It’s easy to place your grill against your vinyl fence as a shield from the elements.
We’ve all had the experience of being out grilling when the wind picks up, threatening to carry your sausages halfway across the yard while you finish off the burgers.
With this, though, come a few questions. Is it possible to keep your grill to be close to the vinyl fence? Will the heat from the flames harm your fence?
There are several important questions to consider when it comes to grill positioning, and today I’ll address them all so you can decide whether placing your BBQ near your vinyl fence is even worth it.
Prepare to go? Then let’s get this party started!
The most convenient location for your grill is on level ground with a clear 2 foot radius around it. That’s because your grill will smoke, get hot, and produce flames. For suggestions on how to improve this safety aspect of grilling, keep reading!
Why Grill Distance from Vinyl Fence Matters
The grill is a great way to cook food and have fun with friends and family. However, it’s important to remember that the heat from your grill can cause damage to vinyl fencing if you don’t use proper precautions.
When you’re grilling near a vinyl fence, there are several things that could go wrong:
- The vinyl may warp or melt. This can happen if the grill is too close to the fence, causing damage that will require repairs or replacement of parts of your fence.
- The color of your vinyl could change due to discoloration caused by high temperatures (especially if you’re using lighter-colored grills). This means that over time it will look less attractive than before because of this change in color!
- If not taken care properly then this could lead up into dangerous situations like fires breaking out around them which would cause severe damages on both sides – yours as well as theirs!
Vinyl Fences: The Downside
To begin today, I thought it would be a good idea to look at the issue with vinyl fences. Do they appear to be attractive? Of course, they do!
That is why so many people choose to install vinyl fences at home. However, there’s no dispute that they have one big disadvantage: they’re extremely combustible.
Even if they don’t go up in flames immediately, plastics are still damaged by heat far more easily than other types of fencing.
However, this presents a difficulty for grill enthusiasts since we all know that our grills function better when they’re sheltered somewhat from the wind.
Using your fence for that is usually a great idea, but using a grill too near to your vinyl fence isn’t the greatest idea...
Is it possible for my vinyl fence to catch fire?
Yes, if you set a grill too close to your vinyl fence, it could quickly catch fire. The problem is that grills also have hot flames, as well as the rest of the device.
There’s also the smoke, which is accompanied by the heat, to consider. All of this can easily harm your vinyl fence.
Even if the fence doesn’t catch fire immediately, grillers who have no idea how dangerous it is to use their grill close to their vinyl fences may get black scorch marks on their food.
Yes, your vinyl fence might catch fire, but even if it doesn’t, the heat alone will damage it, and the only way to restore it is to replace it. Of course, you want to avoid this.
How Much Room Do You Need For A Grill?
Before we get into how far away your grill should be from a vinyl fence, let’s start with some basic concepts.
In general, the ideal location for your barbecue is on flat ground with a 2-foot radius all around it. That’s because your grill will smoke, get hot, and produce flames.
At 900 degrees Fahrenheit, polyvinyl fence will melt.
It’s not only waterproof, but it can also be used in the freezer and even immersed in water. It is highly resistant to heat.
To avoid burning and damage to other things near to it, it’s typical safety procedure to provide this much distance around the entire grill.
Is it true that when it comes to vinyl fences, “every fence is different”? Is there a general rule for everything, but does it apply to vinyl fences?
How Close Should A Grill Be To A Vinyl Fence?
Unfortunately, your vinyl fence is not included in the 2ft recommendation. Even if there is a 2ft gap between your grill and the vinyl fence, heat will almost certainly cause damage. Instead, the guidance is 10ft.
If you have a huge garden and the layout of your garden allows for that kind of space between your grill and your vinyl fence, then it’ll be just fine.
However, what if you don’t have that option? Is it necessary to replace your garden fence with something more appropriate?
What if you could return to grilling once again, but for good? What if there was a way to go back to grilling without losing your passion for it forever? Maybe things don’t have to be so black and white…
Alternative Solution for Protecting Your Vinyl Fence
If the 10 foot clearance isn’t possible for you, there is another approach around it that will allow you to grill outside close to your vinyl fence.
With this, you can still keep it safe from the heat, smoke, and flames generated by your cooked grill.
Of course, you won’t be able to leave your vinyl-fence exposed in any way, because it will get damaged. As a result, you’ll need a shield to safeguard it.
The greatest option for this is a 4 by 8 piece of fireproof drywall. And believe me when I say it isn’t even that expensive to buy.
Using the protective drywall as a protection, the vinyl barrier will be safe from heat damage because it won’t be able to penetrate it.
It protects your grill from the wind while also providing excellent ventilation at the same time. It’s a win-win situation in every way.
You don’t have to ruin the look of your vinyl-fence, either. I’m sure a lot of you are wondering if you’d just used a stone fence all around your yard if you wanted to put up fireproof drywall.
This drywall solution, on the other hand, isn’t about permanently replacing your vinyl-fence with drywall.
All you have to do is set it up against the fence, leave a 2foot gap between it and your grill as usual for safety reasons, then voila, you’ve got yourself a vinyl fence saving method!
The most exciting part is that you may simply take the drywall down, store it somewhere off the beaten path, and then re-install it once you’ve finished grilling.
This approach is superior than leaving a 10-foot space between your vinyl-fence and grill since you won’t be pushed out into your garden or subjected to the elements any longer.
If you have vinyl-fence at home and want to grill at least, I highly recommend purchasing a little piece of drywall to fireproof your fences and keep them safe when grilling! It’s that simple!
Conclusion
If you don’t have anything to protect your vinyl-fence from the heat, smoke, and flames that will undoubtedly damage it, keep 10 feet of distance between your grill and it.
However, placing a 4 by 8 panel of fireproof drywall against the fence is an excellent option.
The installation procedure shouldn’t take more than an hour if you use the minimal number of pegs to ensure that your fences are not harmed in any manner.
Keep in mind that you may safely barbecue within 2 feet of your vinyl fence if you pick up a piece or two of fireproof drywall.