Fire Pits: The Perfect Catalyst for Good Conversation and an Excuse to Relax Outdoors
As much as I love summer and all the fun that comes with it, sleeping on hot summer nights is not exactly a pleasant experience; you are restless because it’s too hot and you can’t leave the air-conditioner working for a whole night because it will eventually freeze you. That’s the main reason why I love the in-between seasons like spring and autumn; you can sleep tight without being troubled by room temperature and more importantly, you can enjoy the chilly nights outside without freezing to death.
And talking about enjoying chilly spring/autumn nights, nothing is as good as a friends gathering around outside fire pits; wrapped in warm, cozy blankets with the fire warming your feet and a glass of wine in your hands – a perfectly spent night in the comfort of your backyard. Owning a large backyard is a real blessing, it gives you the freedom to use it any way you want to, organizing all sorts of events. Thus, choosing from the large offer of outside fire pits on the market should be a task you should look forward to – after all, we’re talking about decorating your little piece of paradise. To make an informed decision, here’s what you should consider:
The Basics
The most important thing you need to determine before buying an outside fire pit is the type: which one would best fit your idea and your available space? You can choose from two basic types of outside fire pits: portable and permanent installation. Portable fire pits can be moved, are a lot less expensive, thus are very convenient. The next thing is choosing the working mode: gas or wood burning? Burning wood requires certain environmental conditions that need to be first fulfilled; you can’t just burn wood and put the entire neighbourhood in smoke. And finally, material: choose something that will be rust resistant and that offers heat retention.
Plan the Location of the Fire Pit
When I talk about the location of the fire pit, I refer to the dimensions you need to consider while placing it. You need to place it at least 3 meters away from the house and leave about 1.8 metres diameter around it so you can place the outdoor seating set.
The Surface
I think this is more than obvious – you can’t place your fire pit on a wooden surface, right? It’s not safe and it can cause you severe damage. Instead, choose gravel, brick or stone surface to place your fire pit on; these are neutral surfaces that don’t interact with fire, so you will not have to worry about burning your house down.
Wood and Stone Fire Burners
Details like these are what makes the whole fire pit-gathering-around experience an amazing one. For example, cherry wood smells amazing and doesn’t spark much like pine wood does and this is a very important fact to keep in mind when you buy wood. For gas outside fire pits, lava rocks and fire glass are the best choice. The most important thing to remember here is that whichever type of rock you use for your fire pit, you must make sure it’s not wet. Remember, heated wet rocks tend to explode.
