Photos

Layout

Like I said before, the design has gone through many changes since I first decided to do this. The top five design considerations:

1. Should enhance the downtown view and definitely not obstruct it.
   
2. Large enough to include a 36" grill, side sear burner, sink/wet bar and a refrigerator and still have adequate workspace and a bar area. (A tap for a keg would be a nice added feature)


3. Should not take up too much real estate or complicate traffic flow - and create more usable space if possible and complement the existing furniture layout.
   
4. It should match in style with the rooftop and furniture.
   
5. Take advantage of the existing water, drain, natural gas and electricity taps without too much additional hassle to run them under the deck; the drain could be especially problematic. Oh, and all this must conform to code.

It seems that #1and #3 are at odds with #5. I can't seem to find a way to use the existing hookups and not complicate traffic flow and enhance the downtown view. Design #1 is better for the hookups. Layout #2 is better for the view. The view is off to the top right of the diagrams. At first, it looks like #2 would actually be worse for the view. But the bar faces the view and the layout forces traffic to the part of the deck with the best view - while giving people another reason to face that direction.

Anyway, I favor layout #2, but layout #1 will be much less hassle. How did I address this problem? I made the layout fit in both locations so that it can be moved. The seam along the side is where they split so that it can be moved in two pieces. I'm going to build out the frame and see which one feels better in reality. I'll probably just end up going with layout #1 until I can hire someone to run all the lines. Or, maybe I'll just do the gas line and worry about the sink and electricity later (of course I'll have to prewire the electric in either case)

Here is the floorplan before the outdoor kitchen. All the hookups I spoke about are on behind the storage area on the diagram. The view, shown below, is on the upper right. The right wall is about 6 feet high except for in the last 6 feet of the top right corner. I'll have to take a picture of the actual view.

So, here are candidates #1 and #2:

Welcome

Well, I'm about to endeavour on building an outdoor kitchen on my rooftop. Never built anything like this, so we'll see how it goes; I'm hoping I'm not in over my head.

I've been planning this thing out for about a year - pretty much since I moved to my new place in Dallas a year ago today. In fact, I got the grill almost a year ago (special thanks). I've been through countless design changes, and I'm ready to begin. Went to Home Depot last weekend to buy tools and materials, and I took next week as vacation from work to get a jump start on things.

Anyway, I've created this blog to track and document my progress to share with my friends and family. If I'm good at this, I might make it a tradition whenever I move to a new house.

Wish me luck!