British BBQ Society Forums

I plan on moving my patio further down the garden to get the smoker nestled into a corner between my (8ft high) garden wall and the back of my old outhouse. I'd love to build a very (VERY) simple lean to shelter over the smoker, something big enough that I can stand / sit under it and keep my pit-side table dry too.

Corrugated plastic is cheap as chips and will do the job. I can just bolt a few pieces together to make a big enough roof.

What would the more DIY minded of you say I should do about supporting it though? How should I attach it to the wall? I presume I will need one corner post, will I be ok just driving that down into the soil by a couple of feet, or do I really need a concrete base?

Something like this - but the left hand short edge will butt up against the outhouse, with the roof leaning on it, so as to not requre a second post. http://www.icreatables.com/sheds/lean-to-shed.html

Hi are you using forced air as you want to back your smoker into a corner?

Forced air will come in time. I think all told I need to spend about £250 on getting my smoker area sorted, and money's too tight to mention at the moment. For now I just want a sheltered, relatively windproof area so I can keep me, the smoker, and any electrics dry. I plan on having an outdoor extension cable trailing from my kitchen via the back letterbox, so I can have some lights strung up, perhaps plug in a radio, a forced air system, what have you.

At the moment my patio, where I usually smoke, is at the top of the garden, exposed to rain and has neighbours trees overhanging it, dropping leaves and rainwater on me my kit. I don't have a shed, so I would like to turn my pit area into somewhere a bit more habitable and pleasant to cook in.

I just brought a 3.1m x 1m tool shed! for my kettle and wsm! put a few racks in for all my gear! good to store in and cook in

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I repurposed a log store as a BBQ shelter. It isn't big enough to protect the cook, but does a superb job of sheltering the smoker, side table and all electrics, including lights.

I considered both these options initially to avoid having to do any construction, but as they all come flat packed it kinda defeats the object there. Also cost is a major issue - I am brassic and would rather spend money on lighting and an ATC unit (and meat).

What I am after is something not a million miles away from a log store (as it happens, the shelter will also be my log store) but without walls - windbreaks will suffice there, plus this allows more smoke to escape so I don't choke myself - and using the surrounding structures as the frame as much as possible.

Looks like I will have to repoint my garden wall first (a long time coming tbh) before relying on it to support a structure.

I also have to consider flashing - will silicone sealant do the job against brick? My cause for concern here is mostly the timber that I will use to bolt the roof to the wall.

Hi,
I am to actual DIY what I am to ballet, but on the principle level I forsee 2 potential issues with your scheme.

Keith has already touched on airflow, if its in a corner surrounded by stuff you may well struggle to get enough breeze around to keep temps up, hence the suggestion for forced air.

Also think you will need to up the ante from silicone sealant, if the wind is toward your shelter when it hits the back wall it will go up,in a fierce wind the air racing across the roof will lower the pressure and the wind trying to escape from belowwill push on the underside..........gentlemen we have liftoff and your roof will be headed across the neighbours property like an extra from Watership down.

This said I think the plan itself fundamentall sound, I love the idea of an dutch barn arrangement where a man can sit at one with his Q a little music and perhaps a nourishing ale, but my counsel will be build it sturdy.....

Good luck soldier
Cheers
Tiny

Thanks for the pointers here folks.

I live at the top of a hill, and whilst my garden is fairly enclosed, when a wind whips round it really whips round! I previously smoked on a corner patio surrounded with windbreaks and had no problem with airflow. I am not planning on a fully walled construction, the "walls" will be 4 ft high beach windbreaks - just enough to keep the direct wind off the air intakes. They will be a fair distance from the smoker so plenty of room for breeze to circulate I hope.

With regard to the sealant, I'm not proposing attaching the plastic roofing to the wall using sealant. I will be screwing a piece of timber to the wall, then screwing the plastic roofing to that. The sealant is to stop water running down between the wall and the roof, like flashing over a bay window. May not even be necessary. I'm not looking for anything fancy here, just a more comfortable place to do my cooking, with lighting etc, and not having to worry about leaving things out on the table and them getting wet. It would also suffice as a wood and coal store if I build it big enough.

As for sturdiness, that will depend on budget. It's gonna be one or two pieces of 9 ft timber driven down 3ft of earth and packed in perhaps with a little cement. The roof will be corrugated plastic roof sheeting - something like this, a few fitted together, with silicon sealant at the joins http://www.diy.com/nav/build/building-m ... Id=9282572

This way, it's cheap enough that if it proves unsturdy to the elements, I've lost fifty quid at worst.

Can I suggest if you are concreting posts slamming down a pvc pipe, placing the post in and concreting that. Save flooding the garden with concrete?

How high a roof do you need on a smoker? And are people building over smokers only or over grills as well?