Okay, so I’ve always wanted a nice outdoor grill area, you know? Something more than just a rusty old charcoal grill sitting on the patio. I saw some cool DIY brick grill projects online and thought, “I can totally do that!” Spoiler alert: it was harder than it looked, but totally worth it.
First, I spent hours looking at pictures and plans. Seriously, hours. There are a million ways to build one of these things. I finally settled on a simple, rectangular design with a space for a gas grill insert. I’m not a master bricklayer, so keeping it simple was key.
The Foundation
Next, I dug out the area where the grill was going to go. This was back-breaking work, I’m not gonna lie. I made sure the ground was level and compacted the soil really well. You don’t want your grill sinking or cracking later on! Then, I poured a concrete slab. I used some pre-mixed concrete bags from the hardware store, mixed it up in a wheelbarrow, and poured it into a wooden frame I’d built. I let that cure for a few days, checking it every few hours like a nervous parent.
Brick by Brick…
Now for the fun part – laying bricks! I bought a bunch of regular red bricks and some firebricks for the inside of the grill where the heat would be. I also got a big bag of mortar mix. This was my first time working with mortar, and it was messy! I watched some YouTube videos to get the hang of it. The first few rows were a little wonky, but I started to get the rhythm of it. Spread the mortar, place the brick, tap it into place, scrape off the excess. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
I slowly built up the walls, making sure to leave space for the grill insert and a little shelf on the side. It took several days, and my back was definitely feeling it. I used a level constantly to make sure everything was straight. There were a few times I had to knock a brick loose and redo it, but hey, that’s part of the learning process.
The Finishing Touches
Once the walls were up, I installed the gas grill insert. This was pretty straightforward – it just slid into the space I’d left for it. I also added a little countertop using some leftover concrete pavers. Perfect for holding plates and grilling tools!
Finally, I cleaned up the whole thing, hosed it down, and let the mortar fully dry. And there it was – my very own DIY brick gas grill! It’s not perfect, some of the bricks are a little uneven, but I built it with my own two hands, and that’s pretty cool.
- First cookout? Burgers and hot dogs, of course!
- Would I do it again? Maybe… after a long break. My back needs time to recover!
It was a challenging project, but seeing the finished product and knowing I did it myself? Totally worth the sweat and sore muscles. Now, who’s ready for a BBQ?
