Okay, here’s my blog post about bricking in my grill:
So, I finally got around to tackling that project I’ve been putting off for, like, ever – bricking in my old, kinda rusty, charcoal grill. I saw some pictures online and thought, “Hey, I can do that!” Spoiler alert: it was a bit more involved than I initially thought, but totally worth it.
First things first, I gathered all my materials. This included a ridiculous number of bricks (way more than I estimated, of course), some mortar mix, a trowel, a level, a bucket for mixing the mortar, and a whole lot of patience. I also made sure I had my safety glasses and some work gloves – gotta protect those precious fingers!
The Prep Work
The first real step was prepping the area. My grill sits on a concrete slab, so I just needed to clean it off really well. I scrubbed it down with a wire brush and some soapy water, rinsed it, and let it dry completely. This gave the mortar a good surface to grip onto.
Next, I did a dry run. I laid out the first course of bricks around the grill, just to get a feel for the spacing and see how it would all look. I played around with the arrangement a bit until I was happy with it. I also had to make sure the bricks were all close enough to each other so the grill surface was supported.
Getting My Hands Dirty
Then came the fun part (and the messy part) – mixing the mortar. I followed the instructions on the bag, adding water slowly until I got a consistency that was like thick peanut butter. You don’t want it too runny, or it won’t hold the bricks. You also don’t want it too thick, cause then it will be hard to apply to the bricks.
I started laying the bricks, one by one. I spread a layer of mortar on the concrete slab, and then placed a brick on top, pressing it down firmly. I used the trowel to scrape off any excess mortar that squeezed out. Then, I spread mortar on the end of the next brick and stuck it to the first one. Rinse and repeat.
The most important thing I quickly learned was to use the level and make sure it was even in height and straight with the adjacent bricks.
- Check the level constantly! I can’t stress this enough. After every few bricks, I checked to make sure they were level, both horizontally and vertically. It’s way easier to fix any wonkiness as you go, rather than trying to correct it later.
I continued this process, course by course, slowly building up the walls around the grill. It was definitely a workout! I took breaks to stretch my back and grab some water. My arms were killing me!
The Finishing Touches
Once I reached the desired height, I let the mortar cure for a couple of days. The instructions on the mortar mix said 24-48 hours, so I waited the full 48, just to be safe.
After the mortar was completely dried, I cleaned up any stray bits of mortar and gave the whole thing a good scrub. And that was it! My newly bricked-in grill was ready for action. I tested it out with a simple cookout and it worked great, grilling and distributing the heat evenly, and with that, I knew I did it the right way.
It definitely took some time and effort, but I’m super happy with how it turned out. It looks way better than the old rusty grill, and it feels much more solid and permanent. If you’re thinking about doing something similar, I say go for it! Just be prepared for a bit of hard work, and remember to measure twice (or three times) and cut once… well, in this case, measure a bunch and lay those bricks carefully!
