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Hickory Hardware F404-15 Plate Pewter 1 1/2 Dia. $7.29 Savannah – 1 5/8″ solid brass backplate – satin nickel… |
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Belwith Products P8006-LP Hepplewhite Cabinet Backplate, $2.21 Finish:Lancaster Hand Polished Since 1893, Belwith-Keeler has built a reputation as the world’s premier producer of quality cabinet hardware. The Hepplewhite backplate is available in a beautiful Lancaster Hand Polished finish…. |
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Belwith Products P8169-LP French Provincial Cabinet Backplate, $2.79 Finish:Lancaster Hand Polished, Material*:Alloy The French Provincial collection by Belwith Keeler features skillfully crafted knobs and pulls with detailed floral designs. Available in a beautiful Lancaster Hand Polished finish…. |
Hickory Back Plates!
south sixty five —uncle hickory’s general store
Hickory Back Plates Questions
where to put lava rocks and smoker box inside a gasgrill??
I had never use a gasgrill before, i just bought a char-broil 4 burner, model :463268007 using natural gas hook up to the house. It seems like highest temp i can get is only 250 with all 4 burner set on high for 15 min. but it doesn’t seems to sear the steak within 1 min. i also notice it seems like the area toward the back is hotter while the area closer to the front near the lip is not so hot. I also would like to know what is the right temp to sear the steak and what’s the right temp to cook the steak after searing them. i also bought a smoker box and some hickory chip, and a bag of ceramic, but i am not very sure how to use these stuff, where to put them?is it below the burner or between the burner and grill grate? I ask the sales man from lowes and he doesn’t know how either.
there are 4 triangle metal plate under the grilling grate to prevent the grease dropping on the fire, is that means my model cannot use lava rock? Any advise will be greatly appreciated.
Hello! It sounds like you have four questions all wrapped up into one. I will address each separately:
1.First and most importantly, you express concern about the temperature of your grill. 250 degrees on high after warming up is not an adequate temperature. Assuming your grill is new and in good working order without clogged burners or other problems, I suspect the problem may be that you do not have a sufficient regulator for using natural gas. Natural gas requires a higher rate of flow than liquid propane (LP). This grill normally uses LP so if you are using the regulator that came with the grill you are not getting enough flow of natural gas to reach sufficient heat. You can buy adaptors with the appropriate connectors and regulators for natural gas to convert the grill. I recommend consulting Char-Broil or your local grill specialty store for the correct equipment. I suspect this should solve this problem.
2.Steak should be seared over a very high heat. The goal is to create a nice seared, caramelized surface on the meat quickly. If the grill surface is less than 400-500 degrees it will not sear quickly. How long you cook the steak after searing depends on the level of doneness you prefer. For rare or medium rare, you really don’t need to continue cooking it long after each side is well seared. For more doneness, after searing over high heat you can move the steak to lower indirect heat (with the lid covered ideally) to continue the internal cooking process. This should be brief for medium-rare or medium and longer if you prefer it well cooked throughout.
3.The triangular metal bars over your burners are referred to as “flavorizer bars” by Weber but in fact they do not add any flavor. The lava rocks do not add flavor really either. The purpose of lava rocks or ceramic briquettes is to absorb, hold and emit heat so that the temperature on your grill surface is more even and consistent. Many grills are built with racks to hold these rocks or ceramic briquettes but it sounds like yours does not. You can still use the rocks if there is room to place them on the metal bars above your burners and under your cooking grate and they will stay there. If there is not room or if they will be touching the grill surface I would recommend going without them.
4.Finally, you asked about the smoker box and smoking woods such as hickory chips. The correct place to put the filled smoker box is between the burner and grill grate. Most people recommend soaking the wood chips in water for about 30 minutes prior to putting in the box and in your grill. This helps prevent them from burning quickly so they give off smoke slowly and for a longer period. However, you do not have to soak them if you don’t want to. Also note that most woods, especially if they are soaked, take 10 to 20 minutes to start smoking maximally once you place them on the heat. Therefore, add the smoking box early before you start cooking your food. Also, while cooking, keep the grill lid closed as much as possible to retain the aromatic smoke so that it permeates your food more completely.
I hope all this helps! Good luck with your new grill and happy grilling!
Choosing The Right Wood For Stair Treads
You’ve been going up and down those stairs in your house for years, so it’s tempting to think they’re just the same as they always were. But nothing lasts forever, not even the things we most take for granted. If you’re starting to hear creaks, or seeing cracks in the wood or discoloration, it might be time to change out the treads.
Not to be confused with tire treads, stair treads are the boards across the top of the stair that your feet steps on as you walk up or down. The vertical kick plates between stairs are known as risers, and the saw-tooth shaped pieces supporting the stairs from beneath are stringers. All these pieces need to be fitted tightly together to avoid creaking as the stairs are being used.
If it’s time to address some squeaks, cracks or other stair problems, it’s a great opportunity to increase their beauty as well. Hardwood stairs with a decorative runner can increase the graciousness of your home. Ranging in price to fit any budget, stair treads can be matched to any décor.
Economical Hardwood
• Poplar Stair Treads: Lightweight, and somewhat soft for a hardwood, poplar is fine-grained in white to yellow-brown. It paints well and is easy to cut.
• Beech Stair Treads: Stronger than oak or maple, beech is typically a reddish-brown wood that is fairly straight grained.
• Ash Stair Treads: Quite strong, ash is grayish-brown in color and grows all over USA and Canada.
• Red oak stair treads: Hard, strong, rigid with a pronounced open grain, red oak resists warping. Its reddish color finishes well but is moderately hard to cut.
• Hickory Stair Treads: Very strong, hickory is known for its distinctive look and sharp contrast in light and dark color.
Mid-priced Hardwood
• White Oak Stair Treads: Hard, strong, white oak is open-grained, but not as pronounced as red oak. It resists shrinking and warping, has a golden color, and finishes well.
• Hard Maple Stair Treads: Extremely hard, hard maple pieces with bird’s-eye or wavy grains are highly prized. Its color ranges from reddish to nearly white in color, and it finishes well.
• Cherry Stair Treads: The beautiful markings in cherry have long fascinated woodworkers. The heartwood varies from light brown to a reddish brown and will gradually darken over time with exposure to light.
• Walnut Stair Treads: Hard, heavy, extra strong with a fairly pronounced, straight grain, walnut resists warping and shrinking. It is light to dark brown in color and finishes well.
Luxury Hardwood
• Mahogany Stair Treads: Durable and fine-grained, mahogany resists shrinking, warping, and swelling. It finishes well and is easy to cut.
• Birch Stair Treads: Hard, strong and fine-grained, birch resists shrinking and warping. It is similar in color to maple and finishes fairly well.
Some other issues to consider in choosing your stair treads:
Diversity: If you want your home to have a unique flair, try hickory, cherry, walnut, white oak, or maple for your stair treads. Go to flooring retailers or search the Internet to compare and contrast.
Prefinished: Order your stair treads prefinished, and you won’t have to deal with having to stay away from the stairs for a few days while the finish seals. Factory finished pieces can generally be installed in one day with very little mess. Also, prefinished pieces can move independently with humidity changes in your home. This decreases the risk of seasonal separations that cause those creaks.
Color: Some species of flooring are so beautiful in their natural color, they do not require any added color. Compare hickory, cherry or walnut stair treads to get a sense of the possibilities.
Texture: Hardwoods do not have to be smooth. Hand scraped, distressed and reclaimed pieces are becoming more and more available. These pieces have a classic look and add great value to upscale homes.
Turn those irritating squeaks into an occasion for more beauty with restored stair treads. The “ups and downs” in your life will suddenly become a lot better!
About the Author
Read about bird lice and bird seed storage at the Beautiful Bird website.
