WSM on a wooden deck


 
J

Josh Lessard

New member
The instruction manual says not to use the WSM near any combustible material, and wood certainly is combustible. Before reading that, I was planning on putting my new WSM on my wooden deck in a corner bordered by a brick wall and a wooden privacy fence.

My current thought is to build a steel box with a bottom so the WSM is sitting on sheet metal instead of right on wood. I was going to build it high enough to cover the bottom vents to stop wind from entering them, but low enough not to block the access hatch.

Has anyone done anything similar? Has anyone just used the WSM on a wooden deck? Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
I use to have mine on a wooden deck and had zero issues. Only problem to speak of is when i was dumping lit charcoal into the wsm and the odd piece would hit the deck and leave burn marks. I now have my WSM and OTG built into a wooden cart and have had zero issues. I know some people that use their WSM's on deck put down some paver stones and that seems to work pretty well.

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Same here! WSM on a wooden deck. In theroy an amber(lump) could spark out of the vent and make a mark/worst case burn down the house. This in mind still use mine without anything below.

It´s up to you m8!
 
I would put something under the wsm to be safe and to ensure that you don't make a mess on your deck. The wsm has a tendency to drip some pretty nasty goo from the vents. As for deck and safety, many have done it with no issues. You have to make your own choice. I've done it but prefer not to. I think at a minimum, you need to have a hose handy or a fire extinguisher near by. To me, the biggest risk is in doing an overnight or thinking you can walk away from the wsm and forget it.

Of course, a natural fire place can cause fires too (note the news from CT) and people still use them so it's a choice. My belief is that you can be careful and take a lot of the risk out of the equation but never take to to zero. Or you can not pay attention and do stupid stuff and we'll be saying how sorry it is to hear your house burned down. Be careful and alert.
 
Believe it or not, the presence of wild animals or free-roaming dogs can be the biggest issue, as they are attracted to the smell of bbq and can knock the cooker over. A guy that works for my cousin guy had his house burn down a few months back after something knocked his smoker over in the middle of the night. It's just something you might need to consider depending on where you live.

Grill pads aren't fireproof, but they'll protect a decent size area against stains and stray embers.
http://www.grillpad.com/products/original.html
 
I have mine sitting on a platform made of bricks and haven't had a problem. Paver stones or a water heater pan also work.
 
Ditto for me. Cheap paver stones from Home Depot are the solution for this. Get a couple extra to use as a base to light extra charcoal for when you find the need to add lit charcoal to an ongoing smoke.
 
a zinc wash tub or water tank drain pan (if you use an ATC). Don't forget to drill a hole on it, in case it rains.
 
If you're deck was built after 04 and the decking is wolmanized than it's a good idea to use some type of a buffer between the Aluminum legs and decking.
They boosted the copper content which makes it corrosive to Alum in direct contact. We used to use Alum flashing on decks, but had to change to Galv when they made the change. Granted the legs are thicker than a pc of flashing, but I would at least use something even if the deck is stained or sealed. And whatever you use either a pad, paver or pan, move it around ocassionaly so the deck can breathe and dry out. They trap moisture underneath which will lead to premature aging and sometimes failure on you're fasteners.
A little more info on the newer pressure treated lumber.
http://www.finehomebuilding.co...ated-wood-decks.aspx

Tim
 
Would the grill mat that HD sells be a good solution for this? I have a more solid one that I got from Rona for my Gas Grill would this also be good?
 
Would the grill mat that HD sells be a good solution for this? I have a more solid one that I got from Rona for my Gas Grill would this also be good?
Click to expand...
Yes - I have two. One for the smoker and another for my gasser.
However, if you leave them down on the deck for extended periods, the deck will discolor. I take mine up a few days after cooking and store them vertically.

Ray
 
Knock on wood ... I've used mine on my wooden deck for years and never had a problem. I have a couple of scorch marks from sparks from when I've dumped coals but consider them to be badges of courage (or stupidity).
Several years ago I was 4th house completed in a brand new subdivison. Guy that was 1st paid several thousand $ to have a deck built. First day it was completed he invited several of us for a cook-out. Forget the brand but he had bought himself a fancy gasser for the deck. About 11 that night I'm closing the front door and getting ready to go to bed ... hear the sirens ... few seconds later see the fire trucks pull up to his house ... can see a faint orange glow and smell smoke. He forgot to shut down the grill but had moved it up against the railing of the deck. Burned a good section of the railing and deck - good thing the propane tank didn't explode.
 
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