What To Look For in an Outdoor Fireplace

Installing an outdoor fireplace in your backyard offers entertainment year-round! When you’re considering expanding your home’s square footage into the great outdoors, there are a few factors to consider. Here’s what to look for in an outdoor fireplace!

Yard Space

When you’re thinking about whether you want to enjoy a fireplace year-round, you have to take into consideration the size of your backyard. Is there room for a fireplace? Or would a fire pit make more sense for your space? It’s essential to decide which structure would look more proportional to your yard and to landscaping elements such as trees, gardens, and decks.

Deck

If you want to install a fireplace on your deck, you must determine if your deck is big enough—and whether it’s combustible. Proportionally, a fireplace shouldn’t overwhelm the deck, just as a free-standing fireplace shouldn’t dominate your yard. For smaller decks and patios, you might install a small fire pit instead.

Typically, a fireplace on a deck can use existing architecture to support the structure. As for safety, both composite and wood decks can support fireplaces with heat barriers.

Open-Air vs. Self-Contained

After you have an idea of where you’d like the fireplace to go, you’ll need to consider other fire hazards such as low-hanging tree branches or nearby awnings. You might want to consider a self-contained fireplace rather than an open-air variety if embers potentially floating into your neighbors’ yards is a concern.

Function

How will you use your outdoor fireplace? Will you mainly use it for cooking or simply for heat when you’re gathering outside with family and friends? Determining the primary use for a fireplace before installation will help the contractor narrow down your options. Wood-burning fireplaces will offer more heat and options for simple cooking, such as roasting marshmallows. For more involved cooking, you’ll want a fireplace with a grille or grate. Some fire pits can double as simple grills, while more complex fireplaces can cook ribs or even bake pizzas.

Contact Kona Contractors for an outdoor fireplace in Denver! We’ll guide you through what to look for in an outdoor fireplace, from design to installation. Whatever your primary purpose is for an outdoor fireplace, we’ll help you build it.