Reasons To Build an Outdoor Fireplace
Late summer and early fall are the best times to build a bonfire. If you’re trying to build bonfires regularly, it might not be a bad idea to invest in an outdoor fireplace.
Besides being generally easy to purchase and place, outdoor fireplaces provide a number of improvements and opportunities for your outdoor living space. There are so many different kinds of outdoor fire places, you won’t have any problem finding one that fits your backyard!
Why You Should Build An Outdoor Fireplace
Fireplaces Are Relaxing
Whether you’re drinking a hot (or cold) drink, reading, our just lounging, fireplaces are relaxing inside and out. When you take the fireplace outside, you get the added benefits of being outdoors. The calm crackle of a fire in the privacy and comfort of your own backyard provides you with your very own retreat.
When you’re creating your outdoor fireplace area, consider having built in benches, or investing in some comfortable and durable outdoor chairs. A weather tight box to store blankets and cushions will give you all the coziness you need.
Give Your Yard a Personal Touch
Outdoor fireplaces can be built to any specifications. From rustic to elegant and everything in between, you can find different outdoor fireplace designs to fit your personal style. You can even look into outdoor fireplace construction if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on something customized.
Often, a well built fireplace becomes the focal point of your backyard. If you want it to be something more than some stacked stone, you may want to consider getting an outdoor fireplace kit.
Entertaining Friends
Outdoor fire pits can also provide plenty of opportunity for entertaining family and friends. Simply add some chairs or blankets around the space, and you have a great place for you and your friends to hang out! Fall bonfires are a great way to enjoy the cooling season without getting too cold.
Use Your Outdoor Space Longer
An outdoor fireplace extends the usable season of your yard or patio. Here in Central Virginia, many fall and spring days would be too cold to enjoy being outdoors for long. But your outdoor fireplace can provide a warm gathering place so that you and your family can enjoy the benefits of being outside more often.
You Can Cook On Outdoor Fire Places
Your outdoor fireplace is the perfect place to roast marshmallows and hot dogs, make s’mores, and enjoy the fun of cooking outdoors. S’mores are a fun treat to make with the whole family, just make sure you have something to roast your marshmallows on.
If you lose power, you can always build a fire in your wood burning fire place to make a tasty meal. You can turn an inconvenience into an adventure.
One thing to be aware of is that gas fireplaces cannot be used for cooking. Grease and drippings can drip on the burners, causing issues with your propane burning fire pit.
Smoke is a Bug Repellant
Having a wood-burning fireplace outside produces smoke to repel mosquitoes and other insects, keeping you and your guests more comfortable and relaxed.
If you add certain herbs to the fire, such as lavender, mint, lemon balm, and citronella, it will be even more effective! Dampen the plants beforehand so that they produce more smoke.
Again, this is only really helpful for wood burning fire places since gas fires don’t tend to smoke much. Do not put herbs on a gas burning fire! Use a citronella candle or two to prevent bugs instead.
These are only a few of the advantages to having your own outdoor fireplace. Your opportunities are absolutely limitless! Just make sure you stay safe when building wood fires or using natural gas to power your flames.
