Cooking Area

SmokeWatcher

SmokeWatcher

is one Smokin' Farker
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I'm playing with the idea of creating a cooking area for my grill and smoker away from the house. I'm thinking of a 10'x10' slab that simply has 4 posts, a roof, and maybe a cinder block wall along the back, so it's open on 3 sides. Later I can add water, power and NG, since it's all available. I'd like to go bigger, but local codes would require a permit if it's over 120 sqft. What do you all think? Anyone have any pics I can get ideas from?
 
Yep!!!!
newcooker.jpg
 
First thing--take chalk, string, or something and lay out 10 X 10 on the drive or somewhere.
Put your equipment in the box and see how it works.
Don't forget that you need room for some sort of work table, and even a 4 ft one takes up room. And, a cooler or two. And, a chair or two. And, a tiny table for snacks and beer and stuff a man needs whilst cooking (Federal Law there) :lol:

If it works--fine!
If not--how hard can the permitting process be? Around here, a formality if you just submit a basic plan that raises no "red flags".
And, yes, leave power and gas for later if you are permitting. :wink:

Finally, make the roof overhang "huge" to allow for sun and weather protection since you will not have room to move away from them. Normally, building sizes are based on the frame or wall deminisions, not the roof area!

Let us know what you decide and keep us posted.

Good luck,

TIM
 
Take a look at Zillas setup, I really like it and he has pics of the work in progress to the finished product. I want to do something like you've mentioned, but I don't want to pour a slab, so I found these honeycomb pavers called Turf-Stones and laid out a 12' x 12' area and that seems kind of small to me.
(It's actually quite level, I was just crooked when I took the pic!)

100_1731.jpg


I went to Barnes and Nobel looking for ideas for outdoor kitchens etc. and still like Z's pit. I rains 360 days a year here and I'd like some cover over me and my cookers! (Note the Single Fin astro-turf mod I got happenin!)

Brian
 
Use wooden decks resting on blocks, theoretically mobile? Avoids the building permit? Scott

PS, what about a couple of decks near eachother but not attached. S
 
Building permits? They just add to increased taxes. Can't ya just give your neighbors a slab of ribs and ask them to look the other way?
 
Be carefull. It's an addiction.

I started with a simple 3' x 3' pad to place the turkey fryer that I got as a Father's day gift a few years back. The wind was a problem blowing the flame around so I decided to add a windbreak. At the end of that season we ended up with a simple fence and an 8' x 16' steel roof.
 

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Added a bar.

You can't have a proper relaxation area without a place to prop your elbows.
 

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A place to cool off is nice too.

Momma wanted a place to chill.
 

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The last pic is 2 years old. Done a lot more since. Looks like a farkin rain forest out there now with all of the plants my daughters keep adding for us. It's a mess right now with more construction going on. I'll update this thread when I get it cleaned up. I'm addicted to my patio almost as much as I am cooking out there.
 
Sledneck said:
Just buy an old school bus, the neighbors will love it
Click to expand...

A 70' Batting cage, 24' half pipe, trampoline, basketball hoop and a Snorkel Stove are sure ways to find out the neighbors don't like kids too!
 
I know when I get around to doing this mine will need to be well over 10x10. Have you thought about using concrete pavers instead of pouring it? A wood deck sitting on concrete pier blocks will also skirt the building permit issue, and would not be considered an improvement because it is a temp structure that can be moved. Heck, a guy could build a bunch of 4'x4' square modules to set on pier blocks so you could expand/re-arrange as necessary.
I had plans to do a 12x12 paver patio for my pits, but we may be moving and don't want to invest anything now if I won't be there to enjoy it. Now I think 12x12 would be too small.
Zilla, nice home for that cooker.
 
I have been contemplating an outdoor kitchen myself, but I am gonna do it in about 10 years when I retire. I don't want to build it for someone else if you know what I mean.

I will be building alarger patio area though to keep the toys I have dry. There is no room to walk under the one I currently have now. Fridge, smokers, mega gasser and egg.
 
Here is my portable setup. Now if only I can figure a way to make Kevin's portable...
 

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