can you grill under a canopy

Can You Grill Under a Canopy?

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As summertime rolls around, many homeowners get ready for outdoor grilling. While this activity sounds great, standing out in the sun while you cook sounds hot and exhausting, prompting many homeowners to ask, “Can you grill under a canopy?” In short, you can, but you need to carefully handle how you cook under a canopy by staying aware of dangers and following some proven grilling tips.

Whether you need a porch cover or retractable awnings by AAA Awnings, Inc., we can help you plan for safer outdoor grilling.

Dangers of Grilling Under a Canopy

The potential risks of grilling out underneath a canopy include:

Overheating

The heat from a grill can melt some canopy materials or cause others to burst into flame, even without any parts of your grill actually touching the material.

Flammable Materials

Canopy materials often consist of flammable materials that can easily go up in flames from a single spark of an active grill.

Increased Injury Risk

Without adequate ventilation and safe grilling methods, others underneath your canopy can suffer from respiratory problems or burns if the canopy melts or catches fire.

How to Grill Under a Canopy Safely

When asking, “Can you grill under a canopy?” it’s important to assess the risks, but you can still grill beneath a canopy if you follow certain safety precautions.

Investigate Your Canopy Material

Before deciding to grill beneath your canopy, check what type of materials make up its cover. Most materials have a fire-resistance rating that can help you determine the potential dangers of causing a fire. Canopies with ratings CPAI 84 or NFPA 701 have some resistance to fire.

Anchor the Canopy

An unanchored canopy not only moves easily in the wind but family members or guests could bump into a leg and jostle it as well. If a canopy knocks into an active grill, it could cause sparks to fly up and land on the cover material, starting a fire.

Place Your Grill in a Safe Spot

Because of the extreme heat that a grill can generate, both your grill and your canopy should sit at least 10 feet away from exterior walls, decks, or other flammable structures. Before you start cooking, place your grill along one side of your canopy. This placement services the dual purpose of increasing ventilation and decreasing potential fires.

Practice Smart Grill Use

Some easy tips for smart and safe grill use include:

  • Using coals as your heat source instead of gasoline
  • Avoiding grilling in windy weather conditions
  • Not using accelerants like lighter fluid
  • Staying with your grill while you cook

Work with the Canopy Professionals at AAA Awnings, Inc.

When you ask, “Can you grill under a canopy?” the answer is yes, with care and consideration of the risks. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of putting together a canopy, anchoring it, and maintaining it, you can opt for a retractable awning. Whether you want to install a new one or have questions about potential retractable awning problems, learn more by calling our team at AAA Awnings, Inc., in Garden Grove, CA, at (657) 738-9632.

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