The next big project for the house now that the stairs are done will be an outdoor project. We are in the process of narrowing down several different bids we have received for a new outdoor living space.

Like the stairs, there is nothing wrong with the current space. This a shot from last summer of our current patio.

Everything is nice and in great shape and not too much and not too little. But in our list of wishes, we wish we had a fireplace to sit around on those evenings when the sun has gone down and with it, the temperature. We have a fire pit closer to the water where we drag our chairs and a tray of smore fixins, but not a fireplace with an actual chimney that has a welcoming seating area around it.

So we are looking at designs and dollars to see how far our wishes will come true.

In the meantime, I shined everything up that had been stored for the winter and noticed the grill needed a little TLC.

Our grill is about 5-6 years old and has an attitude about when it wants to light, but other than that, it heats up and gets the grilling job done.

The bottom doors have faded 10 times faster than the grill lid. If you are wondering what that white blob is underneath the dials, the doors no longer held shut so Wade slapped a white magnetic sheet on there to keep the doors closed.

So, so classy.

But cudo’s to Wade for thinking outside the box and finding a temporary solution.

When I was in town I swung by Home Depot and bought a can of Rust-oleum High Heat Ultra in a galvanized gray color.

I have used this product before and know that it is true to its name. As the spray can says it resists heat up to 1200 degrees. I am admittingly not the greatest griller in the world but even I know that a grill doesn’t get anything near 1200 degrees.

This will be perfect.

I removed the doors and handles and washed the winter dirt from both sides. After that, I let them dry in the sunshine while I set up my work station in the garage.

For me the key to spray painting is to use several light coats. Spraying each coat from 5-6 inches away and letting each layer dry for about 15 minutes creates a nice even coverage.

Covering red with gray took 4 thin coats. Each project will be different and depend up what color you are using and what color you are covering up.

Leaving the final coat to dry for a couple of hours, it was now a matter of replacing the handles and returning the doors to the front of the grill.

And now the best part of any project, seeing the before and after.

Amazing what a $3.96 can of spray paint can do!

For those of you that like a tool list:

• Screwdriver
• Spray paint

Cheers to grilling and a great weekend everyone!

Wendy