Do you love cooking in the great outdoors, firing up the barbie at the first sign of a scrap of sunshine and a rain-free afternoon? Then forget the expense of heading down to the garden centre or DIY store, and build your very own barbecue in the garden.
First you'll need to identify where you want to set up your barbecue. The best spot is near a seating area so that you can entertain and cook and chat at the same time. Depending on how big your garden is, you may also need to take into account how close you are to your neighbours, especially if you barbecue on a regular basis.
You'll also need to make sure you have a good flat area. Don't build the barbecue near fences, or overhanging trees - you don't want to singe them!
Once you have identified a likely site, you only need a few more 'ingredients' and tools for your very own home-built barbecue.
These are:
• A barbecue grill (you can buy these very reasonably from hardware stores, DIY stores, garden centres and online)
• Bricks
• Sand
• Paving slabs (if you are not building on a hard level surface)
• Cement
• Trowel for spreading mortar
• Spirit level
How to get started
First, you need to ensure you have a good base. You may be building your barbecue on an existing patio or hardstanding area, in which case you need to do little more than ensure that it is level. If you're starting from scratch, you could simply lay your paving slabs on a bed of sand. However, if you want to make sure you have a really solid base, it's worth taking the time to create a really solid base.
First dig out an area measuring about 4ft by 4ft down to a depth of about 4in. Put wooden forms inside the hole, add in some hardcore and then use a concrete mix cement to fill the base. Make sure it is smooth before leaving to set for about two days.
Using your cooking grill as a guide, lay out the first level of your bricks. You'll need one long edge along the back and then two small edges coming off this at each end at right angles. Try to keep the bricks whole if at all possible, as this makes it simpler to construct your barbecue and saves you having to try to split too many of your bricks in half. Draw around the bricks so that you have a good outline in which to lay your first layer of mortar.
Mix your mortar. You will need one part cement to five parts of sands to get a good mix. Add water, then mix until the mortar is of a stiff consistency.
Double-check that your site is level before you lay down your first line of mortar, and lay your bricks. Once you have laid them, use the spirit level to ensure the first layer of bricks is level and then check that your right angles, are, indeed, right angles!
It's worth using a metal tie to join your back wall and side edges together to ensure that your homemade barbecue is as secure as possible.
Beginning at the corners, begin to lay the rest of the courses - or layers - of bricks. You will want to stagger the vertical joints of the bricks to build a solid wall. There should be about a half-brick's width offset between each layer.
As you build up your layers, keep checking that the wall is still level from all angles - that includes checking that the wall is straight vertically as well as horizontally, and that your right angles remain.
The height to which you build your barbecue will depend on you. An average guide is that seven courses is about the right height to place your 'shelf' for the grill, but stand yourself or the person who does most of the al fresco cooking against it and work out what will be the right height. This is the benefit of building your own barbecue, it can be custom-built just to suit you! - good news for anyone who isn't 'average'!
Once you're happy that your walls have reached the desired height, you need to build a shelf to support the tray for the charcoal. To do this, lay the bricks so that they are turned in to create a ledge. To make a neat finish on the outside edge, use a half-brick to fill the gap. You'll need to then lay another three levels of bricks before repeating the procedure to create a shelf for your grill tray.
Finally, lay another set of bricks along the top to create a neat edge. You can neaten the edges of the mortar using a trowel - or a piece of hosepipe can do the job just as well.
Now all you need to do is leave the mortar to set for a couple of days to ensure it is good and solid. Then you can cook away to your heart's content!
Have a fantastic Summer!!
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