Grill/smoker mat recommendations

[Hulagn1971]

Recently had the deck out back demolished and replaced with a new outdoor living area. The top level will be used for cooking. My plan is to get the 26 kettle, WSM 22, BGE XL and Blaze gasser out of the garage and in their places on the deck. I seem to remember folks saying they used stall pads to put under their grills/cookers. There are a few different types and price ranges. Looking for some opinions here on what y'all think. Thanks in advance!

[Jim White]

What a beautiful setup!

First off, I have to admit that I am extremely prejudiced against stall mats in actual horse stalls. There just is no worse smell on earth than several day old horse pee. Our stalls have been wonderful since we went to plain dirt. But I digress...

With such a nice looking deck, I'd humbly suggest that for about the same money you would spend on a couple of thick mats, a couple of boxes of a nice tile would cover that recessed area where you have the kettle. The tile would last a lot longer and be much easier to clean. Just sayin'...

[RonB]

I agree. I have some nice ceramic tiles under my cooker, and they work great. I did not put a border around my tiles, so they do shift a bit over time. If that might bother you, (or someone close to you ), you can get some quarter round to nail down around the tile. That does give a finished look. Buy an extra box because dropping something heavy might crack a tile.

[tbob4]

Jim - agree wholeheartedly about stall mats and horses. Dirt and straw, only. For the BBQ area on a deck - Hulagn1971 Do you have dogs? I have tried mats of various sized in the past and they just didn't survive the dogs. In fact, I moved the BBQ's off the deck a few years ago because I couldn't solve your problem with the dogs.

[mountainsmoker]

Hulagn1971 Nice looking deck. Are you going to cover the deck, I would. My deck in the mountains of NC is covered and I can smoke of cook any day I want rain or shine. I lost my house 6 years ago to a stray coal so this time I have a concrete deck. That little deck mat looks puny under that grill. For you gas grills 2' beyond the grill. For live fire grills at least 4' from the loading point and ash exhaust and 3' all around. As mentioned above you can laver of external pavers to protect the deck, It will not be cheap.

[Hulagn1971]

Not sure about covering it as of right now. That mat IS puny 😆. Will be replacing it with some large heat resistant ones soon or some tiles as suggested here so far. Thanks!

[Betty]

I'm curious if it won't smudge the ceiling?

[mountainsmoker]

I have mine under my covered deck for 6 years and no smudges yet. There always seems to be enough of a breeze blowing that it never reaches the top. It lets me smoke on my 22" rain, snow or shine.

[Nate]

In addition to the tiles (which would probably look better and do your awesome new multilevel deck more justice) you could also explore the option of pavers... you may even be able to get some season end discounts now.

[Hulagn1971]

Probably going to go with the tiles. Thanks all!

[RonB]

I suggest buying an extra box in case one breaks. Dropping something moderately heavy will do it. Don't ask me how I know...

[klflowers]

I have been using one of these for years. Only problem is that the wood underneath gets a little lighter than the surrounding wood (even stained) over time, so I try to move it around from time to time.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Original-Grill-Pad-42-in-x-30-in-Rectangular-Berry-Black-Deck-Protector-GP-42-C-BK/202448124

[Huskee]

Interesting how my link shows them much cheaper https://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Orig...P-42/100328284

[klflowers]

Huskee, that is strange. Maybe because the one in my link is black? Not that that makes any sense...

[Huskee]

Yeah, weird. This link shows the black being more pricey but also the brown one too. Strange. https://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Orig...C-GY/202448180

[Huskee]

I use the cement boards. I get them at Home Depot but also ordered 1 from Amazon once. Prices close to the same. What I like about them is they are heat resistant being cement so a dropped coal or two is harmless, and they spray off pretty good. Just watch it if you use a pressure washer, it can remove the colored paint!

[dorothydun]

When I moved to the new house, I still made a particular barbecue area. I remember when I didn't have a home on the ground, but I was already looking for specialized barbecue sites. I look at this site what I can recommend with great confidence. On this site, I found all the necessary information for cooking, accessories, and appliances needed. But to be honest, I found it very difficult. It was like a treasure for me when I heard about it. If you buy or help you from here, please let me know. It is fascinating to me if I found a common language.

[RonB]

If you are for real, I apologize in advance, but we get a lot of spammers trying to sneak in by posting on old threads. So, if you are truly interested in what this site has to offer because you like to grill and/or BBQ, welcome and tell us what you are cooking on and what you like to cook.