space. (some manufacturers include the warming rack as available square inches so it’s best to measure the width and depth of the actual cooking grates to determine the square inches). I also like grilling our vegetables; asparagus and artichokes are two of our favorites. If you enjoy this too, then you need still a bigger grill. Add 30% to 50% more grill space for the vegetables. For our typical large party of 12 people; 400 to 500 square inches of primary cooking space is going to be perfect for the meat and vegetables. A last consideration is to exclude the sear burner from your available space. Most sear burners are too hot for normal grilling. This means when you calculate the square inches, deduct the width of the sear burner when determining the available grilling area. Cost This is almost too obvious to mention but in every line, the larger the grill the higher the price. As a general rule of thumb a value grill will run about $50 per inch in width. That means a 32 inch wide grill will run around $1600, give or take. With a premium line the typical cost will be about $100 per inch in width. This means a 36” wide grill will cost approximately $3600, give or take. The best recommendation we can make is to buy enough grill, but not more than you will use. See the link below to find our store locations and hours. We’d like to help you figure out the perfect size grill. http://www.bbqgrillsandislands.com/locations.html How To Select the Perfect BBQ Grill? 06/14/2011
 With so many grills to choose from, how do you select the "right" grill?
If we continue with this analogy there are Junkers, Honda’s and BMW’s. One you want to avoid and two you want to purchase. What makes a BBQ grill a junker?
http://www.bbqgrillsandislands.com/locations.html | AuthorGary Smith - Owner BBQ Grill Outlet ArchivesFebruary 2012 CategoriesAll 
 | ||||||
RSS Feed