Top 5 Mistakes Made When Building a Barbecue Island

One great enhancement to your backyard that can add value to your home and give your spouse an excuse to have plenty of parties is building an awesome outdoor kitchen. Doing so yourself is easy to do. It’s also easy to make mistakes that will eventually do more harm than good. The last thing you want is to invest thousands of dollars to build your barbecue and then find out it was set up all wrong.

Before you get started, consider the following mistakes many people make when building their outdoor kitchens.

1. Failing to understand how your island will function

Perusing catalogs and pictures online can generate plenty of ideas for how you want your outdoor barbecue to look. However, beauty doesn’t make a functioning island. Before diving headfirst into the final look, you must first consider these questions:

How much of your backyard are you willing to use? Understanding how much room you have will help determine what size and how many accessories you can include. You also want to make sure the location of your island has sufficient lighting.

Will you be cooking for large amounts of people, or just your small family? This will establish not only the size of the grill you should purchase, but how much additional counter space you should dedicate to your island.

Will you want to include any drawers, refrigerators, or sinks? Where do you want to keep your utensils and other amenities? To understand the overall operation of your barbecue island, think about what function these elements will have as part of your grilling experience and plan for what other elements these items will need to function properly.

2. Failing to plan the infrastructure

Building the frame of your barbecue island is one thing; setting up the overall infrastructure is quite another. Gas, propane, electricity, and plumbing materials are all factors that need to be considered before you begin building. Afterall, you don’t want to install a set of drawers only to find out they interfere with the installation of plumbing materials. You must also consider the zoning of your appliances. For instance, separating your cooking appliances as far away as possible from your cooling appliances will help them last longer and properly ventilate.

3. Purchasing incorrectly sized or non-outdoor appliances

Having a PHD in appliances isn’t necessary to build a terrific barbecue island. But knowing the difference between indoor and outdoor appliances will save you money in the long run. Afterall, indoor appliances will weather and degrade much faster than outdoor-rated appliances. Always double-check the size of your appliances before placing cutouts as well.

4. Forgetting to add materials that will protect you from combustion.

As a grill master, you must always respect your grill’s ability to combust at any moment. All outdoor barbecues require some source of heat, gas, and flame — a combination that could go very wrong very fast if you do not take the appropriate precautions.

First and foremost, you should include an insulated grill jacket to prevent the heat of your barbecue from warping, burning, and otherwise damaging the surrounding cabinets. You also want to make sure you have the correct ventilation, as well as accurately placed vent panels, so you can grill with peace of mind.

5. Not planning out your budget before beginning

There’s nothing worse than starting a project only to have to stop because you ran out of money. What once was going to be an awesome outdoor kitchen is now nothing more than a rust-infested home for bugs and insects.

When you start with a clear budget, we can help you create the perfect barbecue island, assist in choosing the best appliances, and provide tips and tricks on how best to setup your island for future expansion. Call us today to make your backyard barbecue a haven this summer!

image courtesy of www.landscape-design-advisor.com via flickr