Upgrade Your Patio With an Outdoor Fire Pit
Patio spaces offer great opportunities for families and friends to share meals, celebrate, or relax throughout the day. When deciding on a patio setup, many people opt to add an outdoor kitchen and dining area. In this article, we’ll cover the benefits of installing a fire pit in your patio, as well as best design practices.
Benefits of an Outdoor Fire Pit
There are many reasons why you should consider a patio design with a fire pit. First, fire pits are one of the best ways to warm up your space during chilly spring and fall days. Secondly, they’re a warm and gentle light source, which means you may not have to install glaring overhead lights on your house. Lastly, outdoor fire pits add an element of relaxation to your space that you’ll enjoy for years to come.
Factors to Consider Before Installation
Just like any landscaping project, a fire pit installation should always start with an in-depth planning process. For one, if you’re under a homeowners’ association, you may have to seek approval from the board first. If you’re not under an association, you still may have to receive approval from your local government. In addition to gaining permission for this type of project, there are additional factors that you need to consider, including:
Location
A fire pit can’t just be placed anywhere. During the design and planning phase, the location of your fire pit should be top priority. In general, you should keep your fire pit 10 feet away from property lines, your house, and other flammable structures. Keep in mind that there will be some days with high wind, which may shift the flame closer to flammable structures.
Seating
In addition to the placement of the fire pit, you must also consider how many people will be using the fire pit, as well as any space limitations. There are two common types of seating areas for fire pits: built-in and standard patio furniture.
For built-in seating, you would want to construct the furniture with the same material as your fire pit. You will also want the seating to follow the shape of your outdoor fire pit. Lastly, your built-in seating should not take up more than half of the total space of the pit.
Regardless of which option you choose, it’s important to plan and design with safety and comfort in mind. You want to be sure the seating isn’t too close to the fire pit and that the type of seating is accommodating to the people who will be using it.
Type of Outdoor Fire Pit
There are two main types of fire pits: wood and gas. As you can probably guess, wood fire pits use dry wood while gas fire pits are fueled by propane.
Wood-burning fire pits are typically easier (and less expensive) to install, but they do require more routine maintenance. On the other hand, gas fire pits pose fewer fire risks and provide more consistent heating and lighting, but are more difficult to install.
Design One Landscaping
Whether they’re gas or wood-burning, outdoor fire pits can be an exceptional addition to your home. If you have any questions about fire pits, or already have some patio design ideas, turn to our experts at Design One. We’ve been providing high-quality landscaping services to homeowners and businesses in Michigan for over 30 years.
If you’re ready to get started with a free consultation and estimate, fill out our online form today.
