With the weather finally cooling off, fall is a prime time to use your outdoor living spaces. A fire feature can really enhance your entertainment experiences. Here are some things to consider when planning your outdoor fire feature project.
Why?
Humans have been gathering around fire since the beginning of time. In the evening, a fire can take the chill off the air, give kids a place to make s’mores and provide a gathering area for adults to enjoy their favorite beverage and catch up with old friends. Some even entertain prospects, clients, and referral partners around their fire feature in order to build strong relationships by spending quality time together outdoors.
What?
There are several types of fire features to choose from.
A fireplace with a big screen TV over the mantel.
Fireplace
We can build a fireplace into a wall on your outdoor living space complete with a mantelpiece. Some of our clients have a big screen TV over the mantle so they can stay warm around the fireplace while watching the Chiefs win another game.
A fire pit overlooking a lake.
Fire Pit
A fire pit is a more economical way to include the element of flames and heat around a pool or on a patio without a wall. We typically install fire pits between 12” and 16” tall to be slightly lower than seating height so you can put your feet up and get cozy and warm. These pits can be above-ground or even sunken in the ground. Just make sure to have a plan for draining the water.
Fire Table
If you need flexibility in your outdoor space, you may be interested in a fire table. These features are typically gas with some type of lava rock or glass beads. They can be at seating height or bar height and serve a dual use as a table when not in use. These can also be a great place to roast marshmallows or hotdogs.
A fire bowl over an infinity pool.
Fire/Water Combo
If you have a pool, we can build a fire bowl on a ledge above the pool. Seeing the water and fire together makes a nice glow inside. We can also create a stand-alone fountain bowl that incorporates fire as well. The combination of these elements can give your outdoor space that special feature that everyone will be talking about.
How?
Now that you know the choices of what type of fire you want, here are some additional things to explore.
Shape
Fire can be held in all types of shapes. Square and rectangular shapes are usually fire boxes, while round shapes are fire bowls. We can also build a custom shape for you if you have one in mind.
Our latest fire pit project with the client’s family connecting and conversing outdoors.
Woodburning vs. Natural Gas
Woodburning fires are traditional and smell wonderful. However, sourcing firewood and storing it can be a challenge at times. In addition, woodburning fires are very smoky and can leave your clothes smelling smoky. You may have to move around the space a lot to avoid the smoke as the wind blows.
Natural gas fires pollute less. While they cost more initially to install than woodburning fireplaces, they pay that investment back the more they are used. Wood is expensive, while gas is much cheaper. Some people miss the smell of wood and say a gas fire just isn’t the same. We tend to urge them for gas lines even if it is a log lighter. It is nearly impossible to add a natural gas line later to a fire pit that is already built.
Properly done, a gas fire can look very much like a woodburning fire. You can have the flames come through lava rock or glass beads if you want it to look showy. You can even purchase expertly made gas logs that would fool most people. In addition, you can scatter some wood pellets in the gas fire feature to create the desired smell without as much pollution if you want.
Refractory firebrick is another option. Fire bricks are usually used to line a fireplace or fire pit. They are mostly clay with alumina or mullite in low quantities. If the fire pit will be used as something very hot, like a pizza oven or pottery kiln, you need refractory fire bricks, which are usually made from silicon carbide, alumina, zirconia, or a high amount of mullite. These bricks hold up to extremely high temperatures better than fire bricks, and they help to keep the stone, brick, or block from failing due to high temperatures.
Since we did our article on fire features last October, we have been getting a lot of questions about whether to use wood or natural gas when installing new fire features. Here are the pros and cons of each so you can make up your mind on what you want to install.
Wood-Burning Fire Features
Wood fires smell wonderful as they crackle in the fire feature. Unfortunately, that smell means particulates are going into your outdoor living space and out of the chimney. Wood fires are more polluting than natural gas. They also need constant attention to make sure the fire does not go out or start something on fire.
Wood-burning fire features can burn a lot of wood. That means you have to buy or cut wood and stack it somewhere in your yard. The wood has to be stored properly, or critters will start to live in it. It also has to be brought into the outdoor living area when you want a fire and kept dry during rain or other inclement weather.
Wood-burning fire features can be customized more easily. They can be located without worrying about whether there is a gas line nearby.
Pros
Cons
Wonderful smell
Must source and store wood
The wonderful sound of crackling wood.
It takes skill to start a wood fire
Traditional
Must be constantly tended
More easily customizable
More polluting
Produces ash that must be disposed of regularly
The chimney must be inspected and cleaned yearly.
An ember can ignite and start a fire.
Natural Gas Fire Features
While natural gas fires don’t have the smell and crackle of wood, there are very realistic artificial logs that are mesmerizing to watch. Natural gas is less polluting than wood to burn, and you don’t have to store a stack of it in your yard. You will be able to adjust the heat and flames coming out of your gas fire feature by simply turning the gas higher or lower. Natural gas fire features can be used where it is not practical to use wood, such as along a bar, so guests can watch it while they eat. Natural gas is also easier to cook with than a wood fire because the temperature and height of the flames are more easily controlled.
In addition, natural gas fire features are very easy to start. You simply turn on the gas and light it with a match. Your gas bill will increase, but you won’t have to buy wood. Natural gas fire features are easier to install than wood fire features, but you will need a licensed plumber to connect the gas line to the fire feature.
Pros
Cons
Less polluting
Natural gas lines must be installed by a licensed plumber
No wood to source or store
It doesn’t smell or sound like a wood fire
Turn on and enjoy
Must be inspected and cleaned yearly
Easier to install
Not as easily customizable
More efficient in heating area
Easier to use for a first-time fire feature user
Safer with no embers to catch fire
We Can Help
At Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping, we install both wood-burning and natural gas-fired fire features. We will be happy to discuss the pros and cons of both types of fire features as they relate to your outdoor living space. When you decide on the fire feature you want, our skilled Blue Crew will be happy to install it for you. If you are thinking of having a fire feature installed, schedule a consult today to have one of us help you design and install the perfect fire feature for your needs.
Imagine your family huddled around a roaring fire in the cool fall evening air. You share stories and roast marshmallows for a sweet smores treat. Everyone’s phones and screens are put away for the moment and you are connecting and enjoying each other’s company. Laughing and bonding around an essential element that has been around for millions of years.
There are many ways to bring fire into the landscape. These fire features vary by shape and size, from wood-burning to gas-fueled. Some with lava rock, glass beads, or gas logs. Read on for our most popular ideas to integrate fire into your landscape.
Fire Pits
Fire pits are usually above-ground structures built of stone or other pleasing rock. The fire is built in a depression in the center. Some fire pits are recessed in a hole in the patio. Built-in benches or chairs usually ring the pit. This pit helps warm up the area surrounding it. You can toast marshmallows or enjoy the fire just as if it were built on a campground.
Fire Tables
If cooking or sharing food is a major part of being outside with friends, you can have a fire table. These have a burner, usually fed by gas, that can be cooked over. The burners can be round or in a line, whichever fits the table’s shape. The fire warms the area of the table. If the fire is not needed, the table can be used without it.
Fireplaces
Fireplaces can be a warm place to share your landscape. A fireplace can hide any unsightly views. It can also be a place to mount a large television or an impressive mantel. Storage boxes for wood and a hearth can be included in the wall that holds the fireplace. Fireplaces tend to be the most expensive option for adding fire into the landscape. Care should be taken to design the fireplace to fit with the style and architecture of the home.
Pizza Oven
If you love pizza, bread, and other baked goods, you may want an outdoor pizza oven. Nothing tastes like a pizza cooked over a wood fire. Not only can you make wood-fired pizza, but the oven also puts off a lot of heat to keep you warm in your landscape. There are many types of pizza ovens for the outdoors. Many come with some very nice features, such as an internal temperature gauge so you can keep from burning your food.
Other Fire Features
We can custom-build other fire features. Some requests include fire bowls, fire boulders, and fire/water combinations. Putting a fire element inside a water element can be a dramatic conversation piece. A fire floating in a pond or in the center of a fountain makes those features more interesting. Fire can also backlight a waterfall, making the water glow as it falls.
Tiki Torches
Tiki torches can surround a patio or deck to add light with ambiance. Permanent torches may run off gas. Other more temporary torches can be filled with oil scented with citronella. The smell of this burning oil helps keep the mosquitoes at bay so you can enjoy the outdoors more.
Fire ignites something primal in people. It seems to represent safety – from predators and humans with ill intent – and warmth. Of course, you don’t have to worry about either type of predator in your landscape. However, tapping into those feelings with the use of fire elements in the landscape makes your landscape more inviting. Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping can build these and many other fire elements for you. Our crew includes skilled stonemasons, plumbers, and contractors to convert your vision into reality. Contact Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping today to schedule a consult and find out what we can build for you.
