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Fireproofing wooden deck?

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CANMAN1976
CANMAN1976 Posts: 1,593
in EggHead Forum
Ok how many of you fireproof your wooden deck that you egg sits on?
My egg will be in a table and on a table nest sitting on some ceramic.

Will being cautious and always using the lower vent screen be ok or is this too unsafe?
Hows ya gettin' on, me ol ****? 



Kippens.Newfoundland and Labrador. (Canada).
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  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    edited April 2013
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    just take precaution, maybe a mat or some special wood/treatments closer to the egg.

    Also, protecting with the screen is a must, but YEA

    If your table was to catch fire, your house could easily be gone.


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
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  • Fred19Flintstone
    Fred19Flintstone Posts: 8,168
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    Thinking any wooden structure can be made "fireproof" is a mistake.  Similarly about 100 years ago people mistakenly thought the Titanic was "unsinkable".  That being said, the game is to manage the risk by taking precautions.  It sounds like you have thought of things you can do to lower your risk like using the screen over your lower vent.  I have a deck I want to move my eggs to, but it's in bad condition.  We've been thinking of ripping it out and installing a concrete patio for maximum durability and fire safety.
    Flint, Michigan
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    I am a bit of a worry fart, and even more so when it comes to fire. A BBQ pad under the table extending at least 24" around the egg would give me some piece of mind. I know folks who have set their table made of cedar (think kindling) on their cedar deck (think more kindling). I'm sure it is safe 90% of the time, it is the unsafe 10% that bothers me. Keep an extinguisher close by and like @Hapster, enjoy a Nub while you watch the egg. Like a watched pot never boils, a watched egg never starts a fire. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • CANMAN1976
    CANMAN1976 Posts: 1,593
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    Definatly no overnighters.Anyone got fire retardant Matt suggestions?
    Hows ya gettin' on, me ol ****? 



    Kippens.Newfoundland and Labrador. (Canada).
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
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    MrCookingNurse said:
    just take precaution, maybe a mat or some special wood/treatments closer to the egg. Also, protecting with the screen is a must, but centex's latest loss was from a closed egg, bottom vent closed and cap on. If your table was to catch fire, your house could easily be gone.

    It was during a burnout. It was wide open but it was burning off the end of a pizza cook. it was hot and to the best of my knowledge, my grill brush was touching the side of the egg and combusted. i do not feel this started from an open flame but I wasn't there so I really don't know
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    I am so not going to get into this one

     

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
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    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:


    MrCookingNurse said:

    just take precaution, maybe a mat or some special wood/treatments closer to the egg.

    Also, protecting with the screen is a must, but centex's latest loss was from a closed egg, bottom vent closed and cap on.

    If your table was to catch fire, your house could easily be gone.




    It was during a burnout. It was wide open but it was burning off the end of a pizza cook. it was hot and to the best of my knowledge, my grill brush was touching the side of the egg and combusted. i do not feel this started from an open flame but I wasn't there so I really don't know

    My bad man. I thought you had done pizza and then shut down.


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    Some other things enter into this picture in my mind.  Most of us like a cold beverage while enjoying our operation of the egg.  This makes it easy to forget just one of the many things or steps to properly shut down the egg and turn our back on deck.  Another thing is there is a potential for fire inside our egg for four or five hours after we shut it down.  Things happen that are out of our control, look at the owner who's umbrella mounted on a table knocked his egg off the deck during a wind storm?  Or caused by an animal ?  Today someone posted a U-Tube type video on a "pizza peel".  Here was the inventor showing his wooden gizmo(paddle looking) thing.  When he finished his pizza and was leaving to go in his house, guess where he stored this wooden pizza peel??  Leaned it up against the dome, and yes he had a wooden table and deck??  I would make a serious attempt to minimize every thing i could imagine to fire proof and secure the egg in place.. 
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
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    MrCookingNurse said:
    MrCookingNurse said:
    just take precaution, maybe a mat or some special wood/treatments closer to the egg. Also, protecting with the screen is a must, but centex's latest loss was from a closed egg, bottom vent closed and cap on. If your table was to catch fire, your house could easily be gone.

    It was during a burnout. It was wide open but it was burning off the end of a pizza cook. it was hot and to the best of my knowledge, my grill brush was touching the side of the egg and combusted. i do not feel this started from an open flame but I wasn't there so I really don't know
    My bad man. I thought you had done pizza and then shut down. </div no worries. Just wanted to make sure the right info was out there for people to know.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Good point!

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • cookinfun
    cookinfun Posts: 129
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    Hi Guys...
    I have two LBGEs on my wood deck,  and this thought also occurred to me.  Another big problem is that my deck is +/- 18' above ground.  Being that the deck floor boards were aged and possibly a hazard to my dogs and me, I looked into fire retardent or resistant deck flooring.  Certainteed makes a composite board with a reasonable fire rating.  I ordered and installed (easy) and also put both eggs on the spark resistant mats( approx 3' x 4').  Also put two 10# fire exting. on wall outsdie, and a 20# on lower deck.  Also installed  H/C water bibs outside on upper deck...just in case.  Hope this is useful...
    (2) LBGEs,  WSM, Vidalia Grill (gasser), Tailgater Grill (gasser)
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  • hapster
    hapster Posts: 7,503
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    My egg has been used for more than year on an elevated wooden(pressure treated) deck. I have a spark proof mat under it but that's it. I do have two fire extinguishers on the deck with me as well as having about as far away from the house as it can be... snuffing any fire out is your best bet, but having extinguishers and maybe a hose ready is about the best you can do...

    I take comfort in that if it gets out of control; it's likely to go off the far end of the deck before the fire ever reaches my house. Plus the fire department is actually about 3 minutes away...

    Always keep safety in mind; but don't stop egging... ;)
    MSV Chill Spot
    Chester County, PA

    http://egginwithedward.blogspot.com/

    http://edwardhardingphotography.zenfolio.com/
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  • cookinfun
    cookinfun Posts: 129
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    hey hap... Good thot about distance from house.   I forgot to mention that the deck is 18' x 20' and the eggs are about 12' from house.   I have been also thinking about putting thick granite under both eggs as a additional fire break, but am concerned about weight loading, etc.  I have read on this form of an incident that the bottom of the ceramic failed (don't remember the details)...but that got me started.  Good eggin...
    (2) LBGEs,  WSM, Vidalia Grill (gasser), Tailgater Grill (gasser)
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    Too bad someone doesn't invent a high temperature alarm sensor that could be mounted under the table???
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  • JWBishop
    JWBishop Posts: 12
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    Now I am beginning to wonder if I should even have this big green fire bomb on my property! My large is in a wooden table, sitting under a wooden cabana by the pool. At least there is a good 50 feet of concrete and swimming pool water between that and our house.
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  • jimfastcar
    jimfastcar Posts: 88
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    Lots of things can go wrong in a home, electrical wiring fires, carbon monoxide from an improperly maintained furnace, etc etc

    Just take the necessary precautions and we shoud be fine

    Life is about probabilities after all

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  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911
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    I go through these thoughts daily.  I got a Semi fireproof mat under my egg now and I still would not trust it.  I am sort of OK with doing cooks that a short in time that I am there watching the Egg.  No more overnights (which stinks because I want a brisket).

    We are looking into a stone patio down in the yard that if do build I will move the Egg there but it will get very little use due to the fact its away from the house/kitchen and to lug all the stuff involved (food, utensils, etc) up and down the stairs for every cook will get old fast.  Did it last year with the Egg on the lawn but once the cold weather came we did not use the Egg until we carried it up to onto the deck.  Now seeing the fire pictures and witnessing fire embers coming out of the Egg and even through the screen I do not want it on the deck anymore or near the house.  Nothing would probably happen but I can not take that chance with two young kids in the house. 

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,

    Garnerville, NY
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  • CANMAN1976
    CANMAN1976 Posts: 1,593
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    Ok, so I have a hose and fire extinguisher nearby.I guess any vinyl mat will do??

    thanks.
    Hows ya gettin' on, me ol ****? 



    Kippens.Newfoundland and Labrador. (Canada).
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Crappy Tire sells barbeque mats

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911
    edited April 2013
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    The mat I have states it is designed for a grill (charcoal) but it clearly states it is NOT fire proof

    From their instructions:

    "The “Original” Grill Pad is designed to protect your deck, patio, porch, or dock from incidental spark exposure as well as grease, drips and stains. The “Original” Grill Pad is NOT fireproof!:

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,

    Garnerville, NY
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