Small Outdoor Kitchen

[reuben.ahmed]

Because I'm bored, only 8ft here so it's probably a small grill and a small sink, since it's gray water I hope I can drain to a down spout.

My last grill fell over in a blizzard and broke all the knobs off so I figured I better do a built-in next time.

I do have a TV here that I didn't get an electrician to power up yet, so I can watch Burrow struggle to get to .500 while eating an overcooked burger.



I'm thinking of putting in a small island right in front of this kitchen to put the sink and maybe an overhang for a couple barstools. Maybe put a side burner on that island too for pots, not that I do any sauces but when is a better time to learn than this year, being stuck at home.

[SunsetBengal]

A great idea that should provide you tons of enjoyment. The biggest challenge will be protecting the water supply lines from the elements. You'll have to be sure to bleed them out every late Fall, before the freeze happens. Maybe design in some rigid, removable covers to protect your investments from the elements.

[Goalpost]

Burgers, beer, tv, music and.....that deck needs a pool table....ha.

[reuben.ahmed]

(05-09-2020, 10:42 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: A great idea that should provide you tons of enjoyment. The biggest challenge will be protecting the water supply lines from the elements. You'll have to be sure to bleed them out every late Fall, before the freeze happens. Maybe design in some rigid, removable covers to protect your investments from the elements.

Good advice! I'm going to have a plumber run the water line so hopefully we figure out how to bleed it.

(05-09-2020, 11:05 AM)Goalpost Wrote: Burgers, beer, tv, music and.....that deck needs a pool table....ha.

I actually have an outdoor ping pong table, but I never tried using it outside lol. I imagine there is barely enough room on the deck to do it, but the balls are just gonna get lost in the yard, my dog will chase/eat them, and people will try to smash them into the glass railing. It was a good thought we both had apparently lol.

[jfkbengals]

(05-09-2020, 12:00 PM)reuben.ahmed Wrote:
Good advice! I'm going to have a plumber run the water line so hopefully we figure out how to bleed it.


I actually have an outdoor ping pong table, but I never tried using it outside lol. I imagine there is barely enough room on the deck to do it, but the balls are just gonna get lost in the yard, my dog will chase/eat them, and people will try to smash them into the glass railing. It was a good thought we both had apparently lol.

If you have an air compressor, you could have the plumber put a tee as the first thing after the shut off valve for each outside line (assuming both hot and cold water).  The branch from the tee would be a ball valve, then a quick connect fitting of the same style as you use for your compressor.  When it is time to winterize, you shut off the water supply and open the faucet control for that line.  Then plug the compressor into the quick connect at about 30 PSI or so.  Open the ball valve and allow the air to purge all of the water out of the line, then repeat with the other line.  I had a irrigation system which used this setup and was a piece of cake to winterize.  If you desired to do so, you could also use the quick connect location to add RV Anti-freeze to the line after it is blown out to add extra protection.  Just make sure to close both the ball valve to the quick connect and faucet when done adding the anti-freeze.  Regardless of using anti-freeze, make sure to close the ball valve to the quick connect when you are done clearing the line, as you might forget to do so in the spring and end up with a hell of a mess when you cut the water on in the spring!

[SunsetBengal]

(05-09-2020, 02:27 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: If you have an air compressor, you could have the plumber put a tee as the first thing after the shut off valve for each outside line (assuming both hot and cold water).  The branch from the tee would be a ball valve, then a quick connect fitting of the same style as you use for your compressor.  When it is time to winterize, you shut off the water supply and open the faucet control for that line.  Then plug the compressor into the quick connect at about 30 PSI or so.  Open the ball valve and allow the air to purge all of the water out of the line, then repeat with the other line.  I had a irrigation system which used this setup and was a piece of cake to winterize.  If you desired to do so, you could also use the quick connect location to add RV Anti-freeze to the line after it is blown out to add extra protection.  Just make sure to close both the ball valve to the quick connect and faucet when done adding the anti-freeze.  Regardless of using anti-freeze, make sure to close the ball valve to the quick connect when you are done clearing the line, as you might forget to do so in the spring and end up with a hell of a mess when you cut the water on in the spring!

Good stuff, that's just about what I would have suggested.

[fredtoast]

Screw the sink and grill.  You need a couple of brass poles and a fog machine.

Maybe an outside shower.

[reuben.ahmed]

Wanted to fix low spots in the yard left by the bobcat tracks (should have laid down mats or plywood, argh). Had a couple yards of soil delivered (minimum yardage) and it's way too much to fix the problematic parts of the lawn, so I'm trying to "waste" it here by creating a mulch bed and flagstone path.

Ran out of flagstone (of course). Will try to complete this today.

[SunsetBengal]

(05-13-2020, 09:01 AM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: Wanted to fix low spots in the yard left by the bobcat tracks (should have laid down mats or plywood, argh). Had a couple yards of soil delivered (minimum yardage) and it's way too much to fix the problematic parts of the lawn, so I'm trying to "waste" it here by creating a mulch bed and flagstone path.

Ran out of flagstone (of course). Will try to complete this today.

Using that hand tamper all day long will definitely make a man out of you. 

[fredtoast]

(05-13-2020, 10:26 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Using that hand tamper all day long will definitely make a man out of you. 

No shit.  Handling those flagstones also gets old quickly.

One time I help a friend start a project something like that, but neither one of us were training for a strongman competition.  When I came back and saw the finished project he had decided to use a lot more decorative gravel and less dirt.

[reuben.ahmed]

Hah, I agree! I'd say I'm hurting today, the main thing is my hands hurt when I try to type or clench something, lol. Job is done, for now! I got lucky because there was already crushed limestone/paverbase there, no way I could have laid that, hand tamped the whole area in a day and move the flagstone. I did use a tamper but didn't have to on the whole area, I probably would have rented a machine at that point lol. I'm glad this job is done because I remember telling myself a few times during the process "this sucks a$$".

I ended the day using a leveler with the remaining topsoil and reseeding the yard.







Still have to mulch the new bed but put preen down to stop weeds for now.

[reuben.ahmed]

(05-13-2020, 12:23 PM)fredtoast Wrote: No shit.  Handling those flagstones also gets old quickly.

One time I help a friend start a project something like that, but neither one of us were training for a strongman competition.  When I came back and saw the finished project he had decided to use a lot more decorative gravel and less dirt.

I started out thinking I'd use gravel, also. Soil is also pretty heavy to move (both are, I'd say). I had to get another 7 pieces of flagstone which weighed in at 450 lbs (not too bad), but when I moved those in the yard cart I realized the soil was at least as heavy per cart (maybe 500-800 yard pulls). Do that for 8 hours and yeah my neighbors can understand why I'm walking a lot slower at the end of the day lol. That or because 40 has caught up to me, I actually take breaks now to drink water.

With anything we get better the 2nd time we do something, I think I'm better than the average person at doing something the 2nd time and worse than the average person at doing something the 1st time lol. I attribute this to I make more mistakes than other people initially and have corrected them already the next time lol.

[fredtoast]

(05-14-2020, 12:01 PM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: With anything we get better the 2nd time we do something, I think I'm better than the average person at doing something the 2nd time and worse than the average person at doing something the 1st time lol. I attribute this to I make more mistakes than other people initially and have corrected them already the next time lol.

That is the way it is with everyone.  I just built a compost tumbler.  Seemed pretty simple.  Wood frame for a rod to run through the middle of a plastic barrel.  But I ran into a ton of little quirks that you don't think of.  I had to use my jigsaw to cut some round holes to run the rod through.  But I had already bolted the piece together and the bolts were blocking the plate on my jig.  So I had to take it apart, cut the holes, then bolt them all back together.  Another time I made a slight change in the plan halfway through without thinking about the bolts I had bought not being long enough.

But it turned out pretty good.  Think I'll take a picture and make a thread.



Back to your project.  That looks real nice.  Hope you had some of that nice cool dry weather to work in.  That makes a huge difference in how much I can get done outside.

[reuben.ahmed]

Definitely, I walk a lot slower once the 75+ hits with sun.

So I flipped over the deck chair's cushion and saw a mouse nest yesterday. I swear I just flipped this over the other day and it was bare.

The mouse ran, into the outlet on my deck's wall! It left one baby behind and apparently was having babies at the exact time I found her.

I threw 4 of the 1 minute old babies into the pond, and one immediately tried to swim (that was a sad sight). The 5th one, the mom came back for her. I was surprised at her will but that is a mom I guess.

The traps a neighbor gave me, didn't work at all. I used (I am absolutely going ot hell fo rthis), the 5th baby in one of her traps, and peanut butter in the other trap. I tested the trap and they worked (almost broke my finger off). She successfully rescued her baby and took the peanut butter without setting off either trap.

She's not a heavyweight mouse. I bought a catch and release from amazon that will come Tuesday, I'm thinking she's not even heavy enough to set that one off. My friend said to just keep feeding her peanut butter and eventually she will set the fulcrum off lol.

I thought was weird that I'm trying to kill an outdoor mouse, but I don't want to be sitting on the deck and a mouse is crawling up my ass or on the floor next to me as I lay there - and it's quick ot have an infestation (5-7 babies per litter and impregnated immediately after so every 25 days a new litter).

[Stewy]

(05-18-2020, 09:57 AM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: Definitely, I walk a lot slower once the 75+ hits with sun.

So I flipped over the deck chair's cushion and saw a mouse nest yesterday. I swear I just flipped this over the other day and it was bare.

The mouse ran, into the outlet on my deck's wall! It left one baby behind and apparently was having babies at the exact time I found her.

I threw 4 of the 1 minute old babies into the pond, and one immediately tried to swim (that was a sad sight). The 5th one, the mom came back for her. I was surprised at her will but that is a mom I guess.

The traps a neighbor gave me, didn't work at all. I used (I am absolutely going ot hell fo rthis), the 5th baby in one of her traps, and peanut butter in the other trap. I tested the trap and they worked (almost broke my finger off). She successfully rescued her baby and took the peanut butter without setting off either trap.

She's not a heavyweight mouse. I bought a catch and release from amazon that will come Tuesday, I'm thinking she's not even heavy enough to set that one off. My friend said to just keep feeding her peanut butter and eventually she will set the fulcrum off lol.

I thought was weird that I'm trying to kill an outdoor mouse, but I don't want to be sitting on the deck and a mouse is crawling up my ass or on the floor next to me as I lay there - and it's quick ot have an infestation (5-7 babies per litter and impregnated immediately after so every 25 days a new litter).

And use Jif - choosey rats choose Jif.  

Dead serious

[sandwedge]

(05-18-2020, 09:57 AM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: Definitely, I walk a lot slower once the 75+ hits with sun.

So I flipped over the deck chair's cushion and saw a mouse nest yesterday. I swear I just flipped this over the other day and it was bare.

The mouse ran, into the outlet on my deck's wall! It left one baby behind and apparently was having babies at the exact time I found her.

I threw 4 of the 1 minute old babies into the pond, and one immediately tried to swim (that was a sad sight). The 5th one, the mom came back for her. I was surprised at her will but that is a mom I guess.

The traps a neighbor gave me, didn't work at all. I used (I am absolutely going ot hell fo rthis), the 5th baby in one of her traps, and peanut butter in the other trap. I tested the trap and they worked (almost broke my finger off). She successfully rescued her baby and took the peanut butter without setting off either trap.

She's not a heavyweight mouse. I bought a catch and release from amazon that will come Tuesday, I'm thinking she's not even heavy enough to set that one off. My friend said to just keep feeding her peanut butter and eventually she will set the fulcrum off lol.

I thought was weird that I'm trying to kill an outdoor mouse, but I don't want to be sitting on the deck and a mouse is crawling up my ass or on the floor next to me as I lay there - and it's quick ot have an infestation (5-7 babies per litter and impregnated immediately after so every 25 days a new litter).

Don't feel bad. I flipped a house a couple of years ago and the damn rats caused me over $5K. There was a walk-in crawlspace that they had gotten into after I bought the house. With in days I notice the stench of urine. I started looking and found they had tunneled into insulation under floorboards (ceiling of the crawlspace). I pulled all the insulation down and probably cornered about 15 rats. I went nuts with a flat shovel, just braining them...

[Goalpost]

Get a cat.

[grampahol]

All I can tell you is to get busy breeding big, strong sons or at least one. Now that I'm 60 my own son has come in really handy this spring to do the heavy lifting. I give him a hard time over just about everything, but i love him to death. We work really well together and have for many years. I know his limitations and he knows mine. I just got him past the fear of spray painting to speed up those jobs..The hard part is convincing him to wear a spray mask every time so he doesn't lose the use of his lungs like the old man someday..