- Posted in: Outdoor Entertaining on 09/02/2011
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With Labor Day around the corner, many people are preparing for a party. It’s time to go shopping for food and decoration, get plenty of drinks, and setting up your grill to cook plenty of burgers and hot dogs. But before you start all of your preparations and grill, here are a few tips to help you enjoy your party safely.
- DO NOT position your grill directly under an awning.
- The biggest safety hazard is having an open flame near anything flammable, including trees, clothing and even retractable awnings. We recommend that there is a 10 feet difference between the grill and anything above it. Our standard front height of a retractable awning is 7 feet. Below are a couple of photos from a homeowner who grilled under his awning. We do not recommend grilling under your awning, since the fabric is flammable. If you do have the desire to grill under your awning, the smoke from the grill can create dirt and soot on your awning fabric.
- Shade your entire picnic or buffet tables during your party.
- Since your Labor Day parties can last for several hours and even into the dark hours of the night, it is really common to leave food out all day, from pasta salad to uncooked meat to dips. Having shade from your retractable awning over your food table can lower the temperature as much as 20 degrees. This makes it safer to leave food like meat and salads out and keep lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles crisper and fresher.
- Arrange seating on decks and by swimming areas under a retractable awning.
- Most sunburns are first degree burns, and any sunburns with blisters are second degree burns. Water from swimming heightens the effect that the sun has on your skin and also washes off much of the sun block. Position seating areas under an awning on your deck or around a pool provides needed protection from the sun. Awnings aid in the prevention of sun-induced damage to skin; and most awning fabrics have earned the skin cancer seal of approval.
- Clean off your retractable awnings with cool water from a garden hose.
- If your retractable awning becomes soiled from the smoke of your grill, simply rinse off with a garden hose. But be careful not to spray the end of the awning with the motor. For more tips on how to clean your awning, check out our blog – 8 Tips to Help You Clean Your Awning. Remember never use undiluted bleach on your awning!