Can You BBQ Under a Covered Deck?

Are you craving some delicious smoked salmon but worried about the dust particles that may land on your delight?

Are you looking for a way to safeguard your grilling equipment but unsure whether an overhead cover is safe for cooking? 

If you’re keen on enhancing your outdoor cooking spaces, browsing through various creative, covered BBQ area ideas can offer inspiration and practical solutions for weatherproofing your grilling area.

Well, if any of these questions are poking into your mind, then you have landed on the right page.

Today, we will address these questions and shed light on why covers are necessary and dangerous, too.

Are you curious? Stay connected with us as we unlock these overlapping parallels and uncover the ultimate best for you.

Is Covering BBQ Deck Safe?

Well, without talking here and there, let’s get straight to clear answers. Can you BBQ under a covered deck?

Well, if you ask us, our answer is YES and NO!Confused? Let us clarify for you.

You can have barbeques under a shade or cover, but only if the shade is above 8 feet or more, with additional terms and conditions applied.

Here is what possibly happens and what you must keep in mind.

• Avoid grilling under shades for too long. Over longer durations, grease, false odors, and smoke will absorb into your shading material, which is extremely hard to remove, let alone clear as new.
• If your barbeque kitchen has four walls or sheets covering four sides, avoid grilling in such zones. Grilling and barbequing exhaust harmful gases like Nitrogen Oxide, Carbon Monoxide, formaldehyde, etc., which will get trapped inside the four walls and are extremely harmful to your health. They can cause immediate dizziness, prolonged headaches, nausea, and other ailments.
• Your grilling technique decides whether you should grill under a covered deck. It is a big NO-NO for you if it is charcoal grilling. If it is electric grilling or light gas grilling, then they are comparatively safe.
• Never use propane gas grilling under covered areas. These gases are extremely flammable and can cause serious damage.

Types of Grilling in Specific Selected Zones

Now that we know how dangerous barbequing can be in an enclosed area, that doesn’t mean you should slack off on your fun picnics and parties.

There is always a solution. You have to find the right key, or in your case, the right webpage.

Here, we have listed some safe barbequing techniques sorted in safe covered deck areas.

Why should only people in movies have all the fun? You can have the best of the grilling experiences now.

1. Gas Grilling Under a Covered Patio

Gas grilling is a versatile option since it doesn’t emit heavy flames, high temperatures, or harmful smoke.

You can use gas grilling under a patio or a covered deck. However, if you are thinking of Propane Gas Grilling, you must immediately slash out that thought for two reasons.

Since Propane is highly flammable, it is recommended to avoid grilling them in closed areas.

Secondly, Propane is a harmful gas, and its soots can have harsh impacts on your lungs, so they should be avoided all at once, even if you are grilling in an open area.

2. Pellet Grill Under a Covered Deck

It is comparatively safe to grill pellets under a covered deck, given that you follow the safety precautions mentioned above.

There are a few things that you can do to ensure safe grilling practices, like putting on pellets only when the wind is not blowing.

Or, having a fire extinguisher right next to you ensures you are not leaving the grill under your puppy’s watch.

Also, pellet grills release a lot of smoke, so your grilling station may stink like burnt wood for a few days, but it is manageable.

Last but not least, you must have an air outlet or an airflow to remove the pellet fire once the grilling is done; otherwise, it can be troublesome.

3. Propane Grilling Under the Awning

While propane grilling is always seen with the corner of an eye, you can use it under decks covered by awnings.

However, while doing so, ensure the awning is at least 8 feet above your grilling station and is not enclosed from all four sides.

The possible damage we consider about awnings is that they get stained by smoke and soot quite easily, but if your awning is above eight feet, then this won’t be a problem.

Many perceive that if Propane grilling is allowed under awnings, then we can have charcoal grilling, too, but mind you, this is not the case.

Charcoal grills exhaust a lot of smoke and unregulated heat, so they must never be used under awnings.

4. Gas Grilling Under Pergola Covered Cooking Decks

Most of us go for gas grills as they are comparatively safe, yet cooking under fabric pergolas is often debated.

To solve this mystery, you have our verdict here. You can have a gas or propane grill under a fabric pergola as long as it is above eight feet from the cooking station.

Moreover, gas grilling must have an air outlet, while in the case of propane gas grilling, all four (or at least three) sides must be open.

Fabric pergolas can wear out in a minimal period.

Therefore, we recommend you get wooden or vinyl pergolas as they last very long and are a good investment.

Final Thoughts

So, this was all about barbequing, grilling, smoking, eating, and having fun.

Remember, you can’t put a price tag on your fun experiences, but safely practicing them is a WIN-WIN deal.

We have summarized the best alternatives for you.

By practicing these safe and secure tips and tricks, you can have amazing, fun-filled, and fantastic barbeque parties, all protected by a roof and yet staying safe at all times.