Grill fires are a leading cause of house fire and property damage in the United States. The summer season, when grilling is most popular, also has an increased risk for grill-related home fires. Whether you’re at a party or just cooking out on your deck by yourself, it’s important to take precautions to prevent accidents. Follow these easy tips from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to help protect against accidental fires:
- Keep children away from hot surfaces such as grills and ovens; they should never be left unsupervised near any cooking area •Never leave food unattended while it is cooking on a grill—especially during peak times like holidays and weekends •Always keep anything that could catch fire.
How to secure a grill from wind
At this time of year, many homeowners are excited to start grilling. This is a great way to enjoy warm weather and delicious food with friends and family. However, if you’re not careful, your grill can be taken down by the wind! If your grill is in an open space or on a deck that isn’t raised off the ground, it’s best to either put up some sort of barrier around the area or invest in a secure cover for protection. The blog post will share tips on how to secure a grill from wind so you can have more successful cookouts!
Table of Contents
Place a brick on the grill to make it more stable
Wind is often problematic in outdoor cooking. A grill that isn’t properly secured can end up blowing all over the place, disrupting whatever you’re cooking and even knocking it down entirely.
It’s an unfortunate fact that windy days can be hazardous to your grill. Here are some tips on how to secure a grill from wind and keep it in perfect condition for grilling year-round.
How To Secure A Grill From Wind:
1.1 Place a brick or some other heavy object on top of the grill to weigh it down and make it more stable.
1.2 Take out the propane tank (if applicable) before using any type of heat source . The wind can easily blow an open flame around when there’s propane in the grill , increasing the likelihood of fire danger.
1.3 Clean your grates thoroughly after weathering windy conditions so you don’t get any ash or dust on your food . This will also allow for better contact with the grill and actually improve your cooking.
1.4 Avoid hanging items from your grill . This makes it more likely to be blown around by wind, which can lead to a mess on the ground or even injury if things get carried away.
1.5 Be aware of what direction you’re grilling in, especially if you have a lean . If you place yourself against the wind , there’s a higher chance of food being pushed off a plate or platter and onto the ground, where it could cause a fire hazard. How To Secure A Grill From Wind
1.6 Keep an eye on things during cooking . If something starts flying around or gets flipped over by the wind, turn down the heat immediately and close the lid to keep your food from flying off.
1.7 Use a grill cover . This is especially important during windy conditions, as it provides an extra layer of protection for your equipment. A loose grate can fly out and away if not secured by a protective cover. How To Secure A Grill From Wind
1.8 Invest in a quality stand or cart . These usually have more weight to them, which helps to avoid being blown over, and many include shelves where you can place additional items to prevent them from falling toward the ground.
1.9 Place heavier items on bottom shelves and lighter things toward the top . Weight plays a major role in how much pressure is placed on each shelf , so placing heavy objects near the backbone reduces potential spillage since it’ll be harder for the wind to push the grill around.
1.10 Bring a clamp or rope with you before heading out to your next outdoor cookout . If something comes loose, this will help secure it back in place so that it doesn’t end up getting lost or creating a fire hazard. How To Secure A Grill From Wind.
1.11 Batten down the hatches . If you’re expecting extremely high winds, use extra caution and make sure everything is tied down securely before continuing your grilling session.
1.12 Look into purchasing a stronger model of grill that can handle weathering strong wind better than lower quality equipment . There’s no way of knowing how rough conditions might get between when you’re shopping and when you’re actually going to use the grill, so consider a more expensive option that can handle stronger gusts of wind.
1.13 If all else fails, pack up and head inside . Nothing is worse than fighting against a windstorm when you’re trying to cook outside , and your safety comes first over impressing friends or family members. How To Secure A Grill From Wind.
1.14 In addition to these tips on how to secure a grill from wind , it’s also important to be aware of the weather conditions before heading out for any barbecuing session. Carry an umbrella with you if rain is in the forecast, bring extra sunscreen if it’s going to be really hot out or dress in layers if the temperature suddenly drops during your party.
You may like this: Top 7 Best 4 Burner Gas Grill
Make sure your grill is away from trees and fences
As summer approaches and the weather gets warmer, many people will be relishing the opportunity to dine outside more often. However, as we all know, barbecuing isn’t always a clean-cut process. Often times greasy liquids drip onto burning embers which can then scatter onto lawns or decks.
This year it’s best not to take chances with a greasy fire damaging your property. If you’re planning on eating outdoors regularly this summer, make sure your grill is at least 10 feet away from trees and fences. It takes about four minutes for hot carbon particles ejected by a grill fire to cool enough to touch once they hit something such as leaves or grass. That’s plenty of time for particles to cause damage if they’re in contact with tree foliage or fence slats.
For trees it’s best to place your grill at least 10 feet from the trunk to prevent damage from burning embers, which can cause singeing and even ignite a fire in dry weather when leaves are flammable. This is especially important if you have a young sapling because young trees have thin bark that is easily damaged by fire. For taller trees, move farther away from the canopy because high temperatures will kill them more quickly than low-level heat. Also keep in mind that wet leaves provide additional protection against heat so dump any water out of your pails of marinated meat before each use.
When using your barbecue on wooden decks or patios remember that hot charcoal can easily burn the surface and create a smoldering fire that produces dangerous fumes. When disposing of ashes, be sure to use a metal container and cover it securely so sparks don’t fly out onto combustible surfaces such as leaves or grass. If you have an attached wooden deck or porch, enclose your barbecue area with fireproof wood panels.
Landscapers often use lawn sprinklers to protect trees from drought, but those same sprinklers can actually cause damage to trees if they’re placed too close because high-pressure water can strip bark from branches and even split a tree’s trunk. Check with your local nursery for more information on how far away you should place these devices from trees in your yard.
How to secure a grill from wind? If you haven’t yet purchased a barbecue, keep in mind that electric and propane-fueled models produce far fewer sparks than charcoal grills. So if safety is your concern, consider an alternative to the standard grill.
And remember: give your fire a wide berth by using a sturdy metal or cement surface at least 10 feet away from combustible objects such as trees, fences and wooden decks. This will ensure you can cook outside safely without worry of damage to yourself or property.
Cover the grill with a tarp during storms or high winds
Split cooking in the winter months has helped many grillmasters survive in this economy. However, high winds can wreak havoc on your split cooking set up.
How to secure a grill from wind? Here are some quick tips on how you too, can keep your grill safe and sound in the face of Mother Nature’s wrath.
Fire Extinguisher
Nothing ruins a cookout more than having 6 lbs of charcoal blow across your deck and spray flaming coals all over the place. I’m not saying that it’s going to happen, but I am saying that fire extinguishers are good for grilling purposes only- especially if your grill is next to your patio furniture. Another tip, keep an eye on wind direction when starting fires with lighter fluid .
Weather Protection
If a tarp over the grill isn’t enough to convince you that weathering storms is a necessity then consider your grilling equipment. Grates can rust if exposed to rain and then left to sit, especially stainless steel. Wipe down any exposed metal on your equipment as soon as the storm passes. Don’t forget about propane tanks- they can explode if damaged by moisture so keep those covered too!
Tarp Usage Tips
Packing tarps away during summer months can be a pain so it’s best to store them in areas where you will need them most: next to the grill and near tools and hose bibs for quick access during rain or snow events. Helpful hint: do not place tarp directly on hot grates. I have done this and it just about ruined the tarp as well as those expensive grates underneath.
How to secure a grill from wind? The best way to protect your grill from wind is with a tarp.
Plastic Storage Boxes
Protect your plastic storage boxes from rain with a large trash bag, then store them where they won’t blow away under a shelter or close to the grill so you can cover the grill with one hand while protecting other equipment in the other. I often set up my split cooking area next to a concrete wall so that I can use the wall as an anchor for my other supplies/tables covered by tarps.
Outdoor Appliances
Outdoor appliances such as blenders, crock pots, etc., don’t fare well in the rain so store them under your shelter until the storm passes. If you do take one out during a rainstorm, bring an umbrella or poncho to shield the appliance from moisture and return it to its safe place when finished.
Refrigerator/Freezer
If you live somewhere that gets snow, keep your fridge and freezer covered with tarps. Snow and water damage voids most warranties and causes expensive repairs. If you don’t need to access your grill for more than 30 minutes at a time then bringing the refrigerator next to the grill makes sense; no need for an ice maker if you can get ice at home… right?
Hope this helps make grilling in the rain easier.
Use bricks or cinder blocks to weigh down any side of the tarp that may blow up in the wind
Two years ago I had a very large tarp covering my grill and patio. At one point, we had a huge gust of wind and the tarp ended up by our pool that wasn’t covered by bricks or cinder-blocks. I almost lost the grill to the pool; fortunately, we were able to jump into action and secure it before any damage was done. How to secure a grill from wind?
What causes this?
The air pressure underneath the plastic is much higher than on top of it: this difference in pressure causes strong winds to lift up sections of your tarp. This creates an opening for rain—or worse, hail—to blow underneath your cover as well as leaving open space where bugs can crawl underneath! The hard surfaces surrounding your grill (concrete, brick, cinder-blocks) keep the air pressure equalized so no winds are strong enough to lift up your tarp.
What can I do about this?
All you have to do is place one or more hard surfaces around the edge of your cover. If there are any sections without a hard surface surrounding it, then simply weight it down with something heavy. These objects won’t actually be holding the tarp down but rather just pressing against it so that wind doesn’t have room to lift it up. You can use anything really— old cinder-blocks, bricks , even rocks will work! Just stack them evenly around the edges/seams of your grill cover and make sure they aren’t in direct contact with each other.
To prevent the tarp from sliding, you can nail down any side that is sticking up. If your tarp is large enough, you may not even need to use bricks or cinder-blocks—you can just stack some patio stones around it! Just make sure not to place the rocks too close together so that there isn’t room able movement of the tarp .
One thing to note though: make sure you don’t have anything flammable underneath your tarp or grill cover! A good example of this was my experience last year where I actually caught my patio on fire because I left a box of matches under my grill cover overnight…
This is important for all types of covers but especially if they are going to be in a windy area or exposed to the elements.
How to secure a grill from wind? If you have any questions, please leave a comment! I hope this has been helpful for you and if so, please share it with your friends! Thank you!
When possible, store your grill inside when not in use
The main thing to do in order to secure a grill from wind is to store your grill indoors when you are not using it. If the area where you live has a very small amount of wind, or none at all, then the only real thing that needs doing before grilling is making sure that the propane tank has enough gas in it for an extended amount of time.
There are many things that can happen with grills that cause them to get destroyed or just break around their hinges and joints. One such problem is dragging them across pavement or dirt, which can result in scratches on paint and scuffs on metal. Another common problem is storing the grill somewhere under tree cover when leaves start falling off in early autumn, and heavy snowfall accumulates around the grill over the winter, which can all lead to rusting of metal joints and hinges.
A helpful tip to prevent this from happening is to clean up after yourself when cooking with your grill. After you are done with it for that day, make sure that you thoroughly brush or scrape off any excess food particles before storing the grill away. It is best if you have a garage where you store your grill so that leaves cannot get stuck between gas tanks and electronic components inside, but if there are no garages available, then covering the lid tightly will keep any leaves out. If grills are left outside exposed to rain or snowfall, there is a chance that ice can accumulate on top of them, which could not only damage the cooking surface, but also cause the grill itself to malfunction.
How to secure a grill from wind? When grills are not in use, it is best to store them away inside where they will be protected from all of these problems. Storing a grill for an extended period of time is not hard at all since most grills can easily fold up or lie flat on their sides with ease. When storing your grill indoors for a long period of time, make sure that there is enough room in front of and behind the area where you put it so that when you move the grill later on down the line, you do not bang into anything whatsoever. Also ensure that there are no flammable objects near by such as curtains or loose papers which could catch fire if they were to come in contact with the grill’s open flame.
If you do not have a garage to store your grill indoors, then there are still options available for you which will help keep your grill safe and secure under certain conditions. If it is winter time when you want to store your grill, make sure that you cover the lid tightly with either plastic or some sort of material which will protect it from water damage if any precipitation accumulates on top of it during this period of time. Another helpful tip would be to create an enclosure around the grill using bricks or old books so that wind cannot blow into the open flames.
During other seasons besides winter, if you do not have a garage, covering the gas tanks with a waterproof material such as a garbage bag would help prevent them from rusting since they are exposed to the elements when outside. If there is no other option besides storing your grill in a place where it will be exposed to wind, make sure that you have another form of security in case too much debris collects around the grill and tips it over or blows into an open flame.
How to secure a grill from wind? The reason why many people keep their grills outside all year round is because they find covering a large object like this hard to do if their house has limited storage space inside. If this is the case for you, smaller portable propane grills can be used indoors without taking up much room at all. When purchasing one of these types of grills, there are ones with foldable stands which will make them very easy to store away when they are not needed. These grills are also convenient because you can take them along with you camping, tailgating or picnicking if there is nothing available for cooking except an open flame. No matter what kind of grill you have at home though, always make sure that it is securely stored somewhere where it won’t be affected by weather or other problems whenever possible.
Read more: Top 7 Best Smokers for Beginners 2022
If you do have an outdoor kitchen, purchase vents for stove exhaust so they are out of reach from children and pets
This is a reminder to purchase stove vents for your outdoor kitchen. The vents should be placed so they are out of reach from children and pets, as cooking fumes from the outdoor stove can poison them. If you have an outdoor kitchen already but it is not equipped with a vent, please remember that it can pose a danger to those around if a gas leak happens and catches fire.
Outdoor cooking has become very popular in recent years, with more people installing barbecues or other types of stoves in their backyards. In fact, there’s been quite a boom in restaurant establishments serving all sorts of cuisine cooked on different styles of grills as well as small portable kitchens set up on wheels. But many people are not aware of the potential dangers these cooking appliances pose, particularly if they are not installed properly.
Stoves are shipped with a small, low-level gas burner that is used to simply test the stove when it’s turned on. If you’re planning to use your outdoor cooker for cooking, always make sure that the stove has been properly installed by professionals who know what they are doing. If you have an existing outdoor kitchen without any ventilation equipment, make sure to purchase them right away before using your outdoor stove.
How to secure a grill from wind? And even if the fire is well contained in your grill or barbecue, smoke still rises up in the air and can be carried by winds into neighbouring homes or apartments. It may not cause any serious problems in most cases but if there’s a gas leak while you’re cooking, then this becomes something very dangerous. You don’t want a situation where you’re grilling some burgers and the next thing you know you have an explosion at your backyard.
So always make sure that your outdoor cooking stalls are properly ventilated, particularly the ones that use propane or natural gas as fuel. It is not safe to allow these fumes to be breathed by children or pets as they can cause illness and even death if not taken care of. If you already have stoves in your backyards but no vents for them yet, make sure to install proper ventilation systems before using them again. Like any other appliance out there, it needs proper installation so it will work just fine without posing a danger for those around it.
>> How To Secure A Grill From Wind | DIY Cheap and Easy
See more: Top 12 Best Tabletop Grills – Top Brands Review
Conclusion paragraph: Once you have found the perfect grill for your needs, make sure to secure it well. How to secure a grill from wind? This is important because if a strong gust of wind catches your grill and throws it around, not only will this put stress on the structure but it may also destroy what’s inside. You can use anchors or stakes to tie down your grill in one spot; these are available at hardware stores like Home Depot. If you’re looking for something even more elegant than that, consider purchasing an outdoor cover which will protect both the outside and interior of the grill from any damage caused by weather conditions! There are many different types of covers out there so take some time to look before making your final choice – they might be just what you need!
We hope you find these tips helpful and that they allow your grill to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible this summer. Remember, if you’re looking for more information on how to secure a grill from wind or other outdoor use considerations, we’ve prepared some resources below! If you have any questions about securing grills or need help with anything else related to marketing your business online, don’t hesitate to contact us!
See more:
