Can You Use a Gas Grill on a Covered Patio?

By: Mike Hale
Date: July 17, 2022
Time to read: 5 min.

Every type of grill produces a sufficient amount of smoke, and the smoke produced affects the atmosphere and sometimes alters the taste of the food. As a result, gas grills, in general, are used for outdoor smoking of food. Grills are mostly used within the yard, but can they be used in a covered patio?

You can use a gas grill on a covered patio, but not for a prolonged period. Also, extreme care should be taken when using a gas grill in any covered or enclosed space. Additionally, the ceiling of the patio should be high up.

Gas grills are best used in open spaces as flare-ups and grease fires pose more threats in covered patios than they would in open spaces. That said, I’ll be discussing more about using a gas grill on a covered patio.

Where Should a Grill Be Placed on a Patio?

Before you embark on using a grill on your patio, bear in mind you’re about to handle risky business, and as such, you must exercise maximum care.

Grills should not be any less than ten feet away from your building or any structure, especially those decked with wood. Likewise, they should not be placed near any form of dry vegetation or anything at all that is prone to catching fire.

If your covered patio has a window, great. Then, you can place the grill close to the window so that the smoke does not choke up the atmosphere.

Furthermore, gas grills are somewhat better than their charcoal counterparts, although charcoal grills are more portable. However, charcoal grills can fill up the atmosphere with soot. The soot can even counter the taste of whatever food you have on the grill.

Grills are best kept in the yard, as far away from any buildings or dry vegetation as possible. The last thing you want is fire on your patio during a barbecue gathering.

Is It Safe to Use a Gas Grill on a Screened-in Porch?

If you happen to have one of those fancy front-yard exteriors decked with glass, and you’re thinking of using it as a location to set up a grill fire, reconsider that idea.

Having a small grill on your patio may seem a thrilling idea. Notwithstanding, I would advise you to resist the temptation and save yourself and your apartment from possible future disasters. There are so many reasons why setting up a grill on your patio or anywhere close to your building is wrong.

Screened patios are excellent spots for relaxation and chilling but not a place to light up a grill. Asides from the heat, grills can also generate serious health complications.

Screened in patios restrict airflow and promote compaction of smoke within. Open-air provides enough breeze to disperse too much smoke. You can use a gas grill in a covered patio, but if the patio is enclosed with glass, then do not attempt it.

When using a gas grill in a covered patio, keep it as far away from any material as possible. A 10-feet distance is okay. It is not even advisable to grill under any roof. Gas and charcoal soot emanating from the grill can leave discolorations on your ceiling.

Safety Considerations

A safety measure when using a grill would be to keep a fire extinguisher close by. An extinguisher will, of course, help to minimize the casualties in case of a fire outbreak.

Furthermore, there have been countless reports of grill fires spiraling out of control and razing down buildings. You would not want to add your home to the list of destroyed homes. Therefore, prevention is better than cure.

You can as well protect your patio floors with grill mats. These mats are placed under the grills, and they can help to curb so many grill accidents. Cleaning your grill from time to time also helps to reduce the amount of smoke it produces.

Another reason why grills in screened-in patios are not advisable is that grills are fueled by either propane or natural gas. Inhaling a minute quantity of propane is not very harmful. But, a high concentration of it causes severe health risks.

Now, a screened-in patio is an enclosed space. There is no free-moving wind to disperse the propane gas released into the atmosphere, thus making the gas choke the entire vicinity.

When you inhale a substantial amount of this gas, it goes straight to your lungs and displaces your oxygen, thereby making breathing difficult for you. That said, asthmatic patients should flee from any scene with an enclosed gas grill.

Propane also facilitates Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. When propane gas burns to fuel in a gas grill, CO is being released into the atmosphere. CO poisoning is capable of causing death.

Are Gas Grills Allowed on Balconies?

Some landlords and city authorities have stern rules against setting up a gas grill on the balcony, especially if your building is close to another. The reason is that if a grill fire escalates, it may damage not only your building but your neighbor’s as well.

Some states in the United States do not have specific rules outlawing one from running a grill fire on private property. However, they have prohibitions against setting a grill stand on shared property or areas of public use.

Furthermore, other states are governed by fire code rules and regulations. In states like Florida and California, it is illegal to use or even store a grill or any other cooking appliance on the balcony of a shared apartment. Electrical cooking appliances are given an exception because they pose less threat, especially to combustibles.

Additionally, it would be safe to as well have a little insurance backing. Luckily, damages caused by grill fires are covered under the Standard Homeowner’s Insurance Policy.

A major cause of grill fires is gas leaks. Propane is a flammable liquid gas, and a little rupture to the tank can lead to a massive explosion, although propane tank explosions are rare occurrences.