An outdoor fireplace might be the perfect idea to enjoy the rest of the summer. But a fireplace serves one single purpose; to keep you warm and comfy when it’s chilly.
No doubt designing one will put a lot of things into perspective. It will give you a clear idea of where it goes, how to make it, and how it will look.
So, if you’re void of inspirations and need a bit of help then we have the perfect article for you. In this article, we are going to give you our 5 tips for designing the perfect outdoor fireplace.
Why Install One?
Before we tell you the hows and whats, let’s talk about why you should own a fireplace.
We mentioned that it serves the purpose of keeping you warm. While this is the primary role of a fireplace, many secondary roles occur spontaneously by having one.
Namely, this is something that will drastically increase the curb appeal of your garden or backyard. If you already have a sitting area, then both will complement each other and create something coming straight out of a movie.
You’d be surprised to find out how soothing and relaxing owning an outdoor fireplace can be.
And that’s precisely why you need to think long and hard when designing it. Now that we’ve gotten it out of the way, here are our 5 tips.
1. Picking the Right Location
This is quite possibly the most important thing to pay attention to when designing it. You don’t want to make a mistake and place it somewhere where it won’t serve any purpose.
Finding the perfect location is key for an enjoyable autumn night with friends and family. The location in question needs to have strong wind and rain protection, and have even better drainage.
Autumns aren’t exactly the best of times, and picking a location that’s exposed to rain can cause problems. Even if you have settled for a location that isn’t perfect, you can always make changes around it to accommodate it.
But ideally, you’d want the thing to be inside one of your outdoor walls (if you have any) and away from any trees and the house. This way, you are eliminating the risk of catching fire and subsequently protecting yourself.
2. Choose the Right Type
There are two types of fireplaces. You have those that burn on gas, and those that burn on wood. You might be more familiar with the latter, but we’ll get into mode detail with both.
A gas-powered fireplace is pretty self-explanatory. It uses gas as the primary source of fuel and many describe this as very convenient. With this type of unit, you don’t want to worry about smoke or wood.`
The latter choice is more commonly known and doesn’t require any introduction. You chop or buy wood and use that as fuel for the fireplace. The problem with this one is that you need to modify the chimney to properly release the fumes from the wood.
One huge mistake rookie DIYers make is failing to make the smoke go up through their design. Also, you need to find an answer on how to make the thing properly draw.
But all of this is very hard work and lots of people find it overwhelming. Because of that FireinStyle has a complete review of the best fireplaces to buy, so make sure to check it out.
3. Be Creative
Using your creativity will separate you from having an aesthetically pleasing and a boring fireplace. Since this is a pretty important addition to your garden or backyard, it’s important to pay more attention to the design.
You can get really inspired by looking up images on Pinterest. The only way to increase the curb appeal of your home is to create wonderful additions.
A poor, boring, and outright, ugly addition will only devaluate your home. And the only way for you to eliminate this issue is to think long and hard.
Like we said, get inspired by looking at what other people have created. Don’t think of it as copying as no one will take issue if you completely copy an idea.
The important thing is to be creative and smart when designing the fireplace.
4. Consider the Size
You also need to think long and hard about the size of the fireplace. This one is rather easy to determine as all you need to do is look around you. Do you have a big yard and a huge patio? If so, then you need to go big as well.
If you’re fairly limited in terms of size, then settle for something smaller and more convenient. Just remember, the bigger the unit the bigger the upkeep costs.
5. Make Sure to Have Enough Room
This one isn’t really a tip about designing the fireplace, but more about the things around it.
For example, nearly every fireplace is built around a patio or something similar. That means that you need to have sufficient seating when people come to visit you.
No doubt a fireplace will make you more popular amongst friends and family, and that will result in them inviting themselves as guests. But what use is a fireplace if you don’t have the proper seating to accommodate all of your guests?
That’s why you need to put some time into designing the patio around it. A fireplace and a patio complement each other and one cannot work without it.
While some will say that a patio doesn’t need a fireplace, the same people cannot disagree that a fireplace needs a patio or any other seating area.
That’s why you need to pay a lot of attention to the first point we made. Choosing the location and having sufficient seating are two of the most important things to take note of.
Conclusion
Having an outdoor fireplace is quite possibly the best way to make use of empty space in your yard. It is also an even better excuse to erect a wonderful patio or create an outdoor sitting area. But there are ways to go about it when designing the fireplace and these tips will help you along the way.
