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PROJECT PLAN

Barbecue islandThis article originally appeared in The Family Handyman magazine.

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Want to transform your ordinary patio intoan attractive gathering spot for familyand friends? Build this handsome grill

and table combo and watch the crowd flock aroundlike birds at a feeder.

This grill island design easily adapts to the size ofgrill you want, then surrounds it with ample countersurface to hold food, spices and pans. Under thegrill, there’s plenty of space to hold the 5-gallonpropane canister and the barbecue tools. For dining,the tabletop features a 14-in. overhang on two sidesto comfortably seat four adults.And underneath thetabletop is added storage, perfect for a cooler or

other items.We wrapped these features in a weather-resistant tile top and stone veneer walls to deliver alow-maintenance and attractive patio feature thatwill last for decades.

In this article, we’ll show you how to build a sim-ple treated 2x4 and plywood frame, as well as how tolay the tile tabletop and grill surround and how to setthe stone.

This project isn’t for the novice.You should havesome basic experience with carpentry tools and set-ting tile. Masonry experience will help too, but withsome practice and attention to detail, you’ll get thehang of applying stone veneer.

Make your own all-weather cooking islandwith wood framing, stone veneer and stone tile

64 JUNE 2004 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

Barbecue island

by Kurt Lawtonisland

THE FAMILY HANDYMAN JUNE 2004 65

22"

371/2"

371/2"

29"

28"

311/2" 22"

311/2"

29"

28"6"

29"

28"

29"

23"

23"

311/2"

77"

371/2"

11"

11"

9"

11"

9"

CD A

B

EF

G

H

J

CA

H

D

B

J

E

F

G

Tools and materialsIn addition to carpentry tools, you’llneed masonry and tile tools (see pho-

tos). The only special tools you needare a diamond wet saw to cut tile ($45per day to rent), plus a 4-1/2 in. grinder($60) or circular saw with a diamond-grit blade ($30) to cut the stone.All thetools are available at home centers.

This is an expensive project.We spent$1,500 on wood, stone, tile and othermaterials, and $2,210 on a mid-levelstainless steel grill and two stainlesssteel doors.While the price may seem abit steep, you’d pay three to four timesthat total or more for a custom-builtgrill island. With all the materials onhand, plan to spend three weekends onthe project.

Barbecue island

Figure BIsland details

Figure AFraming details

66 JUNE 2004 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

Materials ListITEM QTY.

2x4 x 8' treated lumber 20

3/4" x 4' x 8' treated plywood 2-1/2

3' x 5' sheet cement board 6

12" x 12" slate tile 35

Veneer stone 40 sq. ft.

Veneer stone corners 16 lin. ft.

12" x 12" SLATE TILE

3/4" TREATEDPLYWOOD (2 LAYERS)

WATERPROOFMEMBRANE

MORTAR

MESHTAPE

1/2" CEMENTBOARD

TREATED 2x4FRAME

VENEERSTONE

MESHTAPE

DOORASSEMBLY

TREATED 2x4 BASE

3/4" TREATED PLYWOOD BASE

1/2" CEMENTBOARD

VENT

THE FAMILY HANDYMAN JUNE 2004 67

PlanningWe designed a two-level island withgrill and seating room for a family offour. Its base size is approximately 2-1/2x 6-1/2 ft., but you can easily expand it.To picture how the island will fit onyour patio, tape cardboard or papertogether in the size you desire and posi-tion it on the patio. To seat more peo-ple, lengthen the tabletop by 2 ft. perperson. However, don’t increase theoverhang beyond 14 in.

The exact dimensions of your planwill probably vary from ours, unlessyou select the exact same grill and doors(see Buyer’s Guide). So, your first task isto buy the grill, trim kit and doors youwant. Then adjust the frame design to fitthem. Remember to allow space foropening the grill hood and doors, aswell as to correctly position the ventlocation for the grill you choose. Thenresize/redesign Figure A as needed.

1Cut treated2x4s and ply-

wood for the baseaccording to thedimensions in Fig-ure A. Predrill andcountersink 2-1/2in. deck screwsthrough the longsides and into theends of the crossbraces. Thenapply a generousbead of construc-tion adhesive.

2Lay 3/4-in.treated

plywood on top of the 2x4 baseand make alledges flush. Drive 1-5/8 in.exterior screwsevery 8 in. alongthe 2x4s.

3Build all 2x4wall sections

(A – J, Figure A).Attach back wallpieces A and B to the base and to each other with2-1/2 in. deckscrews drivenevery 8 in.

Don’t rely on the manufac-turer’s instructions for grill

and door measurements. Measurethe pieces when you get them.

TIP

Choosing tile and stoneSelect a surface for the grill surroundand tabletop that can handle food stainsand weathering. Stone or tile is bestbecause it’s durable and requires littlemaintenance.

Granite is the best stone choicebecause it’s naturally resistant to heatand stains, plus it’s smooth, easy to cleanand very durable—but it is expensive.We chose slate because the rustic look fitour patio. The drawback to slate is thatthe surface is a little uneven, and it mustbe sealed to resist stains.

Glazed or unglazed tile is also accept-able for outdoor countertops; just checkwith the supplier or manufacturer todetermine if sealants are needed.And incold climates, frostproof tiles are best.

For the sides of the island, buy natu-ral thin-veneer stone or manufacturedstone (made of concrete that’s cast to

3/4" TREATEDPLYWOOD BASE

CONSTRUCTIONADHESIVE

TREATED 2x4s

DRILL ANDCOUNTERSINK

SCREWS

GRILL SECTIONBASE

TABLE SECTIONBASE

EDGES FLUSH

1-5/8" SCREWSEVERY 8"

2-1/2" DECKSCREWS

A

B

C

G

68 JUNE 2004 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

4Screw in theend walls

(C and G), thenadd the middlepartitions (D, Eand F), makingsure they’resquare to the longside. Attach all tothe base and toeach other.

5Install frontpieces H and

J and secure withscrews. Square allpanels, addingtemporary bracesif needed.

6Measure allwalls and cut

3 x 5-ft. cementboards to fit.Score boards onboth sides with acarbide-tippedcutting tool andsimply snap apart.

look like real rock). The natural stonewill cost approximately 25 percent morethan the concrete type,and it’s also heav-ier, which adds a little more challengewhen you apply it. Both are available ina variety of styles. Buy the type that bestfits with your countertop and patio.

To determine the quantity of veneerstone you’ll need, calculate the squarefootage of the walls and add 10 percent.You’ll also need to know the total lengthof all corners on your island, becauseyou order corner pieces separately. Forour island, we used approximately 40sq. ft. of thin-veneer stone and about14 linear feet of corners.

CAUTION: Since wood is flammable, check thegrill instructions for safety guidelines,and ask a local building inspector toapprove your plan.

Start with the base frameFor this island, we crafted a sturdy baseframe out of treated 2x4s and 3/4-in.treated plywood, and we protected ourwood framework by fully encasing thegrill enclosure with 1/2-in. cementboard.

Assemble your island on a solidfoundation: Either pour a 4-in. thickconcrete pad for it or position it on asolid patio like we did. (See “Replace aConcrete Pad,” May ’99, p. 87. To ordera copy, see p. 7.) It’s heavy. Once youbuild it, it’s almost impossible to move.

To assemble the base, position thecross members directly underneath thewall components, which you’ll screwdown into them (Figure B and Photo

1). Then glue and screw on the plywoodtop (Photos 1 and 2).

Next, nail or screw together all thewall sections (A – J, Figure A). Thesesections are designed as individual com-ponents—a taller table section and ashorter grill section—so you can easilybuild them in your shop or garage andthen assemble them on the patio. And,you can easily customize specific pieces

Barbecue island

D

G

F

WE’RESQUARE

L

J

1/2"CEMENTBOARD

H

CLEAT

1/2"CEMENTBOARD

DRYWALL T-SQUARE

CARBIDE CUTTING

TOOL

SCORE ONBOTH SIDES

J

7Screw cementboard on all

exterior wall sur-faces with special1-1/4 in. cementboard screwsspaced aboutevery 8 in. Alsoencase theinterior of the grillarea with cementboard so no woodis exposed.

8Cut both 3/4-in. treated

plywood tabletoppieces. Positionthe first sheetand fasten it with1-5/8 in. exteriorscrews. Then addadhesive andscrew down thesecond sheetflush with thefirst.

9Cut cementboard and

screw it onto thetabletop andedges, and to thegrill surround topand edges. Laycement boardfiberglass tapeover all joints,then spread thin-set mortar overthe top. Let dry.Then check forlevel and addshims every 12 in.around theperimeter of thebase as necessary.

to fit the doors and grill you buy. Besure to account for the 1/2-in. cementboard layer when adjusting the grill areadimensions.

Attach the back sections first (Photo

3), followed by the side walls and mid-dle sections (Photo 4), and finally thefront two sections (Photo 5). Attachwall sections to each other with 2-1/2 in.deck screws. Make sure all the walls aresquare before adding the cement board.

To complete the sidewall framework,screw cement board to the outside wallsof the island frame, as well as to theentire inside of the grill enclosure(Photo 7). Pick up a box of special 1-1/4 in. cement board screws when youbuy the cement board. Keep the cementboard 1/2 in. above the patio surface,and maintain tight corners and joints.We used a carbide cutting tool (seePhoto 6 and the Buyer’s Guide) to scoreand snap clean, straight edges on thecement board. But you can get by witha utility knife.

Add the tabletop and the cement boardTo achieve a solid tabletop for the slatetile—stiff enough to support a 14-in.overhang on two sides—screw downone 3/4-in. piece of treated plywood (4 x 4 ft.), add construction adhesive,then screw a second piece to it (Photo

8).Add 2-1/2 in. strips of cement boardto all sides, then top it off with a layer of1/2-in. cement board. Follow the sameprocedure for the grill area. Be sure tocover the edges along the grill openingwith cement board as well (Photo 9).

Check to see if the unit is level andadd composite wood shims under a cor-ner to shore it up (Photo 9). Odds aregood your island slopes slightly, sincepatios are built to slope. Once the unitis level, shove in additional shims alongthe base for more even support.

Next, tape all cement board jointswith fiberglass mesh tape (Photo 8).Mix a batch of thin-set mortar andacrylic mortar additive (per directions).

Barbecue island

THE FAMILY HANDYMAN JUNE 2004 71

GRILLENCLOSURE

SECTION

AIRVENT

1-1/4" CEMENT BOARD

SCREWS

3/4" TREATEDPLYWOOD

14"OVERHANG

14"OVERHANG

2" OVERHANG

CONSTRUCTIONADHESIVE

FIBERGLASSTAPE ALLJOINTS

2" OVERHANG

COMPOSITEWOOD SHIMS

LATEX-FORTIFIEDTHIN-SETMORTAR

72 JUNE 2004 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

10Brush aspecial

waterproofingcompound on thetable and grill sur-round top. After itdries, lay out thetile pattern so theedges of the tileoverhang the topby the thicknessof the tile. Drawguidelines, thencut the tile to fityour pattern.

11Removethe tile,

spread thin-setmortar and combit with a 1/4-in.notched trowel.Then set the toptile. Make sure the overhangs are even.

12Cut the tilefor table

edge, then add apair of maskingtape strips asshown. Applythin-set to eachedge piece andpress onto tableedge. Loop tapeup and over it tohold each piecesecurely until themortar sets.

If frost occurs in your area,use a butyl latex mortar

additive because it offers better protection against water and freeze/thaw cycles.

TIP

Trowel on a thin coat over the tape, fill-ing the joints.

After the mortar dries,brush on a spe-cial waterproofing compound (called amembrane) over the tops (Photo 10).It’ll keep water from reaching the woodframe. This special compound is avail-able only through tile specialty shops.

Lay the tileIf you plan the tile layout well inadvance, you can adjust the plywoodtop size for the best-looking fit. Wemade our finished tabletop 48 in. square(46-in.square plywood) and used 12-in.tile to keep cuts to a minimum. Wemade only four cuts for the whole top tocreate the diamond pattern in the cen-ter. The cutoffs exactly fit the corners(Photo 11). You’ll need a diamondblade saw for clean cuts.

Cut and lay out your entire tabletoptile pattern before setting it (Photo 10).The rustic slate tile we used (see theBuyer’s Guide) doesn’t require exactspacing, so we could eyeball the tileplacement instead of using spacers.

Complete the tile layout, then removeit and mix up a batch of thin-set mortarwith acrylic additive. Use a 1/4-in.notched trowel and set the tile (Photo

11). To hold the edge tile on the table,use masking tape looped from under-neath the tile (Photo 12). Let the mor-tar harden overnight. For more detailson setting, grouting and sealing tile, see“Tile Countertops,” Oct. ’03, p. 34. Toorder a copy, see p. 7.

Before you apply grout, take an anglegrinder and bevel off any sharp edges(Photo 13). To grout the slate tile, use agrout bag (Photo 14). Grout is forcedonly into the joints, rather than beingspread over the entire surface. Thisgreatly eases cleanup.

Barbecue island

TILE OVERHANGS

EDGE

12" SLATETILE

WATERPROOFINGCOMPOUND

LAY OUT TILEBEFORE THIN-SET

1/4" SQUARENOTCHED TROWEL

OOPS! LATE ADJUSTMENT

FOR GRILL

THIN-SET

1/4" NOTCHED THIN-SET

MASKINGTAPE

74 JUNE 2004 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

13Grind offsharp tile

edges with 80-gritsilicone carbidesandpaper, thenfinish it with 120-grit sandpaper.

14Squeezegrout

from the bag withenough force topush it downbetween the tiles.Let it dry until itdoesn’t stick toyour finger, thenpush it into thejoint with atrowel. Scrape offthe excess.

15Install thestainless

steel doors, thenstart the firststone layer with a corner piece.Butter it withmortar and pressit into place witha wiggle. Useshims underneaththe stone to holdit about 1/2 in.above the patio.

Use a grout mortar mixed with acrylicor butyl latex additive, and mix it to theconsistency of pudding so it will flowthrough the bag. Cut the grout bagopening slightly smaller than the joint,then force the grout into the joint so itfills from the bottom up. Once the groutstiffens to the point that you cannot seea thumbprint (15 to 30 minutes), pressit into the joint with a margin trowel. Letit dry 20 more minutes, then cut theexcess off the surface with the edge ofthe trowel. Clean the surface of the tilewith a sponge and water.

Finally, after the grout has dried forabout a week, apply a sealer that’s appro-priate for the tile you select.Ask your tileretailer for the best product.

Install the grill and doors,then the stone facingBefore you begin the stonework, attachboth the grill and the doors. Be sure tohold the stone up next to the doors as athickness gauge to ensure they will openwithout binding.

Next, grab several dozen stones fromthe open boxes and lay them on thepatio to give yourself a wide variety ofsize and color choices. Mix up a gallonof mortar using one part Type M or Nmortar w ith one part washed ormasonry sand. Mix the dry ingredientsfirst, then add enough water so the mixis the consistency of soft mud and willhold a ball shape.

Lay cardboard at the base of the wallto prevent mortar drips from stainingyour patio. Start with a corner piece and“butter” its backside with an evenlyspread layer of mortar, 1/2 to 3/4 in.thick. Push it into place with a wiggle(Photo 15). Working from the cornersto the middle, add stones row by rowfrom the bottom up, maintaining a 3/8-in. to 1/2-in. gap between stonesand between rows (Photo 16).

Cut as few stones as possible, becausecut edges look less natural and cuttingslows the process. Always dry-fit thenext two to three stones ahead. Use

Barbecue island

BEVELEDEDGE

ANGLEGRINDER

GROUTBAG

FORCE INTO BOTTOM OF JOINT

BUTTEREDSTONE

SHIM UNDERSTONE

CARDBOARD

CORNER PIECE

MASON’STROWEL

MORTAR

stone chips to support the spacingbetween rows (Photo 17).

Once the stones have set for 24 hours,it’s time to grout. Mix one part Type Mmortar (not Portland cement) and threeparts washed or masonry sand, addingenough water for a mashed potato con-sistency so it flows when you squeeze thegrout bag firmly (without the metal tip).If the grout drips onto the stone face,don’t remove it until it stiffens. Other-wise, it’ll leave a smear that’s difficult to remove.

Once the grout stiffens to the pointthat you cannot see a thumbprint (15 to60 minutes), rake the excess grout backabout 1/2 in. from the face of the stonewith a 3/8-in. wide trowel. Then brushaway any loose remaining mortar witha paint brush. For more specific detailson setting stone, see “Wood and StoneDeck,” July/Aug. ’01, p. 50. To order acopy, see p. 7.

All you need now is a canister ofpropane to fire up the gas grill so youcan enjoy the meat and vegetables ofyour labor.

Buyer’s GuideYou can purchase a grill, trim kit and doorsjust like ours by going to www.ducane.com tofind a retailer near you, or call (800) 382-2637.The grill is a Ducane Stainless Series, model7200R (rotisserie), plus trim kit to match. The doors are No. 7200 (under the grill), andNo. 7100 (under the table).

Our 12-in. slate tile is called California Goldand can be found at many specialty tile shops.

The thin-veneer natural stone we used is called Fond du Lac Country SquireLedgestone. Find a retailer near you by visiting www.buechelstone.com or call (800) 236-4474.

The cement board scoring knife ($8) webought at Home Depot (SKU 290432, alsoQEP10015) is made by QEP Tiling Systems,www.qep.com, (800) 777-8665.

The waterproofing membrane we used iscalled Redgard, www.custombuildingprod-ucts.com, (800) 272-8786

76 JUNE 2004 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

16Work fromcorners

to the middle,staggering verti-cal joints betweenrows of stone. Cut stone using a circular saw orangle grinderequipped with adiamond blade.

17Supportrows with

small stonesplaced in horizon-tal joints. If astone slips, youcan drive atemporary screwunderneath it. Finish by addinggrout with a groutbag (Photo 14).

Barbecue island

LEAVE SPACEFOR DOOR TO OPEN

DIAMOND-TIPPEDMASONRY BLADE

BUTTEREDSTONE

3/8" TO 1/2"SPACING FOR

GROUT

Art Direction • BECKY PFLUGER and HOPE FAYPhotography • BILL ZUEHLKEIllustrations • DON MANNESProject Design • KURT LAWTON and JON JENSENConsultants • DUCANE GAS GRILLS; BEN MARTINEZ,MASONRY; DEAN SOREM, TILE; BROCK WHITECO., STONE

USE SMALLSTONES FOR

SUPPORT