Best Grill Mat For a Deck

For those of us who like to take that little extra precaution, these are the best grill mat for a deck reviewed! 

Many apply a protective stain to their deck every few years or so, as well as take additional precautions to keep the wind, rain and UV off of their finished decks. So, why not protect it from your BBQ, and fire pits? We’ve got just the answer to your problem. Grilling and BBQing out on the deck is a summertime pastime that we don’t want to see go anywhere just because you want to keep your deck safe.

Luckily, there is a simple and incredibly affordable way to convince your significant other that your BBQ doesn’t need to go anywhere, anytime quickly.

What is an Outdoor Grill Mat Used For?

Why might one want to look into using a grill mat to protect their deck? There’s a few reasons why.

Most BBQs and grills can create quite a lot of oil and grease. While these are typically caught by a small hanging receptacle, it isn’t uncommon for them to leak or otherwise splash and cause a mess.

Because of all of the cooking oils, and just the nature of what you might be grilling, there’s also a good chance that they’re spitting their juices and cooking oils everywhere anyways. Instead of finding some elaborate or possibly expensive way of accounting for this spillage, you could simply invest a little in a grill mat. 

Many grill mats are indeed specially designed for catching stray oil droplets, small leaks and of course the spitting and messy byproduct of grilling delicious meats and foods for your family and friends.

These are also specially designed for fire safety and protection. You should already be observing the utmost safety using a propane or charcoal burning BBQ or grill.

The reality is, we can’t always be perfect. These matts will protect your deck surface from heat, as well as any pieces of stray debris or ember that might break loose. For many people in the grilling community, being aware of the heat thrown off by both the heating element of your grill, but also the structure itself is very important.

It creates a sort of radiating heat that can easily wrap a deck surface, wear away stain, or even potentially cause discoloring. 

How Do you Clean a Grill Mat?

Very easily! Simply take your grill mat out onto the lawn and hose it down. This will free up all of the grease, as well as any other debris that may become embedded within the surface of the mat. Optionally, apply a little bit of dish soap and use a microfiber cloth to scrub in the soap. Rinse, and leave to dry hanging off of the banister or on the surface of the deck. 

Why Should You Buy a Grill Mat?

Grill matts provide an extra layer of protection and safety for your deck in a very cost-efficient way. That being said, you might find that there’s a fair few uses for these handy heat and fireproof mats. The thing is, they’re not that much of an eyesore. They’re usually black, grey or a muted color. While they don’t take up a lot of visual space, this makes them great for use as fire pit mats for your wood burning fire pit, or even an outdoor space heater.

The Best Grill Mat for A Deck: A Guide 

Below we’ll be reviewing a few of the best grill mat for a deck to see which are the most suitable for your outdoor space. 

It provides a non-slip surface for both the grill, as well as the user. Thus, adding yet another layer of safety. It’s durable, and does a lot more than just keep the heat off of the surface of your deck. Thai matt is also capable of catching stains, grease and spills.

Cooking outdoors sometimes results in a spill or two here or there, and this mat by Cuisinart is more than capable of dealing with the odd spill. And, to give it a clean simply hose it down and set it back onto your deck! 

This is highly recommended for those using charcoal grills, since it’s totally impervious to burning embers and pieces of charcoal should your grill take an unexpected fall or tip. Besides that, it’s also great for absorbing cooking oils, stray sparks as well as lighter fluid that may spill or otherwise be used around the BBQ itself. 

It’s also completely waterproof, which keeps it safe from the weather. This mat is 36×30 inches which is admittedly more suitable for charcoal grills, but may also fit smaller, narrower grills as well. Another added bonus of this mat? You can cut it easily to fit certain spaces allowances.

Customize it to go around the base of posts, or even to cover a smaller space if you don’t want it to be a tripping hazard. This mat is noticeably different from the other models on our review list, with a rather interesting texture. While it might not be the prettiest, this is indeed one of the safest fireproof grill mats on the market. Its design helps it dry, as well as contain any major leaks, oil spills as well as grease.

Consider this mat if you do a lot of outdoor grilling and you’re concerned about keeping your deck looking like the day the finish dried. 

Thanks to its shaped footprint, (covering just under each of the grill’s serving tables, as well as in front of the cooking surface), you’ll find that it’s one of the most low-key mats out there.

The mats come just under the sides, where you’d expect to drip a little barbecue sauce or even some ingredients from time to time. Should the worst happen, such as dropping a container of oil, the protective mat will save the day by absorbing the grease in such a way that it can simply be hosed off afterwards. 

Seriously though, this thing is purpose made to deal with burning logs, embers and even lit pieces of charcoal, keeping them safely off of the surface of your deck. The silicone surface of this mat will easily repel sauces and spills, and stays in place very well.

If you’d like to anchor it down for any reason, such as wind, you can make use of the grommets on each corner of this mat for that very purpose. 

The most important thing to note about this grill mat is that it is one of the most resilient kinds out there.

The neoprene surface material means that even high-temperature oil spills can be sustained, such as those that may seap down from an outdoor deep fryer, or turkey deep fryer.

I’d happily recommend this super tough grill mat to anyone who worries about tripping over the corners of a square or rectangular one, too. 

Best Grill Mat For a Deck – Conclusion

Thanks for checking out our reviews of the best outdoor grill mats! These mats will help you keep your deck protected from the heat, embers and even spills that are the natural byproduct of enjoying cooking outdoors on your back deck.

Each mat is best for its own purpose, so choose the one that fits your needs and deck layout.