Outdoor barbeque plans

This article is about outdoor barbeque plans. Building a brick barbeque in your backyard is a dream for any family, but in most of the cases it never becomes a pleasant reality due to the high costs involved by the construction. As a general rule, the qualified labor required by this project represents up to 50% of the total costs, therefore if you choose to undertake the construction by yourself you will decrease the costs to a decent level (300 – 500 dollars). The only issue left is to find barbeque plans that suit our tastes and needs. In this article, we will show you how to build a traditional brick barbeque and the main techniques you have to master, to get the job done in a professional manner.

First of all, you have to place the outdoor bbq in a proper location,far away from inflammable substances and items. In addition, we highly recommend you to get accustomed with your local building codes before starting the project, otherwise the inspectors might not allow the construction. In most of the cases, you have to leave 10-15′ from the fence to the brick barbeque and from other constructions.

Choosing the best design of the barbeque is mainly a matter of taste, therefore you have to decide from the very beginning what satisfies your needs and fits into your budget. If you do the project by yourself, you will save a significant amount of money, therefore we recommend you to invest in quality materials (the bbq will look better and will last longer).  Visit your local diy stores and choose the best offer in terms of quality and price. If you don’t have the required skills, you should either hire a team of qualified professionals or simply buy a barbeque kit.

 

Made from this plan

Add-Image

 

 

Materials

  • Bricks and refractory bricks (for the barbecue)
  • Concrete blocks (for the base walls)
  • Concrete (foundation and countertop)
  • Rebars for the reinforcing structure
  • Refractory cement

 

Tools

 

Tips

  • Read carefully our other articles related to outdoor construction
  • Place the wood fired pizza oven far away from inflammable substances or constructions
  • Work with attention, otherwise the construction won’t have the desired look.

 

Time

  • Two weekends

 

 

Outdoor barbeque base plans

Bbq foundation plans

Bbq foundation plans

 

Step 1: Lay out the foundation of the brick oven. That is why, you need to use batter boards and string to lay to foundation in a professional manner. We recommend you to use the 3-4-5 rule to make sure the corners of the foundation are right angled.

Next, use a shovel to dig the trenches. The depth of the foundation varies according to the soil structure, but in most of the cases 1 – 1 1/2′ should be enough to support the barbeque.

 

Brick bbq foundation plans

Brick bbq foundation plans

 

Step 3: Build the form and install the reinforcing structure. Use 2×6 wooden boards to build the form along the trenches, as in the image. Secure the boards by using 2×4 stakes, every 2′.

Next, use re-bars to build a net, tie them together with wire and install it into the form. The reinforcing structure will help the concrete be more rigid and support the weight of the bricks and of the concrete countertop.

 

Outdoor barbque foundation

Outdoor barbque foundation

 

Step 3: Pour concrete in the form and level the foundation with a straight edge. Use a power mixer to blend thoroughly 2 parts cement, 3 parts sand, 4 parts gravel and water.

Next, use a straight edge and pull it along the form, using zig-zag moves. If necessary pour more concrete and level it again. If the formwork  is level, the foundation will also be perfectly horizontal. Let the concrete dry out for several days.

 

Outdoor barbeque base

Outdoor barbeque base

 

Step 4: Build the base walls of the outdoor barbeque. Use regular bricks and lay them on the foundation, as in the image. In order to glue the bricks properly, you have to mix 3 parts of cement with 5 parts of fine sand until you obtain a compound with the consistancy of cream.

Lay a brick at the beginning and end of the row and tie a string to guide you when laying the rest of the bricks. Use a trowel to spread the mortar on the bricks and a sponge to clean the excess material.

 

Brick barbecue countertop formwork

Brick barbecue countertop formwork

 

Step 5: Build the form for the countertop of the brick barbeque. In order to get the job done properly, we recommend you to use four 4×4 posts and place them on the foundation of the bbq.

The length of the posts should be equal to the height of the walls minus 4” (we will place on top of them two 2×4 wooden boards and another row of 2×4 boards). Use a spirit level to make sure the posts are perfectly plumb.

 

Brick brbeque countertop plans

Brick brbeque countertop plans

 

Place the 2×4 wooden boards on top of the posts, as in the image. We recommend you to select the wooden boards with great care, otherwise the concrete might slip through the cracks created between them.

 

Barbeque countertop reinforcing net

Barbeque countertop reinforcing net

 

Step 6: Build the reinforcing structure for the concrete countertop. Use rebars to make a dense net, as in the image (place the rebars every 3”), and tie them together with construction wire.

Next, place the reinforcing structure into the form and install spacers to lift it about 2”. Mix concrete and pour it about 4” in the form. Level the concrete using a straight edge.

 

Outdoor barbeque floor

Outdoor barbeque floor

 

Step 7: Build the floor of the outdoor barbeque, using refractory bricks. Work with great care to make sure the floor is perfectly horizontal. We recommend you to use a mix of clay and sand to glue the bricks together, as a cement based mortar won’t resist the high temperatures developed by the burning woods.

Smart Tip: The refractory will store the heat and gradually. If you don’t have fire bricks, you can also use regular bricks but they won’t be as efficient.

 

outdoor barbeque plans

Outdoor barbeque plans

 

Fill the rest of the form with concrete, level it with a straight edge and let it dry for several days. Next, you should install granite, marble or flagstone over the concrete, as in the image. Fill the joints between the flag stone with colored mortar and clean the excess of the stone by using a damp sponge.

 

 

Outdoor barbeque plans

Building outdoor barbeque plans

Building outdoor barbeque plans

 

Step 8: Build the walls of the outdoor barbeque, using our free plans. In order to lay the bricks in a professional manner, we recommend you to place a brick at the beginning and another at the end of the row and tie a string to their exterior. Next, place the rest of the bricks, using a spirit level to make sure the wall is both plumb and horizontal.

You can place the bricks either on stretcher (you need more bricks) or on shiner (you first have to cut them on half longitudinally, but you will save material).

 

Build outdoor barbeque

Build outdoor barbeque

 

Step 9: Build the base of the chimney using bricks. First you have to place a lintel above the entrance of the outdoor barbeque (use a stone lintel or pour a concrete lintel).

You need to use a wet saw to cut the brick, if you want to get the same shape as in the image. As a brick saw could be a little expensive for your budget, therefore you should rent it for a day.

 

Outdoor bbq plans

Outdoor bbq plans

 

Step 10: Build the rest of the chimney, by laying bricks and gluing them with cement based mortar. Work with great care and clean the excess mortar with a damp sponge.

We strongly recommend you to use a spirit level every time you lay a new brick, to make sure the chimney is perfectly plumb. If you follow our step by step guidelines and use our plans, you will build an outdoor barbeque like a pro.

 

Outdoor brick barbeque plans

Outdoor brick barbeque plans

 

Let the cement mortar dry out for several days before making the first fire in it, otherwise the whole structure might even collapse. If you want to add a nice touch to your brick bbq, you could apply several coats of white cement render.

In addition, you should cover the concrete foundation and countertop with stone, making sure it matches the color of the cement coat and of the bricks.

 

 

Thank you for reading our article about outdoor barbeque plans and we recommend you to check out the rest of our outdoor projects. Don’t forget to share our projects with your friends, by using the social media widgets.




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  1. Marina
    • Jack Sander

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