I just had a vinyl fence installed that passes close behind my BBQ. The old fence was a bit farther away but the new fence is within 18 inches of the back of the BBQ and when the grill is closed the heat gets directed at the fence and I want to avoid damaging the vinyl.

Any suggestions on a good backing material I can put up against the fence to protect it from the heat? Obviously, this is outdoors so I need something that can stand up to the weather.

 

Moving the grill isn't an option?

 

No, I can't move it, it's a built-in.

Edited to add: technically it's not "permanent" but it's on a concrete pad, built on a metal structure finished with stone siding and a granite top. It is heavy and not designed to be moved around...

One nice thing is that the fence is built on a low block wall so I can set some plywood on it, leaning it against the vinyl fence without having to attach it to the fence. From that I can get an idea of how big an area needs to be protected against the heat.

 

How about some metal siding in a color that goes with what you have.
The way metal is installed behind a wood burning appliance is it is mounted against the back wall with 1 inch stand-offs to leave a space behind it.
Mounted a few inches off the ground will encourage airflow to keep the fence cool.

 

May make it easier to make suggestions if there was a picture posted so we can see what your seeing.

 

There is aluminum siding trim stock. It's thin aluminum that's available with a vinyl coating on one side. That can be formed up and screwed to the fence with an air gap between the aluminum and vinyl fence.

 

Well now, a picture would have been the intelligent and logical thing to do.
Currently I'm thinking some concrete backer board painted to be close to the same color as the fence. I can sit it on the block wall/granite and remove it as desired, maybe using a couple screws into the fence to hold it in place.
Pilot Dane, can you give me a link to an example of the trim stock? I can't find what you are referring to.

 

How about a back splash piece of granite that matches the top.

 

Hmm, good idea. Much more expensive then concrete board but that would look a lot better. Thanks for the idea!

 

Coil stock is not a great idea, it's going to oil can (buckle, look like it's wrinkled) if it's that wide.

 

Poor planning to say the least. How much room do you actually have with the lid of the grill in the open position? From this angle, it looks to be a tight fit in that regard as well. You will need something that is fire resistant at the very least like granite, or such. Also something that can take thermal shock should you decide to grill in the middle of winter. The other consideration has to do with absorption of water into the material. Heated, will that water expand and crack what ever you are using? Not sure where in California you are located. But on that note, it maybe a sheet of stainless steel that is what you need.

 

It turned out this way through a series of events that I had little control over so I have to deal with it.

Anyway, the back of the BBQ is about 15 inches from the fence. When the hood is up there is no heat directed at the fence, which is good because at the moment my grilling is with the hood up and at medium to low heat. This means I can continue to use it while I fix the issue.

With the hood down the heat vents out the back. I'll put up something cheap like cement board so I can check out how big an area gets warm when the hood is down and the heat is turned up all the way.

I'm in Southern California between LA and San Diego close enough to the beach that we don't get that cold of weather in the evening. It'll probably never be below 50 when I'm out there.

Here's the grill with the hood down:


The grill with the hood up:


Thanks again for the responses!

 

This looks like similar profile except in a free standing unit. It give some minimum clearances, however, your counter will deflect more concentrated heat than an open unit. Scoping the net, others recommend 48" to combustibles (at least a vinyl sided house).

http://content.abt.com/documents/216...cpss_specs.pdf

 

Temporary only suggestion. In my house I have aluminum foil taped to the walls above my gas space heaters. They are the old open kind with radiants. I have checked by sliding my hand underneath the foil and it does keep the wall cool.

 

I have a heat protective mat that I use when soldering copper pipe in a close area such as a wall cavity where framing materials can catch fire if not careful. You can hold the mat in one hand and apply heat to the opposite side and not get burned. Wonder if those sheets can be purchased larger format so that you can hang it only when grilling and take down when complete.

Oatey | Flame Protector - 9 Inch x 12 Inch | Home Depot Canada