KO and the Turk: May 2013

Sunday, May 5, 2013

The Turk Has a Cook Bar

I love the Turk's love of grilling because I receive most of the benefits. Nothing deters the Turk from grilling - not rain, not wind, not dark of night. Feeling a bit guilty of my enjoyment despite his challenges, I announced a new project: an outdoor kitchen and bar. Of course, the Turk would have to build it, but I would design it for him. How lucky is THAT!

It took us about 4 months, and there are still some yard things to do, but we are now enjoying the results before the heat of the summer. What did we do?
Out came the deck from around our screened patio, except on the side near my office where I need a spot to place pots and my outdoor shower. Mark flipped the deck wood so we had the 'new' side out and he painted it with textured paint to reduce the slipperiness when it is wet. Mark gave the rest of the deck wood to one of his fishing buddies who used it to build his own deck. Love to recycle!

We hired a contractor to lay pavers and set up the concrete cabinets. Mark's helper - Erik - helped with electrical and roof. We decided on galvanized steel framed with wood beams. Picked granite that was neutral dark and priced right. Mark had a circle cut in the cooking counter top to hold his weber grill. We weren't sure though how granite would handle the heat since the grill is not insulated. The Turk found out that granite will crack with high heat. So we are working through that issue, starting with silicon hot pads placed between the grill and the granite. His smoker stands alone with plenty of room for heat to escape. Wood and supplies are stored beneath the cabinets.

We picked a rich gold color to tie in the pavers and the existing patio furniture and it really works well, especially with the dark stained wood.