Outdoor Living

The Backyard Fire Pit & The Oyster Roast. A Perfect Match!

January 7, 2017 by Jim Oliver

More Than Just A Firepit!

Of course we know that we build fire pits in our backyard as a way to stay warm on a chilly fall or spring night. We sit around the fire with friends and family and talk and laugh and tell story’s. The kids roast marshmallows and Mom makes smores. A good time is had by all.

I had a fire pit in my last house and I built one in my current house as well. I’ve done all the things listed above and on a good night we’ll even break out a couple of guitars and it just doesn’t get any better.

But last week we took the backyard fire pit to a place I had never experienced before. It was my neighbor Nicole’s 50th birthday and we assumed we would all go out to a restaurant in downtown Wilmington and enjoy some local fare, but the birthday girl had something else in mind…an Oyster Roast.

Fire, Food & Fun!

I had never hosted or for that matter been to an oyster roast before so I headed off to google to see what it was all about. I soon realized that besides the actual oysters the most important part of an oyster roast is a fire pit! How cool is this, we can have an oyster roast right in the backyard!

A little research uncovered that all I needed was some burlap, a piece of sheet metal, some shucking knives, hot sauce and some hungry oyster lovers. The fact that my neighbor Mark had an oyster shucking table made the whole experience perfect.

Time To Enjoy!

Once the fire was red hot we put the sheet metal across the fire pit, spread the oysters evenly across the top and covered them with the wet burlap. Fifteen minutes later we were having an oyster fest and it was one of the best times I have ever had around a fire pit!

Fire pits can be as simple or elaborate as you want. Contact us today to discuss a new custom fire pit for your backyard!

Contact us at Backyard Vision today to get a free quote of your very own custom fire pit!

Email: jim@backyardvision.com / 910-465-8472

It’s Your Backyard…Use it, Live it, Love it!

Outdoor Kitchens: Custom vs Prefab & What Do They Cost?

December 1, 2016 by Jim Oliver

Outdoor Kitchens have become one the most requested features over the last five years when building a new home. In the next 10 years outdoor kitchens will become commonplace in newly built houses and are the most requested outdoor living space addition to existing homes today.

So, how much does it cost to build or buy an outdoor kitchen? What kind of outdoor kitchen should you get? Like any outdoor living space (or most anything else for that matter) there are many factors that determine what you choose and what it will cost.

What Are You’re Outdoor Kitchen Options?

There are several options when deciding on an outdoor kitchen. Should you hire a contractor to build a custom kitchen to ensure you get exactly what you want? Should you buy a prefab kitchen from a big box store or online company? Or should you buy a modular kitchen and build it yourself. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each of these options. For purposes today we will compare a standard 8′ long straight kitchen:

Option #1 – DIY Frame Kit Outdoor Kitchen

These are kitchens or grill islands that can be ordered online. They come shipped as modules, in this case one 4′ module and two 2′ modules plus an appliance package. The appliance package includes a 32″ grill, a 33′ double access door, a trash container and a paper towel holder. This kitchen will cost approximately $3,900.

The problem is you need to screw the modules together and install the appliances yourself, thus the DIY aspect. But wait, you’re not done. The package does not include the faux stone veneer needed to finish the outside of the kitchen or a counter top.

So after you assemble the cabinets, install the appliances and apply the stone veneer, you will need to contact a granite company to come and template, cut to size and install a granite, quartz or whatever style counter top you decide on.

At first this seems like an acceptable cost for a kitchen but besides the time this will take to build, you have the added expense of the stone veneer and counter top which could take you over the $6,000 mark.

Option #2 – Prefab Outdoor Kitchen

Prefab outdoor kitchens like the one pictured above are sold in big box stores or online and come complete as shown, delivered to your curbside. It is up to you to get it into your backyard and at almost 1,000 pounds that can be a challenge and could require hiring a contractor with the proper equipment to move it.

This 7′ kitchen with a 4 burner 60,000 BTU grill, double access door, side burner and 4.6 cu. ft. fridge would go for a more than $5,000.

Option #3 – Traditional Custom Built Outdoor Kitchen

The traditional custom built outdoor kitchen is the most popular of all the kitchens because of the word custom. You can customize it to add any appliances, make it any size or shape, add any kind of counter top, add a sitting bar. Pretty much anything you can think of or afford.

This kitchen requires no work from the homeowner. It is built on site and takes about 2-3 weeks depending on the size. Like the modular kitchen, after the base or cabinet structure is completed you then have to make a template for the counter top and wait for it to be cut to size and installed. Only then is your kitchen complete.

The average cost for a kitchen this size is between $5,000 – $6,000 and like all outdoor kitchens that cost will vary depending on the size and quality of the grill and other appliances.

Option #4 – ClifRock Outdoor Kitchen

ClifRock outdoor kitchens are a concrete panel system where the base structure is built off site. It is then brought to the home owners yard and assembled on site including appliances and counter top in less than two days which makes for a very clean job site and a happy home owner who has a new kitchen in two days.

Another advantage is that you have the choice 4 different concrete exteriors, Random Rock, Ledge Stack, Dry Stack & Cliff Stone (as shown below) and an endless array of color schemes.

Pouring concrete panels are a very cost effective way of building outdoor kitchens and also gives the home owner the added option of having a matching concrete counter top which is less costly than granite, quartz or tile. An 8′ kitchen w/ concrete counter top, grill, double access door, double drawer and trash drawer built in this manner usually costs out below $5,000 depending on choice of grill.

What Now?

Most outdoor kitchens can be customized to any shape and size and incorporate an endless amount of appliances from ice makers to TV’s. Declare your outdoor kitchen space by covering your kitchen with a pergola.

If you are thinking of adding an outdoor kitchen or other outdoor living spaces contact us for a free consultation & design.

It’s Your Backyard…Use it. Live it. Love it!

Screened In Porch Vs. Sun Room: Which Is Best For You?

December 5, 2014 by Jim Oliver

If you are looking for some additional living space for your home, a screened in porch or a sunroom are a great place to look to expand. The two rooms are very different so you will need to really think through a few things before coming to a decision. For instance, what will you use it for? When will you use it? And how much do you want to spend? Let’s take a closer look at some of these questions you will need to ask your self.

What Will You Use It For?

As mentioned above either room will give you the additional living space you are looking for. The big difference between a screened in porch and a sunroom is how the walls are finished. A screened in porch is a roofed structure that uses mesh screen for walls. The difference is that a screened in porch will let air pass through the room, giving you the feeling of being outdoors while keeping out the bugs.
A sunroom is a roofed structure that is glass enclosed. A sunroom is more like your living room with a better view. Because it is enclosed, this will most likely lead to adding some kind of air conditioning for the summer months and some form of heating for the winter months. At this point you might start asking yourself why you stopped using your living room in the first place? That leads to the next question you’ll want to ask your self.

When Will You Use It?

If the idea is to create extra living space and spend time outdoors, a screened in porch is what you are looking for. Here in coastal Carolina you will be able to take advantage of a screened in porch from mid March to mid November. Of course the beginning of spring and the end of fall will have chilly days and most nights will be too cold to stay outdoors comfortably but that is a pretty extended period of time to make use of your porch.
When people add a sunroom to their home it most likely is with the thought of using it year round. As mentioned before, to make that realistic you will have to add air conditioning and heat to stay comfortable. You can try to achieve the best of both worlds by making the glass interchangeable with screens and swap them in and out at different times of the year. Or you could have a four-track system installed when building the sunroom. This allows you to slide the windows up or down in different position depending on how much air you want to let in. This is a very nice feature but it comes with a price. Which leads us to our next question.

How Much Do You Want To Spend?

As to which option is less expensive, by virtue of labor and materials alone a sunroom will be the more expensive way to go. Because it’s more like a finished room you may want tile floors, the four-track system for the walls that I mentioned earlier and some kind of air conditioning/heat will most likely be needed. If it does become a heated space, depending on where you live it could be added to the square footage of your house and increase your taxes. For an example of cost a 16′ x 20′ sun room with three outlets and a ceiling fan could run you $30,000 or more depending on how it’s finished (floors, ceiling, walls).
A 16′ x 20′ wood or aluminum screened in porch with a wood or concrete floor, three outlets and a ceiling fan might cost as little as $8,000 – $12,000. You will not have to worry about heating or cooling because it is what it’s name says it is: a screened in porch. To be used only when the weather permits. Let your living room be your living room and let your porch be your porch. Enjoying time outdoors within the comfort of your own home shouldn’t have to cost a fortune.

Will It Add Value To Your Home?

From a real estate point of view the answer is yes, a sunroom or screened in porch will make your house more valuable than if you didn’t have one. Does that make it a financial slam-dunk? Not necessarily. If you spend $40,ooo on a sunroom it doesn’t mean you can add $40,000 to the price of your home when you sell. 50% or $20,000 is probably more realistic. Using the same formula for a screened in porch, a $10,000 porch might add $5,000 more to the selling price of your house. That might not seem like a good deal to you when your selling but when you consider what you would spend to build each of the two rooms the screened in porch becomes the better value.

Which Is Right For You?

As you can tell I’m partial to the screened in porch compared to the sunroom. But that’s me, I like the fact that the living room is inside the house and the porch is outside the house. It makes it a little more special when you can entertain friends outside on a warm summer night. Or not have to stay inside to watch football on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in October. Although sunrooms are beautiful and serve a great purpose, a screened in porch is a better bargain from a financial standpoint and brings just as much enjoyment. It simply comes down to your preference and your needs. Think about the questions I listed above, the answers will point you in the direction that suits your needs.
If we can help in any way don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Backyard Vision – Wilmington, NC