Our little barbecue had seen better days.  We got it as a wedding present seven years ago.  It served us well, but over the last year, it had seriously deteriorated.  Only one side of the burner was working because the other half had rusted out.  The plastic side trays were sun bleached and covered in grease, and the front and bottom trays were full of rust.  We were set on buying a new one.

Then we realized that we had fallen into the disposable mindset of our modern day consumer culture.  If something doesn’t work, don’t fix it; throw it away and buy a new one.  People told us that it would cost more to fix our barbecue than to buy a new one.

Challenge accepted.

Step 1 – Replace the burner.  

We went to Home Depot for the parts, and the first burner we bought was defective.  As soon as we lit it, it twisted and warped.  We were disheartened, but not discouraged.  We got another one at Canadian Tire, a bit higher quality, and it works just fine.  It’s so nice to have even heat again!

Cost = $50

Step 2 – Replace the heat shield.

This was also rusted out.  Apparently, this protects the burner from the fat drippings, which in turn cause the burner to rust out.  Had we replaced this a few years ago, we might have saved our burner.  Live and learn.

Cost = $50

Step 3 – Paint the front and bottom trays.

Pffft!  Easy, peasy.  If there’s one home repair that I’m really good at, it’s spray painting things.  Got a can of Flat Black Tremclad spray paint.

Cost = $7

Step 4 – Clean and paint the plastic side trays

Done and done.  Rustoleum All Surface Spray paint in Flat Black.  I love spray painting. It’s just so darn satisfying.

Cost = $9

Step 5 – Put it all back together and admire your handiwork

Step 6 – Grill some really good steak for supper

Cold smoked rib eye steak from The Bulk Cheese Warehouse.  Yum. Thank you, Cow.

Total cost of the Ultimate BBQ Refurbishment = $116

You cannot buy a new gas grill barbecue for $116.

We win! And so does the landfill!

The only other thing we could have done was spray paint the actual body of the barbecue itself.  When I was buying the spray paint, I noticed they have one specifically for high heat surfaces, such as barbecues or wood stoves.  Ours is still in decent shape, but I might try this in the next few years if it starts to rust.

Happy Victoria Day!  Enjoy the long weekend.