backyard cooking - Your DIY Outdoor Fireplace Headquarters

Man, I love building things, both big and small. Like I stated in the header, “DIY Rocks…Nothing More”. I look around my home and I am amazed at what my wife and I have been able to build and remodel. The list is long, from hanging new doors, flooring throughout, adding cabinets to the laundry room, tile work, paint, baseboards, wall additions, wiring and plumbing, etc…

DIY Rocks

There really hasn’t been a room or area of our home that we haven’t had a direct impact on, DIY style. The inside has been a blast to build, but it doesn’t stop there. We love our backyard outdoor living area too and we do use it a lot. I would say we use it almost everyday, with the exception of mosquito season. That’s just miserable.

Building Our Backyard

Years ago it took a lot of thought to build our backyard and with the numerous layout possibilities, we had to pick what we liked. The pool was first and because it was the biggest feature, it took up the first big chunk. Then we built our outdoor fireplace and outdoor kitchen. They went on opposite sides of the large flagstone patio, which framed the backyard area closer to the house.

improve the look swimming pool umbrella palm tree flagstone planter — Pool went in first due to its size

improve the look Flagstone patio red door grill kitchen flowers — The outdoor kitchen framed one side of the flagstone patio

We enjoyed the layout for many years but we started to get a little bored with it. My wife and I started talking about a backyard refresh. This will not be a small endeavor as most of the backyard will be altered.

improve the look swimming pool patio umbrella fireplace deck planter — The fireplace framed one side of the flagstone patio nearer the house

But we are going to be doing the bulk of the work. Now, as a habitual DIYer and DIY business owner, I am not intimidated by the task. The only thing I will need to contract out will be some of the heavy lifting and trash services to haul away the old building materials. This will be the old pool decking, the old masonry that will be removed, and the flagstone patio that will be replaced with a more modern paver.

Are You Ready?

Maybe you’re in the same spot we are with regard to your backyard. Does your outdoor space need a redo, an upgrade, a refresh? It doesn’t have to be a daunting task, because we have DIY construction plans for your new outdoor fireplace and outdoor kitchen. DIY rocks can be your mantra too.

Even if you have never built with cinderblock and mortar, we can walk you through your build with step by step instructions and detailed diagrams. You will be able to follow the plans that will show you the exact placement of each and every block. There is no better way to build and you can classify yourself as a full-fledged DIYer. The BEST part is that you will save thousands of dollars if you do the work yourself.

We Are Here To Help

Don’t think you have what it takes? Go to our website, www.backyardflare.com and check out the gallery of outdoor fireplaces and outdoor kitchens built by Backyard Flare DIY customers. Anyone can do it with our help. Let us prove it to you.

DIY outdoor fireplace with painted stucco and lights — We stand on what we design. We got you covered!

And if you need a bit more help, you can get our video tutorial series that will show you how to build an outdoor fireplace. We have strived to put together a whole package that a DIY homeowner can use to have outdoor building success. Why wait? Visit www.vimeo.com/ondemand/diyoutdoorfireplace today and watch our video trailer. We know you’ll be inspired to start your DIY project and we want to be a part of it.

Backyard Flare is second to none with customer service. You want to talk directly to someone about your project? Call Dan at 520-269-9740 now and discuss your project. Consults are free of charge. Never a better way to get started. We look forward to hearing from you.

As we always say, “DIY Rocks” and “Happy Building!!!!”

Getting Started

Well, this 2020 spring sure snuck up on us. Down here in the southwest, the temps are getting into the 70s already in March, so we are looking at some DIY projects. We have decided that an DIY outdoor kitchen is what my father-in-law’s backyard needs. He’s super excited and we started talking and discussing the build and what we would want in the structure.

Getting started with the excavation.

We have a few hundred square feet to work with, so we have some different shapes and configurations available to us. There is a gorgeous mountain view to our east, so we definitely want to keep that on our mind when we design the layout.

Initial Thoughts

First and foremost, my father-in-law loves to cook on charcoal, so we are headed in that direction with the grill. We picked out a Char-Broil brand structure that we’ll modify to fit the space. That’s a real cool way to build and very economical, so we’ll be getting into that in some future posts. Secondly, we are looking to match the exterior of the outdoor fireplace that we built last year on the opposite side of the backyard. In order to do that, we’ll be putting stucco and outdoor lighting on our DIY outdoor kitchen, with flagstone as our counter material. By using the same finish material on the grill and fireplace, it’ll look like we built both structures at the same time and the overall look of the backyard will look well thought out.

We decided that a raised bar area would be a nice addition to the DIY outdoor kitchen, so the structure will have to be big enough to accommodate that extra feature. An “L” shape is something we feel will work so the guests sitting at the bar will have the mountain view to look at while they talk to the grill chef and enjoy their favorite beverage.

Starting the Construction

We staked out the rough dimension of the “L” shape grill and then started figuring out the level of the future concrete slab. This is important so our patio pavers are the same height of the patio to the house. The excavation of the site started with a quick dig out of the slab dimension.

Using a really long level, 6-footer, we laid out random pavers from the existing patio to the farthest side of the DIY outdoor kitchen structure. This would tell us how much digging we would need to do to get it uniform and level.

Drawing and Block Count/Order

CAD drawing of the DIY outdoor kitchen

Dan at Backyard Flare drew up the grill structure using CAD and concept and then used the drawing to calculate the type of blocks and exact number of each block needed. Dan figured the mortar and concrete need as well, and then called Lowes to place the order for delivery. The best part is that almost all the building materials and even the grill will be delivered right to the side of the house, which is where the gate is located leading to the backyard. The materials purchased, including the $75 delivery fee, was only $505, and that included the grill. Wow, how much more economical can it get?

Follow along on our future posts as we build. You’ll be amazed at how easy and inexpensive it can actually be to build on your own. The DIY world is yours to explore and we can help. If you’re interested in building your own backyard paradise, let us know how we can help. Get your construction plan today and begin building your DIY outdoor kitchen tomorrow. Happy building.

Tag: backyard cooking

DIY Rocks…Nothing More