Outdoor BBQ Cart Ideas

[Carroll Courtney]

Guys the weather man on TV just told me that Fall is just around the corner.So with that good news I want to come up with a plan for a outdoor cart that will hold one of those large EGG pits.Na its not mine but my brother inlaws which I want to give to him and my sister inlaw as a wedding gift.My plan is the EGG will seat in the middle and have work surface on both sides with storage underneath and be able to roll around.My problem is what material to use since it will rest on a patio with little shade but most of the time out in the weather when the newness wares off instead of under his walkway.Well I have a treated lumber budget but sure would like something better that would also look better.So what is a step up in material from treated lumber that will still look pretty good over several yrs.Na I can't even come close to teak or anything like that,but maybe paint grade but really don't want to paint it.But then again paint would add some yrs to the life,any ideals for someone who is on a beer budget?Any ideals on design????Thanks guys----Carroll

[Doug Garson]

if you were nearby I'd recommend western red cedar, not sure what the price and availability is in Texas. Maybe consider reclaimed lumber, some old beams from factory or barn. You might even be able to repurpose an old piece. Could make for a very interesting BBQ cart.

[Rod Sheridan]

I am in the process of building a BBQ cart out of 1 1/2 X 1 1/2 X 3/16 angle iron which will be clad in red cedar panels...Rod

[Peter Kuhlman]

Pressure treated wood that is dried and sanded can look quite nice. I would then coat it with an oil based sealer - no coloring in it. Any type coloring will show wear and require frequent retreatment. Something like Thompson Water Seal will work great and help reduce or prevent cracking. I used it for 20 years on a deck and it still looks good but I did reapply yearly.

It is nice to have a section that is easy to clean and can handle grease without staining. A hunk of granite from the local counter store is one option. Marble or ceramic tiles is another.

A cover like for a grill cart will really help. Look at what is available at the local stores to get an idea of how big a table you can use. I use one from HD on mine. Low cost and has lasted about 7 years.

Storage is an issue. Hard to provide weather tight storage for something outdoors. Tried using plastic storage bins but didn't hold up. Ended up purchasing a Lifetime deck box from Lowes. Two sizes available at $100-150. Really well made, weather tight. Holds my charcoal and accessories and looks nice. Lifetime by far makes the nicest blowmold boxes and storage sheds. Mine are over 8 years old and holding up fine. Tried other brands with no luck as they fell apart.

[Alan Lightstone]

I tried cypress down here in Florida for an outdoor project, and wasn't thrilled with the longevity. Cedar sounds like a good choice.

I would recommend an epoxy penetrating sealer followed by marine spar varnish. Some extra work, and not a cheap finish (though you won't need much for that project), but it will protect the wood very well. I have it on a sapele deck chair, that sits outside in the Florida sun, and it looks great.

[Mike Cutler]

Carroll

Me personally? I'd use Ipe. It won't work out to much more than pressure treated wood.
There are just too many negatives associated with pressure treated wood for me, and Ipe will out last pressure treated wood by decades outside.Even if left completely untreated. I've seen Ipe decking right next to marine environments,exposed to rain, sun snow and salt, that has been untreated for over twenty years that looks great. It weathers to a light grey. If you don't want to treat it, you don't have too. Seal the ends with epoxy and that's it.
It's also heavy and will add mass to the frame you are building. Which should make it stronger and more stable.
One more added benefit is that Ipe has a fire rating associated with it.😉

[Alan Lightstone]

I was going to suggest Ipe also, but not sure how pricey it is. Great choice though for outdoors.

[Dave Cullen]

Hint: Don't use interior birch ply. Here's a cart I made 2 yrs ago and never got around to painting. The bottom will be replaced with cedar... then painted.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4248/34869809360_d03180e19f_z.jpg

[Peter Kuhlman]

It has just become so expensive to purchase lumber for projects like this in my area. Take a look at JJGeorge tables for Eggs. Beautiful stuff and reasonably priced. I can only use PT lumber to beat that price and still I have to do the work and finish it.

[Hoang N Nguyen]

366691 Here's a grill table I built for a friend. I used Cedar and it's been doing well so far for the last 2 years. Not a whole lot of direct sunlight but it is still outdoors.

[Pete Janke]

I built this one out of reclaimed redwood from fence and outdoor projects. It is smaller than you might want but can easily be made larger to accommodate the Egg. It sits outside, uncovered.

[Nick Dimov]

366790366791I built this one out of cedar form the big orange store. Holding up in Florida fine

[Carroll Courtney]

Good morning guys,thanks for all the pics and the guidance.With all the information here I believe that I can come up with a plan.Have one more question about Thompson Water Sealer,while all the fantastic suggestion on what material to use I kinda like the looks of the redwood.But to help keep this outdoor project from showing its age,guessing that Thompson can also be used over Redwood?I know its not food grade but thats alright,all will be careful.

[Peter Kuhlman]

If redwood will absorb a finish then yes an oil sealer will work. Thompson makes a couple versions - I use their Wood Protector instead of the one that can be used on everything like cement. Oil Based sealers get a lot of criticism but I like that there is no build up, nothing to crack, super easy to apply. Just flood it on with a roller, brush, lt it sit and soak in then wipe it off. If you apply it yearly it just works. I have tried the HD version and it was junk as it needed resealing in 3 months.

Anything you apply that builds a film like marine polyurethane versions will be a painful experience to resurface. If the underlying wood shifts or cracks you will have to either keep building the surface up thicker and thicker or having to figure a way to strip it off first. Oil based soak-in sealers leave no film but do have to be reapplied yearly if left exposed at least here in Louisiana and when I was in upper Michigan. Mine were exposed to the elements somewhat as had no roof but I did keep them covered when not used and the sealer would last up to 2 years.

[Carroll Courtney]

Thanks Peter for the feedback,oil sealer it is.And applying it to end grain will help with checking.The PT lumber is so temping which I could use the 1" decking for the top,but all that HD has is wet.So leaning towards the Redwood or Cedar but wish IPE was in my budget---Thanks guys

[Bill Dufour]

For some projects I buy the PT and sticker it outdoors for a week or more in the sun before using it. If it cups or twists too much I return it. Makes stuff like gates much easier to build.
Bill

[Peter Kuhlman]

Yep wet wood is what HD sells. Think they add extra water and sell the lumber by weight!
You can stack and dry it if you have the time. If you try this as Bill says it really wants to bend and twist. I have done this by stacking it all tight and binding it and weighting it down. Issue is it takes an awful long time to dry it to normal levels - like more than a month for sure.
They sell a couple grades of their 5/4 deck boards now at least here in Louisiana.
When using a sealer, soak any end cuts really well. It will absorb a LOT of sealer but if you do this you will greatly reduce end cracks.
I would love to use IPE or redwood but availability sucks here.

[Ed Aumiller]

You can now buy Pressure Treated wood that is (KDAT) Kiln Dried After Treatment

I just bought enough to replace the decking (1800 sq ft) and it is GREAT...
Have some left over so am going to use it for deck furniture..
Since it is dry when you buy it, it can be finished immediately... recommend using a semi-transparent stain by Olympic as it allows the wood grain to show through while protecting the wood..

KDAT is sold by dealers of Madison www.madwood.com
Also by dealers of Yellawood... www.yellawood.com

Do search for it in your area...

[Peter Kuhlman]

Thank you for that info! :)
I will definitely search for some kiln dried PT.

I thought Yellawood was off market? Fencing companies here started refusing to use it. I had 3 fence sections replaced and that is what was used. The 4x4 posts after 6 years are now all rotted through below grade and the fence boards rapidly deteriorated. Horrible stuff.

[Ed Aumiller]

Thank you for that info! :)
I will definitely search for some kiln dried PT.

I thought Yellawood was off market? Fencing companies here started refusing to use it. I had 3 fence sections replaced and that is what was used. The 4x4 posts after 6 years are now all rotted through below grade and the fence boards rapidly deteriorated. Horrible stuff.


Where I am, Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, could not find any dealers for YellaWood, probably if it is off the market is the reason...

Local dealers for Madison (www.Madwood.com) did not want to be bothered enough to check on it for me... guess they thought I only needed enough for a small 12x12 deck, but after I ordered 750 boards (over $4200) from a dealer 50 miles away they had a different tune...
Martins Native Lumber (http://martinslumber.com/) is who ordered it for me... they are great to work with....

Showed the KDAT to a couple of local contractors and they are going to try to get the local dealers to stock it... I sure hope they do as I have several projects that I want to use it on, but not big enough orders to special order..

Hope you can find it in stock... send Madison wood emails to try to get them to sell it without going through distributors would be great..