An outdoor firepit will make a perfect addition to your home if you have a spacious backyard or patio. An outdoor firepit is essentially a fireplace in which various devices are used to keep the fire confined within a certain area. Fires are built in the pit using wood, gas or charcoal.
The advantages of an outdoor firepit are obvious. On holidays, you can hold outdoor barbecue parties with family and friends; you can even enjoy sleepovers in the open. And they are very safe to use, since the fire is contained at all times. That means that you can put the fire pit quite close to your garden table and chairs and keep warm while enjoying the outdoors.
There are many types of outdoor fire pit, the most common of which is the campfire or stone fire pit, which basically consists of a hole in the ground where the fire is built, surrounded by a ring of stones to keep the fire inside the pit. Then there are brick firepits, in which the fire is built inside a structure of cinderblocks or bricks on top of which a metal grill can be placed for barbecuing, and chimney firepits which are designed like indoor fireplaces. You can also buy portable tabletop firepits, which are essentially outdoor barbecue grills, or a gas fire pit which uses natural gas or propane. No matter what type of outdoor gas firepits you choose, know that you will have a great addition to your yard.
When thinking about what type of outdoor firepit to install in your home, your main consideration is the how much space that you have for it. A large permanent installation with seating is appropriate for homes with spacious outdoor areas so that guests can hang out in the firepit; homeowners with smaller spaces, however, will have to be contented with a portable firepit which they can store in the garage when they are not using it. There should also be enough space around the firepit so that people can move around it without getting burned.
Another consideration is your budget. Permanent built-in firepits can cost you thousands of dollars while a portable firepit may only set you back a couple of hundred. On the other hand, you can also consider the price of the firepit as an investment, since it will significantly increase the value of your home if you ever decide to sell it.
Then, think about what materials you will use to create the look of your firepit. Although the obvious choice is brick, using stone can make the firepit look more attractive. Stone is available in a wide variety of types and colors. You can find stone in almost as many colors as there are for women’s jumpers. You can also build the firepit of brick and then finish the outside with stone. Also, will the firepit complement the environment in which you install it? A stone firepit works well with rustic backyards, while a copper firepit is better suited to a modern patio.
Finally, should you hire a professional or install the firepit yourself? The basic skills of most home do-it-yourself addicts is sufficient for basic firepits while professionals should take on more complicated installations. In particular, you should call in a professional contractor if the firepit you intend to build uses natural gas. Although you may spend more money, in the long run you will save more as installation by an expert will avoid costly repairs due to faulty installation later on. Be sure to check out the builder you’re hiring by asking for referrals and checking with them to see if they’re happy with the job the builder has done for them.
Although in these hard times, an outdoor firepit may seem like a frivolous expense, the many happy hours your family and friends will spend around it makes the price more than worthwhile.