Blog, Newsletter // April 6th, 2010
Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits – the basics
With the growing popularity of outdoor rooms, many homeowners are choosing to bring the warmth and ambience of fire into the back yard or patio with an outdoor fireplace or fire pit. While either can be a stunning centrepiece to an outdoor space, each is unique in personality, ease of installation and cost.
Outdoor fireplaces are substantial ‘built-ins’ and can really anchor an outdoor room as a fireplace would a living room. They can be constructed to define a space, creating scale and division and are often the design features that dictate the feel of an outdoor room. Furthermore, outdoor fireplaces add solid, measurable value to a home.
From an installation perspective, outdoor fireplaces require choosing the appropriate fuel (natural gas, propane, wood, pellet, etc) and building the structure accordingly. This can be a more traditional masonry firebox or a framed assembly to house a prefabricated fireplace unit. In either case, there is tremendous design flexibility in ‘dressing up’ box. Solus concrete mantels and cladding may all be used in exterior applications to create substantial and integrated fireplace structures. High-performance concrete is naturally durable and suitable for all climates and like other natural materials, it will age and patina in harmony with its environs. As outdoor fireplaces are permanent fixtures, they require planning and spatial design to ensure that the desired look and feel is achieved.
Outdoor fire pits also make stunning focal points for outdoor rooms, though with a decidedly different feel. Where fireplaces can create a room-like space, fire pits are more reminiscent of a campfire. Fireplaces divide and define space, fire pits are hubs or gathering points that space radiates outwards from. Fire pits generally cost less than outdoor fireplaces and tend to offer greater placement options. They provide a primal kind of ambience and can be substantial heat sources and above all, fire pits encourage gathering.
Fire pits are generally constructed on site as custom, ‘built-ins’ or portable, self-contained units. Solus Fire Pits combine the best of both worlds. They are shipped complete, ready to be placed and connected to your natural gas or propane line. And as with all of our concrete products, our fire pits offer a balance of clean, contemporary lines and a substantial, organic aesthetic that blends harmoniously with most outdoor spaces.
Whether fireplace or fire pit, adding a fire feature to an outdoor space can drastically affect its feel and usability.