Grilling Deck for All Seasons

I wrote an earlier blog post entitled: A Grilling Table is My Outdoor Kitchen because the cost of an outdoor cooking area seemed WAY above whatever budget I’d ever have. But issues started to arise when cooking outdoors with no weather protection. Invariably, when I’d decide to grill on a sunny Saturday afternoon, by the time I’d prepped the food, fired up the charcoal, poured an adult beverage, and was ready to grill, the weather had turned into rain and I was washed out. I needed to have a covered space to allow me to grill in a reasonable rain (or snow — Roanoke, VA is a year-round grilling opportunity). I needed a grilling deck for all seasons.

• I wanted an outdoor cooking space close to my indoor kitchen. 
• The grilling deck had to fit my grilling table, which holds my charcoal grill and a two-burner propane stove, plus a propane grill that a friend had given us.
• I wanted to build it myself to save money but I’m not the best carpenter so it would have to be simple and easy — no fancy cuts and nothing I couldn’t lift by myself. 
• The project had to be economical — definitely under $1,000 and closer to $500 if possible.

A Space Close to My Kitchen

Two years ago we had a poly privacy fence installed around our yard. When the fence was installed along our carport it left a small grassy space that wasn’t good for much. Or so I thought. This space is right across our carport opposite the back door leading to our indoor kitchen. Perfect!

Space for Grilling Table Plus a Propane Grill

The small grassy space “not good for much” was about eight feet wide by about sixteen feet long. After measuring all items I wanted on the grilling deck it appeared that a seven foot wide by twelve foot long deck would meet my needs and pocket book.

Determined to Build the Grilling Deck Myself

I am a very elementary carpenter (read: hacker — “a person who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity”). I like 2x4s and maybe 2x6s. I like straight cuts and as few cuts as possible. I like screws versus glue because I make mistakes and sometimes I have to take apart what I’m building and reconfigure. And I like saving money!

I looked online for a plan but couldn’t find one I liked or thought that I could build. So I designed one myself.

I built the base out of 2x6s . . .

I built the base out of 2x6s with the joists spaced at 16 inches on center. This is a floating deck so I set it on some old pavers I had and leveled it up. I did not dig out the sod underneath as the earth here in Roanoke is very hard clay and I just didn’t have the energy to dig it out and replace it with a weed barrier and gravel like many of the YouTube videos I’d watched. The decking I used was 5/4 by 12 feet. All the wood I used was pressure treated to hold up in the weather. 

I wanted a partial roof to keep me dry . . .

I wanted a partial roof to keep me dry and/or out of the hot sun while grilling so I put the uprights in place, built the roof structure at five feet wide by 12 feet long. Then I bolted the roof structure to the rear uprights so I could swing it up into position with the front uprights and bolt it in place. (All of the uprights and braces are 2x4s since they carried very little weight.) My wife helped a bit at this point, but otherwise I was able to do most of the work alone and keep the project going. 

I covered the roof with corrugated steel panels from Home Depot. The material seems a bit thin but it has held up well and, since I did not design the roof to carry a lot of weight, these panels worked nicely and had the visual appeal I wanted. 

I wanted six foot corrugated panels but they only came in eight foot and 12 foot lengths. The 12 footers were too long for me to carry on top of my vehicle so I bought the eight footers and cut two feet off the end of seven panels. I used these tin snips from Harbor Freight. They worked great! (I used some of the left over corrugated steel panels to decorate patio umbrella stands I made.) 

Regarding the angle of the roof to allow for rain run-off, my research identified this rule of thumb: For every running foot of roof, the angle of the roof should drop 1 inch. I have a six foot roof so my roof drops, front to back, six inches. I put down some clear plastic between the deck and fence and topped it with river rock to allow the rain to flow down and out toward the street. This prevents the deck roof run-off from making the ground soggy and negatively affecting either the fence posts in the ground or the position of the pavers on which my floating deck is sitting level. It all works very efficiently.

Make sure when installing your roof panels that the first one is square on the roof structure or the other panels will “creep” as you install down the length of the roof. Not terrible if it happens but cleaner if it doesn’t. And shop around for some of the elements needed for this project. For instance, I found the screws to install the corrugated panels much cheaper at Amazon online from Jake Sales versus buying them at the big box hardware stores locally.

Make your grilling deck moveable

One last note: I made this grilling deck so that if I ever moved, I could easily take it apart and move it with me, maintaining the value and pleasure I have received from this DIY build.

Plus, an Added Bonus . . .

A grilling deck is going to need a workspace, right? Absolutely! Where else will you place your meat, ready-to-grill and your cocktail to enjoy while grilling! So, I collected several scraps I had leftover from other projects and pulled together a grill cart on wheels so it can serve whichever grilling apparatus I happen to be using at the time. And, of course, it needed to have a bottle opener as required, standard operating equipment for ice cold beer on a hot summer day.

Grilling Deck Had to Be Economical

I really wanted this grilling deck but it had to be within my targeted budget for my peace of mind and pocketbook after it was completed. All in all, I spent about $700.00 to complete the project including a gallon of pricey marine sealer that I applied to ensure that the deck would withstand the elements and perform for us for years to come.

The Benefits of a Grilling Deck

Now I can grill (almost) no matter the weather. I can plan and not be undermined by rain or snow. We can have those we may be entertaining join us at the grilling deck to enjoy many pleasures:

• The aroma of whatever is on the grill
• Enjoy an adult beverage and patio snack
• Create anticipation for the wonderful meal we all are about to delight in.

And all this from the grilling deck within reach of my indoor kitchen. It is simpatico. Mouth watering. Large-smile friendly. Pure fun!

And remember, every day is Friday on the patio!

UPDATE: This is EXACTLY Why I Built My Grilling Deck!

Just this afternoon I was grilling some marinated pork cutlets. As I have described in the above post, as the afternoon went on the weather turned from sunny to cloudy to looking like rain. Literally, as I was pulling my cutlets off the grill I heard the first raindrops on my grill deck corrugated steel roof. Within a minute or two what you’ll see in the video here occurred. Complete grilling washout without a covered grilling deck. The front of the deck where there is no cover was wet with rain. The grilling equipment under the roof remained bone dry. Build it! You won’t have any regrets. And you’ll conclude your grilling event dry and ready to chow down.

Please Leave a Comment

Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or tell us what we missed and can add to this post. Do you have a space or structure specifically for your grilling equipment? If so, did you build it or have it built? What do you like about it? What would you do differently if you built another? Please attach a photo to your comment so we can see your cool grilling deck.

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