Building Deck & DIY Platform for a Grill
BBQ Basics: Techniques You Need to Know

Grilling Tips

Weber charcoal grills and gas barbecues give you great grilled results every time because they are designed to give you ultimate control of your grilling temperature and cooking method. Here we explain the secret to great grilling.

Grilling Tips
Direct Method

The Direct Method is similar to broiling. Food is cooked directly over the heat source. For even cooking, food should be turned once halfway through the grilling time. Use the Direct method for foods that take less than 25 minutes to cook: like steaks, chops, kabobs, sausages and vegetables. Direct cooking is also necessary to sear meats. Searing creates that wonderful crisp, caramelized texture where the food hits the grate. It also adds nice grill marks and flavour to the entire food surface. Steaks, chops, chicken pieces, and larger cuts of meat all benefit from searing.

Grilling Tips
Indirect Method

The Indirect Method is similar to roasting, but with the added benefits of that grilled texture, flavour, and appearance you can't get from an oven. Heat rises, reflects off the lid and inside surfaces of the grill, and slowly cooks the food evenly on all sides. The circulating heat works much like a convection oven, so there's no need to turn the food. Use the Indirect Method for foods that require 25 minutes or more of grilling time or for foods that are so delicate that direct exposure to the heat source would dry them out or scorch them.

Grilling safety requires placing your grill on a flat, level surface that remains free of combustible materials that could catch fire should you experience grill flare-ups or your fire produces sparks.
Building a simple deck for your grill can provide a safe location to cook outdoors without worry. Choose from several different decking materials to build a deck that fits your style and level of building experience.
Regardless of which simple deck style you choose to use for your grill, you must prepare the ground beneath the area. You may need to level the surface if you intend to install the deck on the ground rather than install a raised deck.
You can find a variety of snap together decking tiles to use when building a simple grilling deck. These tiles are made from different hardwood and composite materials, such as teak, eucalyptus, recycled woods and recycled plastics.
In applications where quality is desired and useful, homeowners constructing a deck or other backyard projects do not need to spend extra money on quality they do not need, but they should not settle for second-rate content. Here are some explanation gathered by kitchen remodeling Woodbury, MN.
Longevity If you choose to use real wood for an outdoor project and expect the wood to survive termites and fungal decay, your key options are either a naturally durable wood (i.e. redwood all-heartwood grade or cedar all-heartwood grade) or preservative-treated wood. The most commonly used brand of treated wood is wolmanized wood, a term by which people often, but erroneously, apply to all preserved wood. All-heart redwood and cedar are scarce or discouragingly pricey in most of the county.
Most individuals preparing a deck and selecting lumber have named appearance as the top priority. The appearance of a deck determines the pride of homeowners and the valuation of the deck at the time of the home's eventual sale.
In a number of lumber grades, treated wood can be found from knot-free, close-grained grades to lower grades with more knots, splits and wanes (missing corners where bark once existed). Other than giving a greenish color, the appearance of wood is little changed by pressure-treatment; treatment helps wood last longer regardless of its appearance.
Safety Different environments present different hazards to wood, regardless of the preservatives. For instance, wood that has ground contact is more susceptible to damage from termite and rot than wood that remains above ground. The weakness of wood submerged in sea water is even greater.
When you buy treated timber, you do so because you want the timber to last. But what guarantee do you have that it will stand up to your purchase?
Maintenance Each decking material needs some maintenance, if nothing else, for cleaning. Long-term protection against termites and rot is offered by pressure-treatment, but even treated wood is subject to moisture damage. Unless preventive steps are taken, swelling, shrinking, warping and splitting, which are normal characteristics of wood exposed to the elements, can be caused by alternating precipitation and sunlight cycles. Coat the wood with an efficient water repellent brand as soon as possible to protect the wood against weather and premature aging, and then reapply the coating every year or so.
Environmental benefits The use of reclaimed wood, an environmentally friendly option, will make you feel good. Our only significant green building material, wood, comes from treated lumber. The trees used are abundant and rapidly growing and are planted on managed timberlands (not in ecologically sensitive ancient forests or unregulated rainforests of the third world). Treated wood takes less energy to manufacture than alternative building materials, and neither air pollution nor waste water discharges are produced by the treatment process. The preservatives are made from recycled materials, in part.
You'll choose long-lasting, economical content for your project by following these suggestions. All you've got to do now is build it.