How to Choose an Outdoor Fireplace

Outdoor fireplaces make cozy additions to your outdoor living space, providing a warm welcome to family and friends. A fireplace creates a focal point for any gathering, especially in cool weather. An outdoor fireplace can help you extend your outdoor grilling season well into fall by keeping your guests toasty and can itself be part of the entertainment the next time a social occasion pops up on your patio.

This guide will explain how to choose an outdoor fireplace, detailing design options and fuel types to consider.

Outdoor Fireplace Designs

When you choose a design for your outdoor fireplace, think about the overall scale of your yard and home, as well as what will suit the design of your landscape and home’s exterior. A huge outdoor fireplace would be too imposing for a small yard and will interfere with your ability to make use of your outdoor living space. Similarly, a small chimenea would get overwhelmed in a large landscape, making what might have been a focal point into a background player.

Be sure you choose an outdoor fireplace that is weather-resistant and can stand up to temperature extremes. Look for features that make maintenance simple as well. The easier the fireplace is to keep clean and serviced, the better it will operate over the long term.

There are several styles of outdoor fireplaces to select from so you can easily find the ideal setup for your outdoor living area.

Built-in outdoor fireplaces are meant to remain in one spot permanently, so they require a great deal of planning before the first brick gets laid. Permanent outdoor fireplaces can be constructed by a very experienced DIYer, but at minimum a professional consultation will result in a safer and sturdier installation.

Outdoor fireplace kits are also a good DIY option. These are sold with everything included to build the project: hearth, fireplace body, chimney, firebox, pre-cut blocks and a gas log. Assembly typically takes about 4 or 5 hours, but the result is an elegant, show-stopping landscape feature for a fraction of the cost of full professional installation.

Portable outdoor fireplaces are very DIY-friendly. Since they are enclosed, the fire is more easily controlled than in a fire pit. They are ready to use out of the box, though you should decide on a location and ensure that the placement is level and free of hazards before you light it up.

A fireplace insert is a great alternative to a standard fireplace or even a fireplace kit. Inserts incur lower costs and gas-fueled models don’t need to be vented, so they can be installed into almost any outdoor structure with the proper safety precautions. They function very efficiently and burn fuel more conservatively than their full fireplace counterparts.

Chimneys and Venting

Outdoor fireplaces are exposed to many more variables than indoor fireplaces, which makes it all the more important to properly vent an outdoor fireplace to avoid smoke hazards.

Wood-burning outdoor fireplaces produce a lot of smoke and most of these fireplaces incorporate a smoke shelf into their design to offset this. Building codes require chimney height to be tall enough to encourage proper draw; in most cases the height of the chimney must be 24 inches taller than any surrounding structure, such as a patio cover.

Outdoor gas fireplaces have two venting design options: direct vent or vent-free. Direct vent systems draw in air to facilitate combustion and release the harmful by-products to the outside air. Vent-free systems rely on a technology that is similar to a catalytic converter to clean the hot air as it is expelled from the combustion chamber. Because any harmful gases have been removed, no venting is required for safe operation.

Safety Considerations

• Check local zoning ordinances and any HOA regulations before you purchase an outdoor fireplace to be sure it complies with their guidelines.
• Obtain any necessary construction permits before installation.
• Warranties vary among brands, so do your research before you buy.
• Do not operate a portable fireplace on or near a wooden deck or any grassy areas.
• Do not move the fireplace once it has been lit.
• Keep a fire extinguisher near your fireplace and be sure that it is fully charged.

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