Create Your Own Outdoor Grilling Area

by Murray Anderson

Who can resist the idea of a meal cooked over an outdoor grill in their own yard? Creating your own outdoor grilling area or an outdoor kitchen where your family can get together and enjoy each other's company is a goal many people share. However, as with anything worthwhile, creating your own grilling area does require some up front planning and decision making. Here's some thoughts about how you can create your own outdoor grilling area .

Consider building on what you already have

An existing patio or deck can provide the basics of your grilling area. A patio in good condition provides a strong, stable base for your grill and accessories. A well maintained deck can serve the same purpose, however, you want to be sure it's strong enough to hold the weight of your grill along with the furniture, accessories and people who will joining you.
If your deck has been around for a few years or it's elevated, consider having it checked for soundness to be sure it can hold the weight of your outdoor kitchen.

Create your grilling area away from your home

Depending on the size and topography of your yard, you may decide you want your grilling area to be away from your home to keep smoke and noise away from the house.
A small yard will limit your location choices, but if possible, try to locate your grill on one side rather than in the middle of the yard so you can still enjoy it. It's also a good idea to keep your grilling area as well as away from your neighbors as practical, both for privacy and to minimize bothering them.
A larger yard give you more location options, but means you need to pay more attention to how you access the area from your house.
If your yard slopes you might have to decide between a sloping ramp, stairs or stepping stones. Ramps make it easier to move things to your grilling area, but most people prefer walking on level steps to a sloping ramp.

How do you want to cook?

Is the barbecue in your grilling area charcoal or gas ? Many people prefer the smoky flavor of charcoal but the price you pay for using charcoal is the temperature and cooking time (particularly in charcoal smoker barbecues) can be unreliable, requiring flexible meal times.
Gas barbecues are easy to light and provide reliable heat, but here again you need to make a choice between LP gas (and their heavy tanks) or natural gas that means you will need to have a gas line run to your grilling area.
Ensure you don't set your grill too close to your house or the heat from the grill could damage wood siding or buckle and even melt vinyl siding.

Have you considered accessories?

Many people now include outdoor refrigerators and even sinks in their grilling areas. The popularity of outdoor cooking has prompted manufacturers to develop fridges that are designed for outdoor use and have a lock built in so they can be left outside all year.