Built in BBQ and backyard remodel

scotzilla

Well my wife and I finally decided to buy our first home this month even though we think we havent seen the bottom. We found a nice place in Discovery Bay right on the water and the wife has wasted no time planning for a built in BBQ, fire pit and new deck. She has an idea of what she wants but I wanted to run it by so people who have been there and done that for suggestions.

The deck is currently built out of douglas and has some dry rot so its coming down. THat and its not water proof and we want this area to be dry in case of rain. THe hope is to build a L shaped bbq area and be able to add the fire pit and deck later on.

Here's what we have to work with









heres the view from the upper deck in the morning

scotzilla

the idea is to do the L where the bbq is currently and extend it over to the round table. We wanted input on using granite as opposed to tile or travertine for the counter top. Also I see most built ins constructed with cinder block. Is there a reason not to frame it out of wood?

I build race cars for a living so Im good with my hands but i have no experience doing home repairs or modification, so please excuse any dumb questions. My hope is to do as much as possible and sub out what i dont have the ability to do. One for saving on cost and two I just enjoy projects and and doing new and challenging things.

Next phase is going to be a fire pit over by the planter box with the palm trees. I want to shrink the planter box down and build a nice stone wall with a half circle bench around the pit and arrange some seating on the other side.

Im assuming in need to have a plan drafted up now and get all my plumbing and electrical run in the concrete before I start building. ANyone have any recommendations for someone who could help in the bay are with a rendering and blue print?

Jim F

Posting your location helps in several ways. The choice of outdoor building materials depends on the climate of your location. A Google search revealed several Discovery Bays. Yours looks tropical. The name of your state might help someone help you in locating an architect.

Most new homeowners have great ideas for improving your living space. What did you mean when you said "we think we havent seen the bottom"? The bottom of what? As long as you have the funds to do your projects and take care of any big money problems you may discover in your new home, you are good to go. You will find lots of help here just remember two key things- location and pictures.

scotzilla

Discovery Bay , CA its about an hour inland of SF- 30 min due west of stockton CA.

By bottom I meant ever since we've been married housing has been a mess. At first we were fortunate enough to never have any of our offers go threw as we would have been several hundred thousand dollars upside down. I still think housing costs havent bottomed out but we finally reached a point where they are cheap enough and rates are low and we are just flat sick of paying someone else's mortgage.

frenchelectrican

If you can please take a photo under the decking ?? I may have a question or two come up.

The main reason the conseration is the support set up and how big the new decking you will be planning to make ??

And are you plan to add exteral stair way or leave it alone ?

To make the decking and roof at the same time it can get tricky but I know it can be done so please hang on someone with roofing trick will chime in I am sure they will know a trick or two with this matter.

For the BBQ do you have natural gaz in your house or going to use the propane gaz ? some case it can able pipe the gaz out to the BBQ plus " outside fireplace pit " I am not well verison with outside californiné requirement with fire pit so check that as well to see what restriction they will have so I rather have this deal with it first before you plan to build this out.

For the light layout I may have couple idea with it but I will wait until I get some idea of your drawing or something.

Yeah you can have couple low voltage spot lites to highlight palm trees that one idea you can do that.


Merci.
Marc

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The answer will be based on NEC ( National Electrical code ) or CEC ( Cananda Electrical code ) or ECF ( Electrique Code France )

scotzilla

ill shoot some pics of the bottom of the deck tonight. I planned on breaking up the brick in the concrete and plumbing natural gas, water and electrical threw there. Luckily there is a drain right where we plan on putting the L.

Right now the deck is 12 ft off the house. I would like to push it to 14ft so that I can move the stilts out of the built in area. We plan on putting bar stools along the back side of the counter so people can sit and eat there. The deck has to be water tight, and eventually we would like to add lighting and some heaters along the parimeter.

Im not sure how contractors typically water proof a deck but I have a company where we shoot polyurea (basically bed liner material) and I could build it out of preasure treated and spray a one piece membrane on top. We have been shooting dock foam floats encapsulating them for half the price of the plastic tubs they sell to encapsulate it so Ill have to look at the cost of the conventional ways and compare.

The other idea is to add a spa to the top of the deck down the road so I need to incorporate that into my structural, plumbing and electrical plans.

We do want a spiral stair case off the deck since we have a saint bernard who likes to get up at 5am every morning and go outside. Our rental was one story so it wasnt a big deal but getting up and going down stairs to let him out is already getting old. I would just install a doggy door but hes only 14 months and 145 lbs so he doesnt fit threw most doors. That and if he can get out the door people can get in. Plus once we have a hot tub we arent going to want guests to have to walk threw our master to get to the hot tub.

I cold called a contractor who is coming out tomorrow morning just to see what it would cost to have it professionally done and give me a better idea of what we are up against. I want to do the parts I can and hopefully he will want to fill in the rest. I know at my shop I hate it when customers ask to do that but oh well.

Right now we have a 10K budget so Im hoping we can get at least the plumbing, electrical , built in and deck framed out. Sound reasonable or am I way off?

scotzilla

finally some pictures.









so I had a contractor come out- He had a lot of good info but he wasn't interested in doing anything but the deck and wiring. Thats the part I know I can do. I think ill end up doing everything or most everything after hearing prices.

Basically the deck is first. Its coming down and getting stretch out another 2 ft. I read that i need joists every 16 on center to support a hot tub up top. Does that sound right? THe plan is to re- use the stilts and replace all the douglas with pressure treated. Then Spray the top with a Poly urethane to waterproof it. How do contractors typically make a deck like this water tight?

I told the contractor about the fire pit idea and hes the third person who told me I could sell the palm trees or sell one to make more room for the fire pit. I looked online and its sounds like its more urban legend than anything. Anyone who what kind of Palms these are?

scotzilla

it would be nice if we could sell the center palm, make room for the pit and help offset the cost of the renovation. Here's another spot that might work for the fire pit



kind of out towards the edge of the property but it would make running the gas line more difficult.

I don't know- just thinking out loud here. Hoping to get some input from people with more experience

also anyone know the price of flagstone vs shale per foot?

Jim F

All I know about palm trees is that in nature, they burn down to the stump and will regrow fairly quickly. I wonder if that would be the process involved with selling one- cutting it down to the stump and selling the mature root ball which will grow into a tree again once its roots get reestablished in the new location.

16 inch on center is a good standard. As far as a hot tub, I may be inclined to also add another support beam and posts to accommodate the weight. But that is not an expert opinion.

oh'mike

A couple of thoughts--google deck water proofing---there are a large number of systems that are resigned to go under the deck boards that will give you a dry 'roof' above the patio below.

These need to be built into your new deck structure --so do your research before actually planning the deck.

One of our members is a designer and drafts man in California---Andy Gump--He is quite creative PM him if he doesn't drop in on this post.TARDIF DRAFTING AND DESIGN

I posted his web page--might be good reading--Mike--

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scotzilla

ok so ive done a bunch or research on the deck. Polyurea membranes are actually a popular way to waterproof a deck. I took a trip to Home Depot to price the materials and the help desk suggested I should use CDX instead of pressure treated planks for the platform on top. Since Im coating it with poly they suggested using epoxy on the cdx top and bottom before I screwed it down- they spray down the membrane.

ALso My wife wants to slate the top of the deck. I assume it could be done if we put down the backer board and slated on top of that. Why wouldnt that work?

If we go the CDX route the deck will cost $1200 in wood and screws and hangers. If we use 2x6 planks It would cost around $2000. Obviously if we are covering it with slate and it will work I would like to save the $800.

THoughts??? Suggestions??

oh'mike

I've never tiled a wood deck---I think some one else will need to answer that one---Do google-- Schluter--they make waterproofing membranes and deck water proofing systems--

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tpolk

I would do serious research and pay to have the load /framing engineered for a hot tub. thats a lot of weight plus people weight. outside tiling on an exposed wood system will also require a sizeable stucture/ stiffness upgrade or tile will move and crack. imho

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scotzilla

yea i agree- I know a lot of people do it since 30% of the deck out here have hot tubs on them but Ive never seen one 10 feet off the ground. Most decks are on 2-5 ft stilts.

scotzilla

whats the going rate for stacked stone or veneer like Coronado in your area? I cant get any contractors nailed down on a price. Lowes wants $8 a foot just for the Coronado material. I was trying to weight out the different options but no one wants to shoot me a straight comparison. Ive got 300 sq ft of area just for the bbq.

If its not in the budget to stone the outside now can I use stucko or some tyoe of cheaper system and stone over it later? Or does the stucko have to be ripped off? thanks