If Your Charcoal WSM is Sitting on a Wood Deck, Do You....


 
JeromieScott TarHeel

JeromieScott TarHeel

New member
If Your Charcoal WSM is Sitting on a Wood Deck, Do You...
1) Use full coverage with fire bricks
2) Set the legs on bricks to get more distance between fuel and combustible
3) Use a fire rated floor mat
4) Fugitaboudit
5) Other

New deck will be finished soon and want to reduce potential damage and/or possible worse. My WSM 18.5 has never sat on wood and am just curious.
Thanks.
 
I found a mat Amazon that my WSM can sit on. It's on the wooden deck. I'm not sure about putting it on anything like bricks or something. I'd be more afraid of it falling over that way. I think when you're talking about low and slow 225 to 300 and you got a good air separation and a deflector on the bottom you're going to be okay.
We've had mine on my deck for 10 11 years now
 
JeromieScott TarHeel said:
If Your Charcoal WSM is Sitting on a Wood Deck, Do You...
1) Use full coverage with fire bricks
2) Set the legs on bricks to get more distance between fuel and combustible
3) Use a fire rated floor mat
4) Fugitaboudit
5) Other

New deck will be finished soon and want to reduce potential damage and/or possible worse. My WSM 18.5 has never sat on wood and am just curious.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Do you have grills as well? If so what do you use?v The only time I would even worry is when I add hot charcoal at startup or re-fuels. If you have a grease fire I doubt much will help.

I'd go with 4. I also don't have mine on a wood deck nor have I ever had a grease fire.
 
Whatever you do decide on, move it around ever so often. They trap moisture underneath which causes fading and wear on the framing and fasteners.
If you go with a composite deck you need something for coals, embers and grease spills.
I used to put mine in a metal wash tub. Tall enough to just shield the lower vents.
 
I don't put my WSM on a wooden deck, but I have used a metal drip pan that I got with my first smoker. If I had to get something else, I might try a metal water heater drip pan (they come in 22 inch or 24 inch diameter), or an oil drip pan as Jim mentioned above.
 
I might be inclined to make a “pad” with firebrick but, I had not considered the moisture holding issues that my brother Timothy has pointed out. But, one question comes to mind, are you moving the WSM when not in use?
Were it me, I would not use it on a potentially flammable surface under any circumstances. Is there a hard surface patio or even grassy area where you can set up? Too many potential problems are possible for me.
I suppose one could use Tim’s washtub concept and set that on blocks or even mount casters on the bottom and put an inch or two of sand in it?
 
As Chris' link shows, the oil drip pan is big enough to give you a place to put down a hot chimney, hot lid or a hot barrell (when doing a hot squat). I actually have several of them to keep the general smoker schmutz off the deck.

Cheap and take up basically zero space (they nest together) when the smoker is not in use. And since they are put away 99.5% of the time, no worries about moisture or fading on the deck.
 
Chris Allingham said:
www.virtualweberbullet.com

Protecting Patios & Wooden Decks - The Virtual Weber Bullet

Tips for protecting patios and wooden decks while using the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, including a variety of pans, pavers, and mats.
www.virtualweberbullet.com www.virtualweberbullet.com
Click to expand...
Chris, your pan link now points to a much smaller pan. I didn't find large ones on Amazon, but Google found them at AutoZone and Advance Auto Parts. Thanks for the tip, I'm getting one for the smoker.

www.autozone.com

SureBilt Large Drip Tray

Shop for SureBilt Large Drip Tray with confidence at AutoZone.com. Parts are just part of what we do. Get yours online today and pick up in store.
www.autozone.com www.autozone.com

 
I have a concrete porch, but I use both a heatproof mat and a water heater pan under my 18" WSM. The mat keeps the porch clean underneath when I have parts of the smoker sitting separately while lighting the fire, etc. The pan catches random dust or charcoal bits. Also gives me a place to rest my charcoal tongs during the cook...
 
I made the Chris cart for my WSM, but added a triangular piece of plywood for my ease of use. Mine is first gen with no heat deflector. I don't worry about it at all so I vote 4.
 
JeromieScott TarHeel said:
If Your Charcoal WSM is Sitting on a Wood Deck, Do You...
1) Use full coverage with fire bricks
2) Set the legs on bricks to get more distance between fuel and combustible
3) Use a fire rated floor mat
4) Fugitaboudit
5) Other

New deck will be finished soon and want to reduce potential damage and/or possible worse. My WSM 18.5 has never sat on wood and am just curious.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Mine Sits over top of a thick aluminum disk (3/8s to half inch). Got it from scrap at work for free around the time I got my WSM.
 
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