Where to Put BBQ in Backyard

A backyard barbecue is not only a fun way to enjoy the warm weather with your loved ones, but it’s also a great way to show off your culinary skills.

Where you place the BBQ has a significant impact on the quality of barbeques you make, your safety and that of your property, and the durability of the BBQ grill.

Where to put BBQ in backyard

If you recently bought a BBQ, you must be wondering where to place it in your backyard. There is no specific place to place the BBQ, but the ideal area needs to meet specific criteria.

Some of the factors to consider when choosing an ideal location include:

Your environment

You are dealing with an open fire, so it’s wise to be cautious of your environment. As a rule of thumb, keep a safe distance between the grill and your house. If you are wondering how far should a grill be from a house?

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends a grill to be at least 10 feet away from a building. It declares barbecuing illegal if you don’t observe this clearance and have a working garden hose nearby.

You can increase this distance but never decrease it, especially if your backyard has plenty of trees.

You also should avoid placing grills directly on the floor as the grass, debris, mulch, and other materials can easily catch fire. The right way of doing it is by placing the grill on a flat, clean surface.

The area should also be free of low-hanging branches that can easily catch fire. If present, simply trim them. If the area has short trees, move the grill to another area.

Wind direction

As much as you might like the aroma of the char grill, you should be cautious of the smoke as it contains carbon monoxide and other harmful substances.

This smoke can be detrimental to your lungs, eyes, and even your clothes, so you are better off avoiding it.

Luckily, it’s easy to do it. Since smoke blows downwind, you only need to place the grill accordingly so that the smoke blows away from you.

When placing the BBQ, pay attention to its proximity to the doors, windows, balconies, and your neighbours. You don’t want to piss them off, do you?

Sunshine and shade

If you are like me, you like barbecuing in the summer months so that you can enjoy the warm weather, but this doesn’t mean you want to spend the entire day under the scorching sun. To avoid this, place the grill in the shade.

The best shade is from the trees but be mindful of low hanging branches as they can be a fire hazard. Place the grill in an area where the trees will cover it most of the day.

If building the grill into the design of the garden, include a shelter to the setup. This way, you won’t have to keep on moving the grill from one place to another.

When building the shelter, ensure you allow enough clearance between the structure and the grill.

You should note that placing the grill in a shaded area doesn’t mean that the area should be dark. There should be enough lighting so that you can see what you are cooking and minimize the chances of accidents coming about.

Distance from the house

While you should keep a safe distance from the house, you don’t have to place the grill too far from the house. Ensure the grill is close to the house such that you can save your steaks when you notice them burning.

Grill safety tips

If renting, you don’t have the luxury of a large backyard. While this is the case, it doesn’t mean you should give up on your barbecuing hobby.

When looking for an apartment, look for a home that provides a common outdoor area that allows grilling.

If designed properly, the area will satisfy the requirements allowing you to use any BBQ grill. Some public parks provide grilling areas so look for a house near such parks.

When using shared equipment, there is a double risk for accidents coming about so always double-check everything. As a rule of thumb, ensure that the surfaces are clean and the gas tanks and lines are in perfect shape.

If using a gas grill, ensure the area has plenty of ventilation. You should always test the grills for leaks before you use them.

Charcoal grills aren’t all that safe either. To avoid getting burnt, handle them with care. When using them, use only approved types of lighter fluid and never spray it on the existing fire. This is to avoid dangerous flare-ups.

Once you are done with grilling, NFPA recommends you leave the charcoal in the grill until it cools completely. After cooling, collect the debris and place it in a metal container.

Using an electric grill? You should note that the grill isn’t designed to be an open flame cooking device. Due to this, the grills are often allowed in areas where other grills aren’t.

While this is the case, it doesn’t mean that the grill can’t start a grease fire like the other grills, so be cautious when handling them.

As a rule of thumb, ensure that the extension cords are outdoor-grade and rated for the amperage that the grill is drawing. You also should never leave the grill unsupervised.

As with all the other cooking operations, fire safety should always be at the top of your mind. To be safe, always have fire extinguishers close by.

To have an easy time putting out both flammable liquids and grease, have both dry and wet chemical fire extinguishers.