In
the mid 1900's, brick BBQ pits were all the rage, offering home owners
the pleasure of owning and using a unique and distinctive form of
cooking outdoors to entertain friends and family.
Despite the
huge increase of modern charcoal and gas barbecue grill sales in the
last 20 years, the popularity of building your own BBQ pit has
begun a revival with those seeking an attractive, alternative
method of cooking in the garden.
With modern counterparts
costing hundreds and even thousands of dollars, the incentive to build
a BBQ pit of your own has increased exponentially among enthusiastic
grill chefs and DIY maestros.
Learning how to build a brick BBQ
pit is not as hard as it may seem from the outset, and using some
common sense, basic tools and a few tips, you will be well on your way
to building your own BBQ pit in no time.
Building a Brick BBQ pit
First
of all , measure out a rectangular plot for the BBQ pit, and dig
downwards at least 10" inches below the ground to ensure that a stable
foundation can be laid in preparation for the bricks. Level this area
off until it is true to a spirit level or plumb line.
Next, pour
in a layer of gravel, some 2-3 inches deep onto the base of the
dig-out, and level off. Create a mixture of mortar and water and spread
it 2 inches deep around the gravel edges.
Smooth off the freshly
laid wet mortar with a trowel and lay down a roll of flattened blocks
around the edges of the BBQ pit foundations, levelling each one at a
time.
The mortar will dry off fairly quickly in warm weather,
and as it does so, fill it in with some dirt and apply another level of
wet mortar on top of the blocks and smooth it off level.
Now comes the fun part, laying the bricks for your own BBQ pit!
Take
a brick, and spread an even layer of mortar onto it and lay the brick
horizontally along the edges of the blocks, level, tap off any excess
mortar, and move to the next brick placing it alongside the previous
brick repeating the process around the edges of the block base.
When
you have finished the outer wall of your brick BBQ pit, move to the
inner wall using the same process and add a second layer of bricks,
alternating the pattern as you go.
When you have finished both
the inner and outer walls of the BBQ pit, take some metal brackets and
insert them into the correct position in the wet mortar. The brackets
will be supporting your chosen grill size, and this will be set into
place tomorrow after the mortar has hardened overnight.
Time to clean up and rest, and return tomorrow once the mortar has set.
The
following day, you should find that your brick BBQ pit has set into
place nicely, at which point you can add your BBQ grill to sit onto the
metal braces.
Cast
iron adornments, plaques and interesting fittings can finish off the
appearance of your barbeque fire pit so that it fits in well with your
outdoor space and adds an additional sense of individuality to your
project as well.
Some points to remember when
building a brick BBQ pit
Mortar
will take a great deal longer to set if the climate is damp or wet. If
it is raining and you are working unsheltered outdoors, leave the
project until you can obtain shelter over the whole BBQ pit, or wait
until the bad weather passes.
Ensure
that you remove the excess mortar from each brick as it is placed. Once
hardened it will be hard to remove, and be an eye-sore once it has been
finished.
Remove
any small particles of mortar from the BBQ pit once it has fully set.
Avoid attempting to remove excess mortar from the pit while the mortar
itself is still wet. Once dried, small particles of mortar can be
easily removed using a strong wire brush.
Plan
your BBQ pit build in advance, and have all the tools and resources to
hand so that you don't have to stop too often. Brick laying is best
done in a single pass to help ensure correct level and standard. If you
feel as though you cannot get both the inner and outer wall of the BBQ
pit finished in one day, build the outer wall first, and leave the
second wall until another day.
If the weather appears as though
it may rain, cover your BBQ pit with a large polythene sheet. This will
speed up the setting process dramatically and help you get on with
finishing the project the following day.
Try these invaluable plans
to build your own smoker!
