OUTDOOR KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
Grilling Powerhouse. Available in drop-in, slide-in, and freestanding models, the Char-Glo outdoor barbecue offers up to 80,000 Btu of cowabunga under the grill, plus a rotisserie, a broiler, a gourmet smoker tray, and electronic ignition. Unit prices range from $3,000 to $4,400, depending on style and size (30-, 36-, and 48-inch models). Thermador, 800/735-5547, www.thermador.com
Blast the Cold. Frigid-climate clients who spend a small fortune on an outdoor kitchen will freeze their lobster tails all winter long without a Phoenix III Patio Heater. The natural-gas or propane heater produces up to 40,000 Btu and provides a 20-foot-diameter zone of warmth, says the manufacturer. It packs a suggested retail price of $749. DCS, 800/433-8466, www.dcsappliances.com
Backyard Gourmet. If you're starting from scratch, the NPT BBQ Island provides one-stop shopping for modular barbecue island components and proprietary appliances. Island modules can be arranged in countless custom layouts, or you can default to a stock configuration. The galvanized steel framework is clad with precut cement board and can be finished with stucco, porcelain tile, or faux or natural stone or brick. Prices vary according to configuration. National Pool Tile Group, 888/411-8453, www.nptgonline.com
Get Out! Stirring? Frying? Take that spattering mess outdoors where it belongs, over the wok ring option mounted on a Built-in Grill. This comprehensive line of outdoor kitchen components boasts stainless steel construction, commercial styling, and 22,000-Btu burners. Components include grilling and smoking units, refrigerators, ice-makers, refreshment centers with water filtration, and more. Suggested retail prices for individual elements range from $499 to $3,499. KitchenAid, 269/923-5000, www.insideadvantage.com
TILE BACKERS AND SUBSTRATES
Lightweight Backerboard. The 8-pound, cement-faced, completely waterproof ProPannel promises to change the way you feel about cutting and hanging cement backerboard. Concerned about durability? This 3-by-5-foot, 1/2-inch-thick extruded polystyrene panel is rated for light-commercial floor installation, where it can also function as an isolation membrane. The panels retail for about $1.30 per square foot. Bonsal American, 704/525-1621, www.bonsal.com
Quick Work. A double coat of this latex waterproofing and anti-fracture membrane can be applied in a day and prepares shower walls, plywood underlayment, and concrete slabs for vertical and horizontal thinset ceramic tile. Spread D-222 Duraguard with a brush, roller, or trowel to a recommended thickness of 20 to 30 mils; it will bridge cracks and gaps of up to 1/8 inch wide. The product is packaged in 3.5-gallon buckets or in four-packs of one-gallon containers; it's priced and sold by individual distributors. Bostik Findley, 800/726-7845, www.bostik-us.com/products
Two-Part Membrane. If brush-on waterproofing and anti-fracture membranes appeal to you, but you're leery of an unreinforced system, consider the AVM System 700 monolithic waterproofing membrane. The 100 percent acrylic, water-based product roller-applies over a heavy-duty polyester reinforcing fabric to a finished 25-mil thickness. According to the maker, the product adheres exceptionally well to plywood and concrete substrates — and, as a cured membrane, it bonds just as well with thinset. Retail cost runs between $1.20 and $1.45 per square foot. AVM Industries, 888/414-1041, www.waterproofingmaterials.com
Shower Prep System. With the Kerdi-Shower-Kit, you've got everything you need to create a watertight shower assembly without a mortar bed or special backerboard. The kit contains a presloped polystyrene base and entry curb, a proprietary drain system, and a polyethylene waterproof membrane with fleece anchoring on both sides. The membrane can be applied directly over ordinary drywall using thinset adhesive. Full kits sell for $395; individual components can be purchased separately. Schlüter-Systems, 800/472-4588, www.schluter.com
