Using a gas or charcoal grill may seem like a very straightforward endeavor – after all, cooking with fire has been an integral part of human life for many, many years. So why are we bringing it up here, on a blog about home inspections? Simply put, it’s because the way you use your grill can have an effect on your home.
How so? Consider the proximity of your grill to the side of your home, or to the decking or other landings. As you use your grill, radiant heat is escaping in a lot of different directions, and depending on the grill, that heat can be a very high temperature. Could it be melting the vinyl on your home’s siding, or discoloring the wood on your deck railway? While the radiant heat may not be enough to do serious damage or cause fires, it can have an impact on the appearance of your home and cause avoidable maintenance work.
