… but didn’t, thank god.
Here’s what happened. A cinder jumped out of the grill onto the 2nd story deck, burned through the indoor/outdoor carpeting, through the rubber underlayment, through the decking, and scorched the 2x before extinguishing itself — all while I chowed down on a delicious hamburger inside.
I’d like to keep the grill on the deck. Anyone have any ideas how I can still grill up there without burning the place down?
Replies
I've seen pads you can buy to set the grill on. A variation on the pad you buy to set a wood stove on.
jt8
My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate-- Thornton Wilder
Put some patio stones on the deck? Heavy though. Sheet of AL diamond plate?
Similar story: when living in the apartments some guy (not me) started his grill on the deck, passed out and it somehow ignited the decking. Burned pretty slow unitl it hit the vinyl siding. Melted the siding onthe adj building, nearly igniting that one too. Glad your's didn't turn out that way.
If the deck is fairly level, use some cheap ceramic tile under the grill, nail some edging around the area to hold the tile in place. Lighter than pavers.
Joey,
I used to work for a developer of low-income housing. After a tenant with a charcoal hibachi caused a fire on a wooden deck, the management company inserted a clause into the lease: no barbecues on wooden decks. Period. It's just too dangerous.
A sheet of drywall works pretty good. You can base a soluting on that.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it's because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
How about putting the grill in the middle of a 4'X6' steel mixing box, filled with water.
That's only if you really want to BBQ on the deck. ;-)
bring it indoors where you can keep an eye on it....
opening all the windows isn't an option....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Had something similar happen to a clients house. Second story deck had a planter sitting on the railing. Tenant put a cigarette out put the butt in the planter. it smoldered for hours. planter caught fire, plastic started burning, planter fell like medieval fire ball from a catapult. When it fell it splattered on to a nice thick bed of pine needles. Which then spread to the lower deck. Then the side of the house started up cracking a half of a two story window. No one was home a neighbor caught it in time.
Forget the pad get a gas grill or a electric grill. I forget the rule but my local fire dept says no charcoal on second floor decks /balconies, bottle gas is allowed in no more then 1 gal tanks after a certain height, two or three stories i think
Wallyo
Edited 5/19/2008 11:36 am ET by wallyo
Edited 5/19/2008 12:46 pm ET by wallyo
In our city it's against an ordiance to grill, (gas, charcoal, ect...), within 10' of the house. Deck or no deck!
Just for that reason!
Also saves a lot of vynial siding
I understand the law, I would think it's a pretty hard law to enforce though.
Our local fire code forbids grills with in 10 ft of a structure or on a wood deck in multi-family, but nothing for single family residential.
I would have to check, maybe ours is like yours for multi fam only. We have a lot of appartment building and that was what it was geared for.
A lot of ords are hard to enforce or police, I guess cities try to have a ord. for every thing.
I had some Andersen combo storm windows behind my gas grill, made the internal plastic part funky!!!
Also saves a lot of vynial siding
You say that like it was a good thing....
View Image
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
Just how hot DOES the sun get in that neighborhood, anyway?
BruceT
You have to keep in mind< I am in Michigan!!! Here it's the norm to take a beautiful brick house and fill it in with vynial!!!
Didn't say it was good, but it's done all the time!!
Maybe it's a regional thing, but here a homeowner thinks they are in the big time when they spend $75.00 a sq for vynial, not the $50.00 stuff.
$50 per SF for vinyl????
What the hell do they put in the water up there?
I bill 1x8 #1&2 red cedar shiplap at a buck seventy-six per linear foot. And it sure doesn't cost me $48.24 to install 18 linear inches of the stuff.
Total effing insanity. I oughta come down there for a coupla weeks so I could pay off my mortage, my ex, and my new truck.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
Dino,
He said $75.00 a sq not sq ft.
.
Correct, Dino, to some homeowners, $75.00 a SQ is high price stuff. That's just the material @ homecheapo
OOOOOpppps. Heh, heh, heh.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
I like that picture. Sort of a "What would have happened if Salvadore had chosen construction for his vocation"
There's a thot....
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
Your tag photo made me realize how that vinyl must have melted. The neighbors had a fire burn their house down and the radiant heat from it was more than it could tolerate.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
No kidding! I can't leave it up on my screen for fear of sunburn.
You guessed right. The house across the street went up and the heat from the fire did that to the vinyl in the photo. Frightening when you think about it....
I got that pic from Dan Morrison at the mag. Somebody sent it to him as a gag after Mike Guertin's infamous article on how to install vinyl siding.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
Lord Almighty! How did that come about?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
The only worse thing than vinyl siding is black, burning, toxic vinyl siding.
What my firefighting instructor lo these many years ago used to call 'methyl-ethyl-badshït'....
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
I use a 4X4 piece of cement board under my smoker and grill. I also try to keep th lid on the grill when I'm not around.
I'm really glad to hear it turned out OK.
Scott.
Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
Hey, thanks all for your funny responses and good ideas alike.
Joey serious, you may want to look into what your fire dept says the rules are, should a fire happen it may give the insurance company an out on paying a claim. Negligence, against FD rules, not watching the grill, grilling then leaving. If they will not pay people in New Orleans because the flooding caused by the leevy breaking think of the up hill battle you may have.Wallyo
They aren't paying some claims in NO because they where flooded and they did not have flood insurance. Now it can and is being argued which claims or part of claims where caused by flooding and which by hurriance damage.But all insurance covers fires. And unless they have reason to believe that it was delibertly set I have not seen any policy that same anything about having to obey any fire department rules.As one insurace underwriter told me they insure against stupidity..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Bill I realize that the insurance pay outs were not made in N O because of flooding. hurricane came, filled the lake and river, leeve broke flood happen. But there would of been no flood if there was no hurricane. My only point was that insurance companies are looking for any out not to Pay or drop you period. If an claims adjuster can find in code where it says no charcoal grills are not allowed on wooden decks due to local code you can be sure it will be a uphill battle to get them to pay or they will pay then drop you.One triplex that I manage Part time for an out of state owner had a roof that needed replacement, it did not leak , there were three layers on roofing on it, it looked real bad, but it did not leak. The insurance company sent the owner a letter saying he had 30 days, may of been a bit more to replace the roof, or his coverage would be dropped.
The owner dropped them first and went to another company who had no problem with the roof that was over 5 years ago we just replaced it last fall, it still did not leak. By the way he had never filed a claim for anything with themSo my advice was meant to be cautionary, would he be denied coverage, probably not, but why take a chance. A wooden deck is no place for a charcoal barbecue period. The companies are looking for every reason not to pay why not just more the thing yet everyone is coming up with ways to leave it on the deck. Number cause of fires on Thanksgiving deep fat friers and turkeys. Yet people still use those things under the eaves and in garages. Wallyo
I've always used a metal catch pan underneathe. Not just cinders, but flaming grease/oil dripping off good meat can burn or stain the deck.
Don't forget to keep that grill out well away from the vinyl siding too.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Replace all the decking with ipe. It's quite hard to burn that stuff.
Well, after I had a huge flare up on an old gas grill slow cooking some really fatty ribs, I never leave the grill unattended. It doesn't matter what material you put underneath, an unattended grill can catch fire in way too manys for you to bulletproof.
If you are cooking, stay at the grill. If you are done cooking, cover the grill.
I've decided to move the grill to the concrete patio on the ground level. I may consider the ipe or other noncombustible underpan ideas for the future, but the prospect of invalidating my fire insurance is something I hadn't thought of and really gives me pause.
Thanks again everyone.
are you under the wood deck....
tif you are .....
there's more to give you pause....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
How about a metal oil drip pan from an auto parts store?
http://www.weber.com/grills/?glid=5&mid=24
This one won't let the hot coals fall out, easy to clean too
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it's because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
I'd never thought of it, but that sort of grill probably would contain the coals better. I've never been tempted though because it doesn't look like you can get the meat close to the coals the way I like for searing.
I think you might be surprised at just how often this same thing happens! Well not exactly like your situation but the grill to close to the sturcture, melts the vinyl, catches the deck/house on fire.......... happens all the time.
Doug
For just this reason, NJ is going to require sprinker heads to cover balcony construction in multiple-family dwellings.
Jeff
A sheet of tile hacker board would work great.