Charcoal Weber on Deck?

[Kylersk]

Should I be concerned with using my weber on our deck?

[bottomdweller]

I once had a hot coal pop through the vent and put a nice burn mark in my deck. Went to gas after that.

[Powerstroke]

In a private residence there isn't much that could be done, but in multi unit housing like apartments and townhomes its against fire codes. Its pretty dangerous if left unattended, but I guess if you were attentive and kept an extinguisher nearby you can watch for any hazards.

The problem comes with trying to grill this time of year and during the winter. People go back inside to keep warm and don't watch the grill. A coal falls onto the deck/patio and smolders. You don't notice it untill there are flames.

I've been on the fire dept in Eden Prairie for about 18months and we've had 2 or 3 fires like this in the time I've been here. Most of the rest were from careless smokers on the deck or patio.

[Kylersk]

Thanks for the replies..

I'm wondering if putting some sort of flame retardant material under the weber would help? Maybe brick pavers or something?

[MJCatfish]

That's a good idea to have something underneath this is fire proof. My wife still reminds me of the time I was cooking a turkey on a charcoal grill on our brand new deck on our brand new house. I went inside to watch a little football and came out to see a nice hole burning through the deck. It was quite a house warming gift that it didn't start on fire. I'm still counting my lucky stars on that one.

MJ

[delcecchi]

Not if you put a mat under it, and keep an eye on it until out. Guy a block over from me burnt his house half down by leaving the grill on the deck and going to bed. Deck, then house caught on fire. So that is the other side.

I think I would have to have a real reason to do so.

[hitthebricks]

A sheet or two of 3'x5' hardy board that they use for tile underlayment would help alot for protection. HTB

[Surface Tension]

My first apartment was gutted and newly remodeled just before I moved in.

A spark from a charcoal grill set the whole house on fire.

Thats why it was remodeled.

I wonder if some screen in the inside over the intake vents would help?

[Black_Bay]

Menard's has a mat that you put under grills. We've got one at the cabin and it works just fine.

[hanson]

Fire Department was called to the apartment complex twice when I was living there.

-The one time happened to be a kitchen fire at 2am when a guy got back from the bar drunk and decided to cook something. Fire dept was running up and down the halls pounding on doors and actually knocking all the doors in on the apartments relatively near the fire to make sure it hadn't spread. We couldn't get back in until 5 or 6 in the morning. It wasn't fun camped out in my truck in the middle of the winter.

-Second time was a third story wood balcony caught on fire because of a charcoal grill. The grill should not have been there but it started the deck on fire and spread pretty quickly.

[BLACKJACK]

I don't use my Weber on my wooden cedar deck!!! No way! I've seen how fast dry cedar burns. I do my charcoal grilling on my cement driveway slab. Even if you put one of those fire retardent sheets under it, on a windy day, that hot coal will slither right off onto your deck...

[Kylersk]

Thanks BlackJack, That's what I'm leaning towards as well.