Anyone have suggestions to protect composite deck from wayward coals

I use a piece of sheet metal, about 3.5' x 3.5' under my WSM. The WSM is unlikely to spill coals unless I have to add charcoal mid-cook, but I have a wood deck, so I'm not taking any chances. I also keep a jug of water handy just in case.

I would ask the place that you got the deck material from what you can put down to prevent grill mat discoloring

Charcoal grill on a deck = burned deck. Just a matter of time.

Joshw said:

Charcoal grill on a deck = burned deck. Just a matter of time.

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I kept my kettles on my wood deck for over 20 years without incident and scoffed at this statement............................:blah:


...........until I set my deck on fire one night with an unseen piece of stray charcoal. I went to bed early. Thankfully, my wife noticed it when she turned the light out to go to bed. Several deck boards and one joist were already burned through and the fire was working its way through the deck boards. I managed to put it out with a garden hose and spent the night hosing it down to keep it from reigniting. If she would not have seen it, I probably would have burned my house down.

My cookers live on a concrete pad now next to the house. :-D

Been cooking on my deck for over 30 years and only lost 2 boards in that time and that was because of 20 degrees, 30 mph winds blowing fire out of one vent in my WSM, and a burned moving blanket. I use welding blankets now.

I dont have a deck but if discoloration is a problem you might try a piece of clear Plexiglass under the cooker.

I use a fireproof mat under my grills and have never had any fire problems with my deck in 17 years.

I thought that deck material now was a cement based product.

I went to a Napa Auto Parts store and purchased to quality oil drip pans/sheets. Well made and of good quality - no problems and it's year 3. I put them down when cooking and pick up next morning.
Good luck!

Lone Star Grillz sells fireproof mats, the link is for the large size they also sell a smaller size.

https://lonestargrillz.com/collections/accessories/products/fireproof-grilling-mat-large-60w-x-30h

I don't have the problem but I wonder if WonderBoard would work. It's a cement underlayment for tile. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-...-3-ft-x-7-16-in-Backer-Board-GCB60L/203689282

I don't know how rugged it would be if it was regularly walked on, but to just sit under a cooker it might be a cheap and effective solution. You could paint it, too, although if a coal did fall on it the paint film would be damaged.

It's cheap enough that a failed experiment wouldn't hurt much. Maybe someone familiar with the stuff could comment.

Home Depot sells a 3X3 ft thin aluminum sheet for around $20. Been using it under my 26 kettle. Before that I had made a frame to hold 4 20X20 ceramic tiles.

airedale said:

I don't have the problem but I wonder if WonderBoard would work. It's a cement underlayment for tile. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-...-3-ft-x-7-16-in-Backer-Board-GCB60L/203689282

I don't know how rugged it would be if it was regularly walked on, but to just sit under a cooker it might be a cheap and effective solution. You could paint it, too, although if a coal did fall on it the paint film would be damaged.

It's cheap enough that a failed experiment wouldn't hurt much. Maybe someone familiar with the stuff could comment.

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It's moisture proof too, you can get it 1/4" thick in 3'x5' sheets. About $5.00 a piece.

Just to repeat the importance in case some of you ignored it or missed it.......

Decks, wood or composite, are just waiting to burn your house down with a stray lit coal or two from a cooker. No mat or cover will ensure protection. Charcoal cookers do not belong on wood or composite decks at all!

Keep charcoal cookers off of your deck.

Mark my words......It's your house, your risk........are you that sure?

I would use Hardie Backer as a base. 1/2 sheet.

Composite Deck Materials

If you have any scrap decking material, put it into a burn pit and see what happens. I would be very curious. I'm sure composite materials vary by company and maybe they have changed since I build my deck but my PK and smokers will never, ever be on my deck. Here is my experience.

About 8 years ago after building our beautiful composite deck I was burning off some scrap materials and put some of the composite decking into the fire. It popped and sizzled and let out little shoots of green and blue flame as the fire danced along the surface. It was entertaining. I put the fire out with a hose after several hours of burning and went to bed.

I woke up in the middle of the night to the smell of smoke (windows were open). I looked out and there was a small fire burning in the burn pit, one with little green and blue flames dancing all around. I went out and soaked the fire pit again. In the morning the fire was back and I repeated the process. It ended up taking me 2 days to stop the watermelon sized lump of composite decking to stop burning. It was a bit scary.

Just my experience, YMMV, but I shudder to think what would happen if an errant piece of burning charcoal hit this deck unnoticed.

I would be very interested to hear from other who have tried to burn composite decking. I don't recall what the brand of the material is, but we purchased it at Lowes.

Patio Pavers...


Aluminum sheets...

Definitely recommend pavers! I have them under my WSM and as a place to set my charcoal chimney after pouring in the coals and my WSM lid when I'm spritzing.

Smoking Piney said:

Just to repeat the importance in case some of you ignored it or missed it.......

Decks, wood or composite, are just waiting to burn your house down with a stray lit coal or two from a cooker. No mat or cover will ensure protection. Charcoal cookers do not belong on wood or composite decks at all!

Keep charcoal cookers off of your deck.

Mark my words......It's your house, your risk........are you that sure?

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I have personally been one of the guys who shows up in the big red fire engine (many, many times) attending to a distraught family's deck, garage and even home that was set alight by a "harmless" charcoal grill or smoker on a deck. Hearing the story of how it never should have happened because they had the grill on a mat or pad of fireproof material sounds pretty weak when looking at a burned house with the memories, hopes, and dreams of the inhabitants utterly destroyed by the tragedy that a house fire brings. An old drill sergeant in Basic Training taught me two sayings that stuck with me through the years - "Don't Do Stupid ****" & "Stay Alert, Stay Alive".

Stay Safe Out There!