Outdoor Kitchen
- Thread starter buggyman1
- Start date
- Views: 47129
OP
buggyman1
Platinum Member
OP
buggyman1
Platinum Member
Started laying the rocks, its a slow process for me, no 2 are the same thickness, and I have some pretty big rocks to lay by hand. To give an idea of how big they are, the one on the left is 36" long, and 6" thick. I know its not gonna be perfect and smooth, but I really like the look. I'm going to put sand in the gaps.
Attachments
OP
buggyman1
Platinum Member
Laid 3 of my biggest rocks, I cheated and used the tractor, I was shocked it picked them up with the fel and chains. I figured i'd have to drag them. I dug the middle rock out with my little backhoe (it was act. bigger, but it broke while digging it out). All three are 5+ inches thick. This is where i'm planing on putting the grills and sink (kinda the main traffic area). I was a whipped pup when i got these set.
Attachments
OP
buggyman1
Platinum Member
SPIKER
Elite Member
ya this is some fun stuff working like this. You have a VERY large area to work & cover up there for sure.
Here are some of my projects in my photobucket project album Projects pictures by WPSPIKER - Photobucket
individual pics
my helper (ok he just lays on the cool flat rocks & loves the surface for bouncing tennis balls on.)
starts
start of # 2 BBQ pit surround the rocks have root and or bug trails all thru them as seen below the 2nd pick is bland looking due to the dirty sand that I used on top & as a base.
Most of these rocks are 1.5 or 2ft by 2~3 feet around the BBQ pit. The Landscape blocks are the BIG ones 12x6x24 I think. The work OK but seem to not like a lot of long term heat. costs for all of those blocks was about 90 bucks so price was not too bad. Next time I need to make sure I get the FIRED BRICK type not the concrete & epoxy type materials of the normal landscape blocks.
the rocks here are ones I dig out of my wash/gully there is a lot of loose gravel on top of the bedrock and these hunks are from about 20 feet below grade but usually only a few inches of loose gravel on top of the flat bed rock which I pry out using flay spud bars & large crowbars then pick up with my tractor when I can get into the area. I also use 2 wheel dolly to roll them into area where I get em in the FEL bucket to transport up to the truck.
the one next to my GFs house is on its 3rd or 4th summer now & under full shade the nice coloration's & striations are covered with light moss/green algae looking color as it is full shade. Winter is pretty hard of this type of soft sandstone but with a good deep sand base under it it drains well for the most part the worst pieces are where the drive meets the walk/patio and gets salted in winter & more water on it and has crumbled some...
Mark
Here are some of my projects in my photobucket project album Projects pictures by WPSPIKER - Photobucket
individual pics
my helper (ok he just lays on the cool flat rocks & loves the surface for bouncing tennis balls on.)
starts
start of # 2 BBQ pit surround the rocks have root and or bug trails all thru them as seen below the 2nd pick is bland looking due to the dirty sand that I used on top & as a base.
Most of these rocks are 1.5 or 2ft by 2~3 feet around the BBQ pit. The Landscape blocks are the BIG ones 12x6x24 I think. The work OK but seem to not like a lot of long term heat. costs for all of those blocks was about 90 bucks so price was not too bad. Next time I need to make sure I get the FIRED BRICK type not the concrete & epoxy type materials of the normal landscape blocks.
the rocks here are ones I dig out of my wash/gully there is a lot of loose gravel on top of the bedrock and these hunks are from about 20 feet below grade but usually only a few inches of loose gravel on top of the flat bed rock which I pry out using flay spud bars & large crowbars then pick up with my tractor when I can get into the area. I also use 2 wheel dolly to roll them into area where I get em in the FEL bucket to transport up to the truck.
the one next to my GFs house is on its 3rd or 4th summer now & under full shade the nice coloration's & striations are covered with light moss/green algae looking color as it is full shade. Winter is pretty hard of this type of soft sandstone but with a good deep sand base under it it drains well for the most part the worst pieces are where the drive meets the walk/patio and gets salted in winter & more water on it and has crumbled some...
Mark
OP
buggyman1
Platinum Member
ya this is some fun stuff working like this. You have a VERY large area to work & cover up there for sure.
Here are some of my projects in my photobucket project album Projects pictures by WPSPIKER - Photobucket
individual pics
my helper (ok he just lays on the cool flat rocks & loves the surface for bouncing tennis balls on.)
starts
start of # 2 BBQ pit surround the rocks have root and or bug trails all thru them as seen below the 2nd pick is bland looking due to the dirty sand that I used on top & as a base.
Most of these rocks are 1.5 or 2ft by 2~3 feet around the BBQ pit. The Landscape blocks are the BIG ones 12x6x24 I think. The work OK but seem to not like a lot of long term heat. costs for all of those blocks was about 90 bucks so price was not too bad. Next time I need to make sure I get the FIRED BRICK type not the concrete & epoxy type materials of the normal landscape blocks.
the rocks here are ones I dig out of my wash/gully there is a lot of loose gravel on top of the bedrock and these hunks are from about 20 feet below grade but usually only a few inches of loose gravel on top of the flat bed rock which I pry out using flay spud bars & large crowbars then pick up with my tractor when I can get into the area. I also use 2 wheel dolly to roll them into area where I get em in the FEL bucket to transport up to the truck.
the one next to my GFs house is on its 3rd or 4th summer now & under full shade the nice coloration's & striations are covered with light moss/green algae looking color as it is full shade. Winter is pretty hard of this type of soft sandstone but with a good deep sand base under it it drains well for the most part the worst pieces are where the drive meets the walk/patio and gets salted in winter & more water on it and has crumbled some...
Mark
Looks good. I wish i had your rocks. What type of sand did you use to fill the gaps, and how did it hold up?
AlbertaDan
Bronze Member
I'm actaully working on the same type of project. But mine will be alittle different. It will be in a gazebo type of building. I don't have the access you have since mine is behind our house that is already landscaped around it. I have used the tractor to plow up all the roots and underbrush, but now I have to move all the dirt/roots/loose soil by hand.(Wife really particular about how the grass looks). SO far I have moved about half of the dirt using shovel and quad with dump trailer.
My building will be about 25ft wide and 22ftdeep. The outdoor kitchen we bought at Costco and has sink, gas griddle with burner, 4 burner BBQ and bar fridge. I am putting it in a small out building to protect it from rain. We get lots here in Newfoundland.
I am still deciding on the foundation whether it will be easier pouring a slab or digging for piles. There is too much rock here for drilled piles.They have to be dug and poured. Neighbor has a BX24 with hoe and FEL. I only have the blade and a tiller for mine so far. Still trying to convince the wife to let me get the loader. It would make this project so much easier.
My building will be about 25ft wide and 22ftdeep. The outdoor kitchen we bought at Costco and has sink, gas griddle with burner, 4 burner BBQ and bar fridge. I am putting it in a small out building to protect it from rain. We get lots here in Newfoundland.
I am still deciding on the foundation whether it will be easier pouring a slab or digging for piles. There is too much rock here for drilled piles.They have to be dug and poured. Neighbor has a BX24 with hoe and FEL. I only have the blade and a tiller for mine so far. Still trying to convince the wife to let me get the loader. It would make this project so much easier.
OP
buggyman1
Platinum Member
Production halted, wife wants a water fountain (i married the bricklayer). I've been looking at the "all in one units" and really don't like them, so im thinking about building my own. I've been trying to think of ideas for one, but really haven't came up with a good one yet. Here's a few i've thought of so far, an old moonshine still, 2 whisky barrels (one pouring into the other), an old "new idea" type tobacco setter (i have our old one, but not sure how to "make it work as a fountain"), an old water well pump (with water pouring into a wooden barrel....any ideas?
Redneck in training
Elite Member
OP
buggyman1
Platinum Member
Ordered grill, side burner, and sink today. Tried to take advanage of the 4th sales. Still haven't came up with anything good with the fountain. It's calling for rain tomorrow, so i'll prob. take a break.
OP
buggyman1
Platinum Member
She likes it.
Redneck in training
Elite Member
I bet she does. Start saving.
OP
buggyman1
Platinum Member
Decided to go ahead and lay the rock floor, maybe have to take some back out for the fountain, still not sure what to do for the fountain...i'll figure it out later...anyway, i got maybe a third of it laid today, worked from daylight till dark, i'll post some pics tomorrow of the progress...it's slow going.
When I did a rock patio floor like you are I used decomposed granite to fill in between the stones. It's packs in real tight and you can get a spray to use on it to really lock it in place. I didn't use the spray stuff and really didn't have any problems with it. Bye way grate job on the project.
SPIKER
Elite Member
When I did mine the first one we used the polymorphic sand (gets hard when watered down.) and it held up for one season OK. It (polymorphic sand) stained the first rocks anywhere it got on top of them. By 2nd season it was coming up in hard hunks of stuck together sand. On the other one I used the same coarse sand (back fill) for around the rocks and under them as a setting layer. The rocks are pretty good but have up to an inch + of miss thickness 1" one side maybe 2 inches on the other so I had to build up some with a compact-able fill sand to SET them into to keep them from moving much. When I did the Fire Pit we used the same sand around all of them. While it sweeps out it also didnt stain the rocks & the weeds pull out easily when they inevitably get growing in there. I dont use much ground clear weed killer as I like to drink my water without chemicals...
The size of the one you are doing is a BIG undertaking though. I did most of mine myself with some help from the woman (she helped more getting the stones out of the creek bed) but then she gave up attempting the jig saw puzzle that came next. Out of all of them I dont think I cut more than 8 or 10 rocks. used masonry blade/grinder wheel on a 9" grinder I bought at HF just for the job. Cut from the back side about 1/2 way thru then lay it over a edge & whack with a hammer.
Around the edge where the rocks stop I used 1/2" S.S. round bar I got at work as industrial waste from a line we tore out we had 1000's of them for production fixtures that went out of production & I helped dispose of them. I had maybe 200 or so of them that I saved from going into the scrap metal bin... 18~24" long freebies. I had thought of the poured retainer foundation like you have but I didnt want the extra cost & non-moveable nature. I will probably pull & replace some of them as they break down & re-lay the sand back fill ect...
Mark
The size of the one you are doing is a BIG undertaking though. I did most of mine myself with some help from the woman (she helped more getting the stones out of the creek bed) but then she gave up attempting the jig saw puzzle that came next. Out of all of them I dont think I cut more than 8 or 10 rocks. used masonry blade/grinder wheel on a 9" grinder I bought at HF just for the job. Cut from the back side about 1/2 way thru then lay it over a edge & whack with a hammer.
Around the edge where the rocks stop I used 1/2" S.S. round bar I got at work as industrial waste from a line we tore out we had 1000's of them for production fixtures that went out of production & I helped dispose of them. I had maybe 200 or so of them that I saved from going into the scrap metal bin... 18~24" long freebies. I had thought of the poured retainer foundation like you have but I didnt want the extra cost & non-moveable nature. I will probably pull & replace some of them as they break down & re-lay the sand back fill ect...
Mark
Here are some similar links:
