The human race has been fascinated with fire for thousands of years, and there is nothing more mesmerizing than staring into a fire. With an outdoor fireplace, you can transform your entertainment area into something cozier of a winter, and when the sun goes down in the summer. It will provide warmth and natural light, creating the perfect evening’s ambiance for you and your guests. However, before you go ahead and build your fireplace, there are some options you should consider.
Where To Place It
This is very important as you need to make sure you get the location right. Firstly, it should be accessible from the house and near your main entertaining area. There is no point building your amazing fireplace on the other side to where you will entertain your guests. If you have a swimming pool or a spa, it will make sense to place your fireplace nearby, to enable guests to get warm after a dip. If you have a small deck, then it would be a good idea to make it the focalized point of this, where your guest can stand nearby and get warm, or relax in chairs adjacent to it.
Design
Another important factor when deciding on an outdoor area with a fireplace. They come in different sizes and shapes, so you must design it to fit your entertainment area. They can be round, oval, square and rectangular, with some people maintaining open fireplaces. Your materials must be fireproof and you should ensure that the fire’s access point is broad enough to get logs into. If you are going to cook on it, then you need to make sure your dimensions are correct for this too. Then there is the exterior. Do you tile it, brick it or concrete it? Will you customize your fireplace with a mantle, or even wrought iron doors?
How Will You Use It?
Once you have built your fireplace, how will you use it? You should take this into consideration before you start its construction. It will become the focal point of your entertainment area, so it is imperative that you get its use correct. If you plan to have dinner parties, then you will need an outdoor table setting with chairs for your guests to sit in. If it is just for relaxing, while sipping on some fine wine, then you will need outdoor couches and big comfortable chairs.
Fuel
Most homeowners are more than happy with a wood burning fireplace that can be built anywhere out the back of their property, without the need for utility connections. Of course, a wood burning fireplace is also a cheaper option, as you only require wood. There is no need for a gas connection, that will then require strategic planning. With the gas option, you will require that gas line, and this is where expense can increase. If your fireplace is close to your home then you will only require a short gas line, but if it is down the back of your yard then you will need a trench dug to place the line safely in. That is on top of getting your local gas company round to check there are no restrictions.