Building a barbecue- need some help please

Hi My friend want me to build a brick barbecue for him like this one

http://www.acheson-glover.com/community/build-a-brick-barbeque.asp

I will need a little help though, the last time I did brickwork was ages ago, it was quite good but just took me a while, anyway if I list my questions could you try and answer them for me please? Here we go

Will it matter about the heat or can I use any brick within reason?

What do I do about the top layer, in this case it does not seem to show anything special but on some sites they show a solid brick for top layer. I think it would be best to keep same bricks but can you get bricks in solid, and with frog (I think it’s called) to keep it looking all the same?

Or is it ok to turn the top layer over so you have frog to frog?

Is 3 in 1 mix ok for this bearing in mind heat?

Where would I get the grill etc to fit so that when I build it etc I can build to fit?

What do you need for this type of barbecue other than the brickwork, ie I am referring to extras like the grill?

I have to build over a flower bed, so what do you think I should do, I was thinking of making a little concrete pad first, but how thick should this be and would I need to do it like a big pad, i.e. iron bars, 4” concrete, hardcore bashed down etc?

On one site I looked at they mention that a sand finish brick is good as it wont absorb the oil etc so easy and will be easy clean, what is this type of brick and would you recommend any particular brick that I could easily get from a builders merchant etc?

Anything else you can suggest to help me with this project?

Any help appreciated.

Get the barbecue first. Have a look around garden centres, DIY shops, catalogue shops, etc. At this time of year there will be plenty to choose from. I got one from a well known catalogue shop (no advertizing allowed) with an 'oven' underneath for keeping stuff warm - and cats off!

The grill may come with its own instructions for building the brickwork. My experience is that these should be thrown away. The finished height will be excessive because the one in the picture was built without any mortar! The barbecue may also come with brackets that you set into the brickwork (without mortar ???) to support the grill. These should also be thrown away. Firstly, they will rust. Secondly, the spacings will be so large as to be useless. You want stainless steel brackets with hooks spaced at approx 1" intervals.

There is no need to lay reinforced foundations for a barbecue. Dig out any topsoil and fill with hardcore then lay a simple 4" concrete slab a little larger than the base of your brickwork. For laying the bricks themselves, I think you should be using sand-lime mortar because it resists heat better. Someone on the building forum will know one way or the other. The top course of mine has the bricks upside down to show a flat surface. Note that not all bricks have a flat side.

Before you even start to build, consider the location. Which way is North? What time of day will be most popular for barbecues? Where will the sun be at this time? I am a secondary 'house programme' watcher and I am amazed at how few people bother to ask which way their prospective houses face!

From time to time it will rain. What do you think will happen to your barbecue if you leave it out in the rain? If you don't do something about this you will have to lift it out of the brickwork and put it under cover - maybe at short notice. How will you carry a red-hot barbecue into the garden shed?

The answer is simple; you need a lid. If you can't find a barbecue with a lid you will need to make your own. Mine is made from a single sheet of 18 gauge aluminium (should've used 16 gauge ) folded into a simple tray with three short sides and one long one that comes down the front. The barbecue stands out all year round under this lid and I always find it bone dry underneath. The grill brackets (also home made) unhook from the top of the brickwork and go in the oven.

PS: First rule of the barbecue: The chef needs an adequate supply of Carlsberg Special. Second rule; somebody else does the buns. Hic!

picture?

breezer said:

picture?

Click to expand...

If I ever get my digital camera to work!