An outdoor fireplace is the area which gives you the comfort and coziness that you look forward to when you are spending some time with your friends and family in your backyard or patio in the evening. If you are planning to build a fireplace outside your house, you must first inform the local authority about it. Rather, you have to check out with them whether you can build it or not. There are restrictions in some areas where fireplace is not permitted during night. In other areas, the local authority will provide you with basic guidelines that you have to follow.
The key features are the fireplace mantel, fire pit, filler panel, over-mantel, crown, header, plinth base and leg. Basically, there is not much of a difference between the designs of the outdoor and indoor fireplace. The main difference is that the outdoor fireplace uses a chimney in place of a damper. The length of the chimney should be about 5 feet.
While designing the fireplace, you have to first decide its size. It depends on two important things: the number of persons who are going to use it and the purpose for which you are going to use it, which means whether you want to use it for cooking purpose or for having some outdoor fun. Whatever be the size, the fireplace should have a wide base that can prevent spreading of the fire outside it.
The materials that are used for the construction of outdoor fireplace are masonry stone, wood, cast iron, aluminum alloy, etc. Among them, the most popular ones are those which are made of brick, stone or wood. Metal fireplace is avoided for the outdoors because the metals tend to get corroded by various weather elements very easily and do not last for a long time. If you are choosing bricks to build the fireplace, the inner lining should be made of fire bricks as they are capable of withstanding high temperatures.
Based upon the fuel used, there are two different models available for an outdoor fireplace. One is the wood burning model which is less expensive and the other is the natural gas burning model which requires good ventilation. The wood burning one makes the house and the surrounding area slightly smoky. If you do not have any problem with the smell, then you can choose the wood burning model and use dry wood as it gives out much less smoke than damp wood. Thus, you can also prevent environmental pollution to some extent.
There are two options for outdoor fire pits. One is portable and the other one is built-in or fixed. The portable one is light in weight, and can give out heat for a long time. It is more commonly used for the purpose of grilling food. The built-in or fixed fire pits are suitable for campfire.
Precautions
Fireplace safety is the primary concern for any outdoor design. After all, you can enjoy the outdoor experience peacefully only when your surroundings is safe and secured. Therefore, select the right location, and ensure that the area is at least 15 feet away from the building of your house. Moreover, it should also be kept away from trees, plants, overhangs or any electrical gadgets. This will prevent spreading of fire when there is a strong wind. It is advisable to keep a few essential items like gloves, a garden hose pipe and some insulating materials in the nearby area, so that in case of any emergency, the fire can be brought under control immediately.
When you plan the design for your indoor fireplace, you keep in mind the interior decoration of your house. Likewise, the design should also merge well with the exteriors of your house and also with the overall home decor.
