Sam Hickey, Author at Creekstone Outdoors

22 Aug

Custom Outdoor Kitchen and Cabana - Fire Pit view by Creekstone Outdoor Living in Houston Texas

Create A Backyard Fireplace Yourself

Backyard fireplace is one of the most popular landscaping features out of them all. It’s an attractive place where you can gather with family and friends and spend a nice evening whether you have a special occasion or not. Fireplace is a guarantee of cozy atmosphere and many are willing to invest time and money to build one in their backyard. However, without a thoroughly thought plan building a fireplace would bring lots of troubles. So, before rushing into it, consider your budget, design and materials that will complement the overall design of your backyard. There are so many styles available that anyone can find a perfect option, be it a classical theme like country or a mix of several elements that create a unique look.

Stone fireplace
No one can argue with the fact that stone is the most durable material you can find. Stone fireplaces enhance any backyard style, be it a contemporary design or an old world feels style. These fireplaces will last for many generations, it’s easy to clean and maintain them and they are also weather-resistant. You can choose marble, natural stone, granite, limestone and slate that come in different colors. Granite is the easiest one to clean, but doesn’t have such variety of styles as other materials. There are also veneer stones – lighter and cheaper material, which is made of real stones but it’s easier to work with it.

Fire pits
Fire pits can be open and enclosed and differ in materials and style. If you like the campfire feel, then this is a perfect choice for you. Fire pits will bring this feeling in your backyard, or you can take them to the beach, desert or woods. And don’t forget that fire pits can do more than just heat – you can use them to cook and grill.
The most common material is copper, and there are three shapes to choose from – rectangular, round or square. Fire pits also have a sparkle screen that prevents sparks from flying away and lets fresh air in.
You can also choose cast iron models, which is as durable as copper but a bit cheaper. The most popular producer of fire pits is Sojoe, and they also offer fire pits made of steel.

Chimenea
Chimeneas look like pot belly stoves, but unlike those stoves that have been in homes for many years, chimeneas became popular just five or six years ago. The most traditional material is ceramic, but there are also iron and other chimneys that come in different shapes and sizes. Before choosing a certain style of chimney, show a professional designer your backyard so that he can customize it according to your wishes and style.

22 Aug

Custom Outdoor Kitchen and Cabana - Appliances View by Creekstone Outdoor Living in Houston Texas

Choosing a perfect outdoor grill in Houston

Grills get everyone outside, and if you’re a fan of grilling, then you probably remember those old barbecue grills with their thin legs that look like a kettle or large saucers. With some basic cooking skills, you could easily make tasty hamburgers and delicious stakes.

Nowadays, there are so many different grills to count. Some of them are small disposable units that look like microwaves; others are pretty huge and have many wheels and many functions. Traditionally, grills work on charcoal, but now you can easily find models that use propane or natural gas as fuel. However, the fact is that you can make more than burgers and steaks, many can prepare crunchy seafood and roasted vegetables.

Outdoor grilling adds functionality and fun to your home

Summer is perfect time for outdoor grilling and the idea of having one in the backyard isn’t new, but when it’s well-designed, it allows you to enjoy outdoor cooking all year long. Incorporating the grill to the outdoor setting adds value and versatility to your home.

A grill creates food with unique flavor and can make steakhouse steaks tastier than any indoor oven. Some of them can even smoke low, like a real smoker. For this reason, people turn their boring yards into fancy resorts and spend more time at home, having a grill as a place to gather with family and friends.

However, grills range in price. You can find a nice small grill that can make fine steaks for just $15, many small options go under $75, but there are also huge independent islands that have everything an indoor kitchen has, including a fridge, sink and storage and cost more than $25,000. The price may seem too high, but huge outdoor grill adds a lot of space and you should think of it just like of adding another room. There are thousands of DIY projects available online, and you can easily buy necessary components in a store, customize your grill island and face it in stone, brick or anything you like.

Choose the right type of fuel

Don’t rush into buying a grill – you have to choose the fuel first. Modern grills can run on charcoal, electricity or gas, and you have to choose the right one to avoid problems. For example, if you live in an apartment, you may not be allowed to have an electric grill on the balcony.

Creekstone Outdoors Grills in Houston, Texas

So, when you figured out what type of fuel is allowed, think about your cooking style and preferences. Some people enjoy having an open-flame and get quickly cooked steaks. If you’re one of them, a charcoal grill is a perfect choice. However, if you’re not a huge fan of cooking and prefer to spend time with guests while meat is slowly cooked, gas is a much better option. Electrical grills are preferred by those who enjoy a slow cooking process and can wait for a couple of hours for beef to be cooked and flavor it with tasty seasonings and spices. Those who can wait for an hour for their grill to heat should choose traditional charcoal, while gas can make fire instantly.

Some cooks that prefer charcoal, says that it adds a special flavor when smoke penetrates the meat and its juices fell down. However, many insist that gas grill can deliver the same flavor faster. Gas grills usually have steel bars, volcanic rock or ceramic briquettes for those juices, and steel is in favor because it’s easy to clean and maintain.

The great thing about grills is that whether fuel they use, they always come with a quite long warranty. The vast majority of brands offer a 10 year warranty, but some can offer even longer options. Before you buy a grill, make sure it stands still, nothing wobbles, it’s made of heavy materials like aluminum or metal and finished with high-quality enamel. If you’re going to grill in the rain, choose models made of stainless steel.

Models that offer two or more separate burners usually cost more, but they are definitely worth your attention since they offer easier heat control. However, always think about the location of your grill, it should have enough space and you should feel comfortable cooking there.

08 Jul

Creekstone Outdoor Living Full Outdoor Space with cabana, pool and stone slide

Top 5 Outdoor Kitchen Styles to Inspire Meaningful Outdoor Living

For some people, the coziest place in their home is the kitchen and that’s why they invest a great deal of time and money in their kitchens to make sure everything is just the way they want it. But what if the same kitchen is brought outdoors? A lot of houses have great yards and outdoor spaces that are often go underutilized. Here are a few kitchen ideas that will inspire you to build that extra-special cozy place right outside your house.

With an outdoor kitchen comes opportunities for your family and friends to enjoy your food out in the open while you’re one with nature. Guests and hosts can mingle even in the process of cooking, since you are not isolated when you’re cooking inside. Although cooking outdoors certainly gives you the feeling of connecting with nature, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a few electronics and entertainment hubs to make it feel completely like home.

We have chosen five outdoor kitchen styles that will most certainly inspire you to enjoy outdoor living.

1. The Southern Style
If you live in an area that is close to the mountains or have a huge yard, you can go for a southern style outdoor kitchen. You can choose to go all-wood, non-tech and bon-fire oriented kitchen. Don’t get us wrong, we want you to load it up with utilities, but you should consider cut out certain electronics like as LCD TVs or sound systems to really have that American southern style feel.

2. The Home Outside Your Home
The number one reason why people don’t want to opt for an outdoor kitchen is because they don’t want to leave the comfort of their homes. But what if we told you that you can take your home outside? Go with comfortable wicker furniture, which matches your house’s interior decor with the kitchen’s, so that you don’t feel like you’ve even left your home. Install electronics that you have inside to give it that finishing touch along with a ceiling fan.

3. Moroccan-style Gazebo
You can go with a Moroccan-style outdoor kitchen too. You need to have a large seating area for the parties, Arabesque-shaped archways, terra and gold themed color palette and wicker ceiling fans to give it that exotic Moroccan vibe.

4. Mediterranean Blue
This can turn out to be quite beautiful and you can have an all-Mediterranean blue-themed kitchen right in your yard. Go with the royal-blue Spanish tiles or aquamarine-colored Spanish tiles. Give the ceiling, grill tops and cabinet doors a wooden accent to give it that lavish Mediterranean look.

5. Stacked Stone Theme
You can go with a medieval themed galley-style outdoor kitchen where you and your guests enjoy a very modern combination of a fireplace and electronics. Nothing makes it more appealing to the tastes when old meets new. You can create an entire shelter of pergola and the extensive use of rock and stone will give your kitchen an old, rustic and traditional look.So there you have it. No matter what you do we urge you not to forget about the basics. While smoking and open-flame cooking options should be explored, it is important that you have basic utilities installed. Whatever theme you go with, make sure the furniture is weather- sealed and that there is an overhead ceiling or canopy covering the kitchen.

07 Jul

Creekstone Outdoor Living - Choosing a Quality Craftsman

Choosing a Quality Craftsman for Your Outdoor Lifestyle

Finding a reliable and high quality craftsman for a job at your house in not an easy task. Choosing one to completely fulfill your and your family’s outdoor requirements is even harder. Even simple tasks such as roof or plumbing repairs can wreak havoc.

Planning an outdoor living setup for your family is not as easy as it sounds and there are a number of things you need to keep in mind before hiring a craftsman. Here’s what you need to consider:

1. Prior Experience
Before you hire anyone to upgrade your lifestyle, ask about their past works, and to show you a project portfolio. He should have proper credentials and prior experience with at least one reference from his previous clients, guaranteeing the credibility and standard of his craftsmanship work. If any of these are missing, you should think twice before taking making bets because a lot of money can go down the drain.

Tip: You can also check online for reviews or check testimonials on their website.

2. Quality of Work
The craftsman should be able to stand by his quality of work. He should have a proper portfolio in which he can display all his work to date. If the quality of the work is up to your standards, then only should you hire the person. He ought to have proper documentation on all the outdoor work he has done. It’s important to know all this before considering a lifestyle revamp.

Tip: Get in touch with his past customers to see how good and friendly he is.

3. Rate Per Hour
It is important for a craftsman to understand the high costs of buying new materials and equipment; before hiring him make sure that the money you are investing is worth what you are being offered in exchange: quality craftsmanship. If you feel he is overcharging for work which is barely acceptable and nothing extraordinary, you can politely say no. If the charges are unusually low and you still observe a lack of quality, there’s no point in going forward with it. If your craftsman is clearly able to demonstrate quality and consistency, without the rates being too unreasonable, you should hire him.

Tip: Always look for a number of options before you finalize one. However, remember that expensive is not always good and cheap can often be bad.

4. Your Requirements
Organize your thoughts and understand what your requirements are. What do you need to get restored, what are the things that need to build from the ground up and what is your craftsman good at building. All these things matter as you have the last word on how you feel your outdoor kitchen or living area can be improved and what set of skills are required of the craftsman to complete the job. For instance, is he a better carpenter than he is a plumber? Does he have more know-how as an electrician? These factors play a major role in deciding if your craftsman is the right person for upgrading your outdoor lifestyle.

Tip: Ask your craftsman to explain what he understands so that you are on the same page.

We are hopeful these simple yet effective tips will help you find the expert you need.

07 Jul

Creekstone Outdoor Living - Building Your Dream Outdoor Kitchen

Building Your Dream Outdoor Kitchen: Materials to Use

The choices can be overwhelming when it comes to designing your outdoor kitchen. A rich variety of counter-tops, cabinets and veneers boasting different kinds of materials. Let’s look into all of them, shall we?

Outdoor Cabinets

Whether your kitchen is indoor or outdoor, cabinets are an essential part in any case. These are usually installed under working surfaces. Lavish kitchens, however, have overhead cabinet structures. They need to be waterproof from the inside in order to be self-sufficient. Not only should they have a good design on the outside, but should also be well-designed from the inside.
In an outdoor kitchen, the cabinets are fully exposed to the elements of nature; they come into contact with the weather, UV rays and water. Therefore, in addition to being made from robust materials, they also need to have a proper layer of protection. There is a long list of protective materials to use if the cabinets are inside the house, but for external cabinets, those options are limited.

Polymer Board Cabinets

Often known as high density polyethylene, polymer is a sturdy plastic-looking material that is resistant to sun, saltwater, rain and snow. It doesn’t contract or expand with weather changes and isn’t susceptible to rust. It does, however, lack a certain range of colors.

Stainless Steel Cabinets

Steel cabinets give your kitchen a very modern look. The 304 grade steel is an example of this as it appears to be smooth and bright, which adds a contemporary feel to your outdoor kitchen. It also mixes well with other appliances.
They cost a little more than polymer cabinets, though you can build the cabinet doors using steel and the rest can be polymer. At 18 gauge thickness, stainless steel offers a wide range of patterns and textures.

Wooden Cabinets

If your kitchen has a weatherproof pergola you can consider wooden cabinets. Your indoor arrangement can be reflected through these cabinets in the outdoor kitchen. Teak is the best wood option as they can withstand higher temperatures, UV exposure and weathering. The Teak needs to have an oil finishing and should be water sealed.

Outdoor Counter-tops & Sinks

You need to have ample space if you want to prepare and serve food in your outdoor kitchen. Similar to an indoor kitchen arrangement, the height should be around 36”, though a split-level counter that has a 42” raised portion is better, if you want the guests and cook to comfortably mingle. In order to install a grill, the counter-top depth needs to be at least 30”. You can choose the material for your outdoor counter between concrete, granite or tile.

Granite

Granite gives a luxurious look as it is extremely seamless, It’s also very easy to clean so maintenance won’t be a problem. It is highly durable and can sustain high temperature levels.

Concrete

Concrete is a more economical option than granite, but it doesn’t compromise on the strength aspect. It doesn’t stain easily, it’s highly durable, cleans easily and can be built into any size or shape.

Tile

You can opt for porcelain or ceramic tiles. They are also an economical option as the material underneath is covered entirely. Go with tiles that are rated for outdoor usage. They are easy to clean and come in a wide variety of colors.

Flagstone

The Flagstone option for counter-tops is a bold one. They give off a rustic and natural feel, and are extremely durable in outdoor environments. However, they demand frequent cleaning and can be quite difficult to seal as they are a porous material.

Decorative Veneers

Veneers can be used to give a lavish and stylish look to your outdoor kitchen built-in barbecue. You can use bricks, stucco or stone. While each of the aforementioned materials have their pros and cons, what you need to make sure is to choose the one which resonates well with your home and yard. You can install mortar brick and stone veneers directly on concrete while with stucco, you need to spray and trowel it into place.

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Author Archives: Sam Hickey