Grilled Fruit

There are not a lot of desserts that are easy to cook on the grill. One significant exception is grilled fruit. Not only is grilling fruit easy, it is a healthier dessert.

My latest “foodie” project has been to prepare the entire meal on the grill. I have been preparing the meat and sometimes vegetable dishes on the grill for many years, but had never tried fixing dessert on the grill. I found a number of recipes in my cookbooks and on the web, but most reminded me of S’mores on the campfire – I’m not a big fan of marshmallow. So as a strong believer in the KISS principle, grilled fruit has become my favorite after meal treat.

I haven’t tried every fruit, but so far I haven’t found any that aren’t suitable for the grill. Pineapple, apples, and pears are the easiest. They are firm fruits so it is hard to overcook them and they can be cooked with or without the skin or peel. Soft fruits like peaches, citrus, and plums are best grilled with their skins and require more care or else they become mushy. Typically a few minutes on each side is enough.

I follow a few simple guidelines when grilling fruit:

• Like with all grilling, a clean grate is essential. Not only will the fruit not stick to it as much, it will not pick up the very undesirable taste of the meat or whatever was grilled before.
• Coat the grill with a little vegetable oil or extra light olive oil to reduce sticking.
• Small fruits and berries can be grilled in aluminum foil or a vegetable pan or you can use skewers. They cook fast so keep a close watch or you’ll have mush – tasty but mush none the less.
• For most fruits use medium direct heat. You are looking to warm the fruit and caramelize the sugars on the surface of the fruit. Well defined grill marks are a good sign that the fruit is ready to serve. Cooking times vary greatly, from less than 10 minutes for peaches to ½ hour or more for a whole pineapple.
• Although not needed, fruit can be marinated to add flavor and sweetness. One marinade that I use is simply a cup of fruit type liqueur mixed with a cup of brown sugar and a ½ cup of honey. Place the fruit and marinade in a large plastic bag overnight. Be careful when placing fruit that has marinated in alcohol as it may cause an exciting flare-up.

You may want to add a sauce and I have found some easy ones that enhance the flavors:

• Puree 2 cups of fruit with ¼ cup of sugar in a blender and serve – yes it’s that simple. You may want to force seeded puree through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Another option is to boil the puree to reduce it and concentrate the flavor.
• Caramel sauce is another easy topping to make. In a 2 – 3 quart saucepan on medium heat, cook 1 cup of sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons of corn syrup until the sugar has melted and turned a golden brown. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter is completely melted stir in ½ cup of cream. Serve warm.

If you haven’t grilled fruit, try it. It is so simple and yet so delicious and your guests will think you’re a master of the grill.

The DIY Deck - Part 2

In my last entry I tried to make the case that if you don’t hire a professional to build your deck or porch project, at least use the best tools and knowledge when building it yourself. My wife thought the article was a little biased (it was) and maybe even arrogant (I hope not.) Not to worry. I’m one of those people that cannot get away with expressing an opinion without something immediately happening that contradicts what I said. That article was no exception.

This past winter, my mother moved into a house that my wife and I own in eastern North Carolina. When we bought the house I made the comment that the house was pretty complete except that it needed a screened porch. My plan was to design a nice traditional porch and send a crew down to build it next winter when work slowed a bit. (The house is about 4 hours away.)

My mother, who turns 80 later this year, is not a patient person. Once she makes a decision she goes into action. She thought the porch was a good idea too, but apparently decided that next winter was too long to wait. Always thoughtful, she also didn’t want to bother me about this during the busiest time of the season.

So at almost exactly the same time that I was writing the March article she was discussing the porch project with her brother Herbert. Herbert grew up on a farm and worked for more than thirty years as an operating engineer on ocean going tugboats. That job required him to be good with his hands and have a good understanding of how things work, but very little in the way of carpentry skills. Herbert is a young 70 years old.

Herbert told my mom that they should be able to build the porch, which is about 12’ x 20’, for about $1200. Now that sounded like a steal since I had told her that I would sell a porch that size for about $12,000. So, without saying a word to me, they decided to proceed. They recruited another of my uncles, Albert, to help. Albert turns 80 this year too.

So how did it turn out? Well they finished the porch in just over a week (Herbert doesn’t have much patience either.) And they did a pretty nice job as you can see from the photo. The cost did run a little over budget by a few hundred dollars and they had a young guy install the roof panels (a very smart move.) The roof is made with inexpensive fiberglass panels (good for letting in a lot of light) and a Northern Virginia building inspector would have some issues with some of the structure. But the porch looks good, is safe, and it will add value to the house. Most importantly, mom loves the space and she spends hours out there reading and working on her puzzles.

So has this experience changed my thinking about amateur deck/porch builders? A little. Remember I didn’t have a problem with DIY builders. I just tried to make the point that if you’re going to do this type of project, invest in the time and money to have the right tools and knowledge. I’m sure Herbert has never read a single book on deck building and his tool set is good but basic. However, he, mom, and Albert do have the one absolute necessity for a quality job – an unyielding desire to do work that you can be proud of.

The DIY Deck

A friend recently invited me over to inspect a second story deck that he and a neighbor had built on the neighbor’s house. It was obvious from the conversation on the way to the project (and comments made when we got there) that he was fishing for compliments from me, the professional. He made it hard for me.

The deck was standing and it seemed to be sturdy enough that I wasn’t too concerned that it would collapse while we were standing on it. For that matter the deck had been inspected by the county building inspector and passed. But it was a mess. Huge gaps, bent nails, bad cuts, short boards, gouges, and missing knots were common. I didn’t pull out a framing square to check, but I don’t think there was a square joint on the whole deck. Of course I didn’t mention any of this – that's not what they wanted at that point. They had already had the official inspection; they were looking for compliments for all of their hard work. I did the best that I could.

Why do people do this? This guy’s house is easily worth $600,000 and he has put an eye sore on the back of it in order to save a few thousand dollars. He’s not alone. Homeowner built decks are all over the neighborhood and unfortunately they are too easy to spot.

Building a wood deck is not complicated. In fact it is one of the easier building projects typically found on suburban homes. But it’s not easy and it certainly takes a level of experience and knowledge that most homeowners don’t possess. Even the simplest jobs require a certain amount to knowledge and experience to be competent and carpentry is not a simple profession. It takes several years as an apprentice or helper to achieve just the basic skills.

So am I saying that homeowners should not take on a deck building project? Absolutely not. But for the sake of one of your biggest investments, take the time to learn how to do it right and use the tools that will allow you to do a job that is safe, attractive and something that adds value to your home.

If you’re thinking of building a deck yourself here are some of the things that you should consider:

• Start with some good books on the construction of wood decks. Look for titles that are recently published by authors who have a carpentry background.
• Buy a speed square, framing square, 4’ level, and 25’ – 30’ tape measure. Buy quality tools and learn how to use them. And most importantly, use them and use them frequently. You have heard the adage, “Measure twice and cut once.” It is good advice. Apply the same principle when checking for level, square, and plumb. Inaccuracies in any of these areas will not go away and will always add to problems later on. They are a dead give-away that an amateur built the project.
• Invest in a quality electric miter box – preferably a 12” model with a laser guide. Bad cuts are another sign of the amateur. The circular saw is most often used by pros but they aren’t called skill saws for nothing. Use the circular saw for cuts that will not be visible or until you develop competency with it. For the cuts that will be visible, use the miter box when possible.
• Buy your lumber from a real lumber yard – not a home center. The big boxes battle with each other every day and every penny they can cut prices is a competitive advantage. The problem is that although better than in years past, quality often suffers. Lumber yards compete on a different basis. Their professional customers must have quality material or else they will go elsewhere. You pay a higher price but you get better quality and as an added benefit they will deliver to the site.
• Pay attention to the details. Appling trim to the edge of the deck, skirting, mitering corners, closing the risers on steps, and including low voltage lighting are a few things to consider. Look at the deck books and the nicer decks in your neighborhood for ideas.

You’re probably saying to yourself that every suggestion this guy is making requires me to spend extra money – and you’re right. But remember you’re going to save hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars by building the project yourself. Also remember that this is something that is going to be attached to one of your biggest investments for a very long time. Besides, if you’re a guy it probably doesn’t require too much arm twisting to get you to go out and buy some quality tools – errr-errrr!

For more information on deck and porch construction visit www.BackyardAmerica.com

Deck Design Software for Free?

Compared to most construction projects, designing a sun deck is relatively simple. Most are a rectangle or a combination of rectangles or other basic geometric shapes, so most are probably designed with pencil and paper. I once met a lady at the building permit office with a design on a piece of grocery bag – it seems she had a sudden inspiration while shopping, .

So why bother with a software program to design a deck? Well like most good software, it will save you time, particularly if revisions are made. With most software packages, changes are as simple as click and drag or making a few entries. In addition, most packages allow you to see the project in 3-D which really helps some people to visualize the deck on the back of their house. A deck design in “plan view” is just a set of geometric shapes to some people. Present those plans in 3-D and all of a sudden the light goes on.

Several years ago I owned an Archadeck office – a national deck and porch design/ build franchise system. When I first joined the system all of our sales presentation drawings were done by hand following a well defined format and standard drafting tools. After a few years Archadeck introduced a design software package which I quickly adopted. After I started presenting my proposals using the new software my sales increased by 20% or more. My clients could better see what I had designed for them so it was easier for them to make the decision to buy. The software saved me a lot of time as well.

Obviously anyone designing a deck should run out and buy a deck design software package, right? Not so fast. Professional design software used by Archadeck or most other deck and remodeling companies can cost as much as $5000. Even packages designed for homeowners can cost up to $100 or more. That is a bit steep to design one simple deck, never need it again.

The good news is that there is free software available that does a pretty good job for simple decks. DIYOnline.com has developed an online application that it offers to sponsors. The Trex Company and Hot Springs Spas are two companies that have adapted the program to their products. The program can be found on either of the company’s websites or on DIYOnline.

The application will allow you to design decks with up to 3 levels, select decking direction, railing style, a variety of amenities, and place adjoining walls. It even allows you to enter the local live and dead load requirements and footing depth. The finished plan includes plan views, 3-D views, a material takeoff, a cut list, tool list, and a lot more information.

Perfect? No. You cannot add overhead structures like a pergola or open roof. The amenities are limited and not scalable. But you’ll find some of these same limitations in packages that you have to pay for. But, there is one problem that you do need to deal with.

For some reason every inexpensive (or in this case free) deck software application wants you to dig more holes than are needed. Every deck carpenter that I know will tell you the worst part of building a deck is digging the holes for the footings. The DIYOnline program, like many others, does not like to cantilever the joists and therefore places a beam under the end of every one as well as the main beam. For the simple deck that I designed when checking out the program, the framing plan called for 6 more footings than is required. Not only is that a lot of extra hard work, it is a lot of extra cost.

This is a very nice tool that these companies provide for the DIY homeowner. You will be able to quickly try different designs and share them with others for their opinions. The accompanying documentation will save you a lot of time as well. I do recommend that if you decide to use this program take the framing plan to your local building department and see if they will help you simplify it to eliminate unnecessary footings and framing. Your back and wallet will appreciate their help.

For additional information on decks and porches visit www.BackyardAmerica.com

Winter Is a Great Time to Build an Outdoor Project

The backlog of work for my construction crews is the lowest it has been for years. And while the economy has slowed in our area (near Washington, DC), that is not the main reason for our current reduced number of projects waiting to be built. The primary reason is good weather. The Mid-Atlantic region has had a very warm and dry fall and early winter season this year. We are more than half way through January and we finally had our first snow (a measly inch or two) and really cold temperatures this week. As a result we have had many more days available to build than normal – we have worked ourselves out of work!

Every year there is a slow down in sales during the winter months. Homeowner’s minds turn to interior projects and projects like decks and porches are forgotten until spring. Reasons for this include the belief that contractors don’t build in the winter and if they did the quality of construction would be lower than if the project were built in warmer weather. Actually for most of the country neither is true.

With the exception of the very most northern states, construction of decks and porches is not affected by winter weather very much. The main problem in the coldest states is that the ground freezes so hard the crews cannot dig footings even with power augers. These areas have the deepest footing requirements, often 36” or more deep, so it becomes impractical to dig them in winter.

For the rest of the country this is typically not much of a problem. In fact there are several reasons why building an outdoor project in winter may be the best time:

• Construction crews want to keep their best crews busy so that there’s less chance of loosing them to a busier company. Crews only get paid if they are working and they have bills like everybody else.
• Material prices tend to be lower. Building material prices tend to increase less and even decline with the lower demand of winter.
• Builders are often more willing to offer discounts or other incentives to get the work. The competition is the same, but there’s less work – supply and demand works in this market too.
• The quality of the materials is often better. Many outdoor projects are built using pressure treated lumber. This material is shipped with a high level of moisture in it. As the lumber dries it wants to cup, warp, and check, as the cells shrink. If the wood dries slower it tends to have less stress to distort and the fasteners are better able to keep it true.
• The workmanship is often better. The crews have less pressure on them to quickly finish a job so that they can move on to the next anxious customer. Good crews are not going to do sloppy work no matter what but having a little extra time can make a difference.
• Avoid the spring rush. As soon as the weather starts to turn warm it seems everybody wants a deck or porch and they want it in time for summer. It won’t happen for many of them. Backlogs for good companies quickly build to 8 to 10 weeks or more by early spring.

Not all of these reasons may be true in your region, but there are probably enough good reasons for you to consider having your project built now rather than waiting until spring like everybody else. To learn more about deck and porch construction visit www.backyardamerica.com .

A Fireplace for My Screened Porch

As you may know I have been singing the praises of my new screened porch. I had to design and build several hundred porches for my clients before my wife and I finally got around to building one for ourselves. Our only regret was that we waited so long…..well our only regret until it recently turned cold. After the tempertures started to drop we decided we should have gone ahead with my original plan of putting a fireplace in the porch.

As a kid, living in this area (Northern Virginia) it seemed like we had real winters that were very cold with frequent heavy snows. For the past few decades heavy snows are more rare and we seem to have a lot of very mild temperatures. So it didn’t seem like we would get a lot of use from a fireplace on the porch.

Well either I’m more sensitive to the cold because of age or the old winters are back. We needed heat, if we were going to use the porch very much this winter. One solution would have been to add acrylic panels to cover the screened openings and add an electric space heater. But that seemed to be too much like turning the porch into another room in the house – we’d lose the charm of the porch. And on the days that are mild we would have to go to the trouble of removing the panels or settle for the greenhouse that was our porch.

So we decided to add a fireplace. They provide heat when needed and do not impact the use of the porch on the milder days or in the summer. Some gas burning models, such as the Stonefire and Sonoma fireplaces, are easy and quick to install and by doing it myself, are an affordable solution.

Some design considerations:

• Floor Load. Fireplaces are generally heavy. A masonry wood or gas fireplace requires a full foundation and cannot be supported by the porch floor. Modular kits are lighter, but still 500 to 1500 pounds. Since most porch floors are designed for a 30-50 PSF live load, the floor may still have to be reinforced.
• Code Approval. Make sure that the fireplace is approved for use in a screened porch. Just because it is an outside fireplace does not mean that it is approved for use on a porch. Approved models will have requirements for clearance as well as ceiling heights and size and type of openings.
• Space. Make sure you have enough room for a fireplace. Many models will project into the room by two feet or more. Will your furniture layout allow for a comfortable distance from the fire?
• Assembly. Fireplaces are heavy and need to be structurally sound to be safe. In addition, if this is going to be a DIY project, the parts have to be able to be assembled by just a few, inexperienced people. Many models can only be installed by a professional.
• Gas Hookup. Leave the hookup to the gas source to a professional. A gas leak is not a good thing.
• Type of Gas. If you are considering a gas fireplace, you need to decide on Liquid Propane (LP) or Natural Gas (NG.) Most log sets burn one or the other and cannot be converted, so you want to find out which is available to you.

We decided on the Stonefire fireplace kit with an LP logset, (http://cottage-outfitters.com/stonefire-outdoor-fireplace.htm ). It is a heavy fireplace and will require some additional floor framing, but it matches our porch style and it is a very efficient unit.

I can’t wait to get it installed and get back to enjoying my porch without having to wear a parka and gloves.

Screened Porch – Why Did I Wait So Long?

Over the past 15 years I have designed and built over 500 screened porches. I have helped develop products and techniques for building better porches and I even wrote a book on the subject. So how many screened porches have I owned? Well up until a few months ago, none!

Twenty-eight years ago my wife and I built the house that we live in now. At that time there was a huge interest in improving home energy efficiency and in capturing solar energy to help heat the home. One of these ideas was to add a sun room on the south side of the house to collect and store heat from the sun. The idea was that by using masonry and other materials you could collect heat during the day and it would slowly be released during the night to help heat the home. As a bonus you had additional finished space to use. So we added a 10’ x 14’ all glass room on our south facing back wall.

Well in theory it sounded like a good idea. In practice it wasn’t so great. First of all, the room was barely useable - way too hot in the summer and way too cold in the winter. There were nice days in the Spring and Fall, but too few to make the room seem worth while. Also have you ever tried to clean a glass roof? We had approximately 145 square feet of glass to clean that was 15+ feet off the ground, not to mention the glass walls. With the fallout from trees and other stuff that falls from the sky it was impossible to keep the glass clean.

So why did we keep it for more than 20 years? Well part of the reason is just the natural resistance to recognize a loss. The room wasn’t cheap and there isn’t much of a market for used sunrooms. Once we decided to replace it with a screened porch there was the problem of getting a crew free long enough to do the job. Fortunately business was very good so I had to keep the carpentry crews working on projects for our customers. So several years past by after we had decided that a screened porch was what we needed.

Finally this past winter we had enough slack in the schedule that we could send a crew out to demo the sunroom and build our first screened porch. Well it took a long time, but the decision was one of the best we have ever made for our home. We love it. I’ve had a number of customers over the years say that a porch becomes the “room of choice” for most family activities. I couldn’t agree more. We eat, relax, read, and visit with guests on our porch. As a matter of fact I’m writing this entry out on the porch with my lap top.

The house, after 28 years, finally feels complete. The porch design is very different from those that I have designed for others – I have done things I have never incorporated in other porches, but I’ll save that for a future entry…….

For more on designing and planning for a screened porch visit our website, www.backyardamerica.com .

Remodeling Surprises

We frequently tell our deck and porch customers that we hate surprises - giving them or receiving them. In remodeling a surprise from the contractor is telling the customer that we found a problem that was not covered by the contract and going to add to the cost. A surprise for the contractor is finding something that is not consistent with the assumptions made when bidding for the project - like a significant price increase for materials.
What are some of the most common surprises with a deck or porch project?
· Bad Soils. In Northern Virginia the soils vary greatly in a relatively small area. We have layers of thick marine clay that will not support a foundation and beds of hard shale that are just below the surface. We also have unstable soils that require footings to be dug more than 8' deep (our normal footing dept is 24".)
· Underground Surprises. Fortunately is doesn't happen very often, but occasionally we find a large buried object that has to be excavated and the hole backfilled before we can construct the footings. Imagine the cost to remove a buried and forgotten oil storage tank. Unmarked utilities fall in this category as well.
· Rot and Insect Damage. The most common rot problem is at the band joist under a door in the existing house. Rain and melted snow gets in under the door sill and eventually rots the floor framing - a fairly expensive repair. Rot in the roof where a new porch roof is to be attached is not as common, but does occur and is usually very expensive.
· Bad Specification, Bad Measurements. There is nothing worse that for the crew to show up to start the project only to find that the salesman measured a wall wrong or failed to note a window that is in the way. Also under this category is misunderstandings between customer and salesman - the customer is expecting something that the salesman did not include.
· Permit Problems. Zoning setbacks and building code issues occasionally stop a project dead in its tracks. These issues, particularly zoning problems, can be some of the most difficult to solve.
So what is the homeowner to do to minimize surprises?
· First make sure you know that your contractor is experienced and qualified. Check references and licensing.
· Make sure you understand the specifications and drawings. Make sure that all of the details that are important to you are in writing as a part of the contract and on the drawings.
· Get a clear understanding of how the contractor handles surprises. For example we have a policy that change order work cannot proceed until we have customer approval for the work and its cost.
· Do not be guilty of wishful thinking. If you suspect a problem with rot or that there may be a problem digging the footings let the contractor know. He can probably do some inexpensive exploratory work to determine if there is a problem and what the solution will cost. Most importantly select a contractor that you trust and have confidence in. To change a common expression: Surprises happen. It is how they are handled that make the difference. Both parties need to work to find a fair solution.