Archive for June 10th, 2010
Some Reasons Why you Should Install an Outdoor Firepit for Your Yard
An outdoor firepit will make a perfect addition to your home if you have a spacious backyard or patio. Like a fireplace, the outdoor firepit uses various devices to confine the fire 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 since the fire is contained at all times, firepits are very safe to use. That means that you can put the fire pit quite close to your garden tables 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. If you have a spacious outdoor area, consider a large permanent installation complete with seating so you can hang around the firepit; if space is at a premium, however, you may have to content yourself with a portable firepit that you can store in the garage when not in use. There should also be enough space around the firepit so that people can move around it without getting burned.
Your budget is the next consideration. 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 you can think about the look of your firepit; what materials would you like to use? 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 plus size jumpers. The firepit can also be built of brick and then finished with stone on the outside. Also, how will the firepit look with the environment in which it will be installed? 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. While this may cost you more up-front, you may save more money in the long run by avoiding costly repairs due to defective installation. Ask the contractor you’re considering for referrals and ask them if they were happy with the job he did for them.
While an outdoor firepit may seem like an unnecessary expense, particularly in these hard times, the many happy hours your family and friends will spend around it will make the cost more than worthwhile.
