Do you love tasty fresh char-grilled food but hate having to find somewhere to store the barbecue once summer's over? Then why not build your own permanent brick version outside?
You hardly need any DIY knowledge or skills so the project is quite an easy one, but bear in mind that lifting bricks can be strenuous. And when choosing the barbecue's location, take into account accessibility, any overhanging or nearby foliage that could cause problems, and areas that are exposed to the wind.
When cutting bricks, make sure you are wearing protective goggles and gloves. The same goes for when you're handling sand and cement as this contains lime and can cause burns or irritation to the skin and eyes.
If not building directly onto a patio, decide what shape you want your barbecue to be, then dig a trench about 12 inches wide by nine inches deep. Stamp down the soil at the bottom and, to cut down on the hard work, fill the hole with ready-mixed coarse cement, to which you just add water.
Use a board that's at least three feet square to do this. Simply make a well in the mound of dry concrete mix, then gradually pour water into it from a watering can, followed by a shovel scoop of dry mix from the base of the heap.
Keep adding more mix until the well is full, then repeat the whole process until the mixture is thoroughly wet and the same colour all the way through.
To ensure the cement is evenly mixed and air pockets are eliminated, slice through the pile with the shovel, as though cutting it up.
Shovel the concrete mix into the trench and smooth and press it down with the edge of a small board, checking that it is reasonably level.
Cover with sacking or something similar to protect from frost and direct sunlight, then leave to harden for two days.
Once the concrete is ready, mix up mortar for bricklaying in a similar way to the concrete, adding a plasticiser if you want it to be smoother and more user-friendly.
Lay a row of bricks on top of your foundation, buttering the bottom and edges of each one and constantly using a spirit level to check that the vertical and horizontal surfaces are level.
Dry lay a few rows of bricks until you are happy with their shape and position, for a dummy run before you commit to mortaring them in place for good.
Then, build up the corners of the structure to three or four blocks tall before filling in the gaps between them, to give you a sturdy framework. Stretch a string line across the two corners to be sure they are in line with each other.
Stop after every third row to create a flush and neat finish on the mortar between the bricks. This is called pointing. Do the vertical joins fist, followed by the horizontal ones, and then lightly brush away any mortar on the bricks' surface.
Once you only have two or three more rows of brick to go, build in some brackets to hold the fuel tray and then above it, the grill.
When you've reached the height you want, consider capping the barbecue wall with coping stones or hard engineering bricks for a more durable finish.
Give the mortar at least two days to harden before using the barbecue.
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