Whether you’ve seen a fire pit nicely displayed at your local home improvement store or in your neighbor’s yard you may be tempted by them — and it’s not hard not to be. After all outdoor fireplaces provide a great centerpiece for a gathering or a quiet, relaxing evening. They provide a cozy, inviting atmosphere while they also offer comforting warmth on a slightly chilly evening.
While the original style of fire pit was pretty rudimentary with several rocks surrounding a hole in the ground, the outdoor fire pits of today offer a wide range of options from rustic to elegant. You can easily find patio fire pits to match any look you want to create in your back yard patio or outdoor room.
Advantages Of An Outdoor Gas Fire Pit
Outdoor gas fire pits are a good choice if you live in an area that has wood burning fire restrictions, but before you purchase any type of outdoor fireplace make sure you know what is allowed in your specific area.
A gas fire pit has a few advantages over a wood burning fire pit. It burns cleaner so you don’t have to worry about smoke drifting in your face or in your neighbor’s direction, and you also won’t have worry about cleaning the ash from it so it doesn’t blow into your yard. Both starting and extinguishing a fire is easy with gas fire pits, so if you only have a little time to sit outside you can still enjoy your outdoor fireplace without spending too much time lighting it and putting it out. They also allow you to have better control over the size of the fire, often with the easy use of a remote.
With an gas outdoor fire pit you can also make use of fire glass to create a distinct look, instead of using the more commonly seen gas logs or lava rocks.
Types of Gas Fire Pits
When it comes to gas fire pits you have a couple of choices based on the type of fuel you prefer. There are outdoor propane fire pits and natural gas fire pits. A propane fire pit is typically a little more versatile and many styles work well as a portable fireplace. Since varying sizes of propane tanks are usually easy to find a propane portable fire pit is something you can even take to a friend’s house or camping. If you have natural gas in your home you can have a professional run a gas line out to your natural gas fire pit so you have a constant fuel source without having to replace gas tanks.
If you want more of a fixed structure you can find an outdoor fireplace kit that will make it easier to install. Many outdoor fireplace kits provide a base structure that you can customize with things like brick or stone.
Before you start shopping think a little about what you want from your outdoor gas fire pit, and don’t forget to look at fire pit covers to protect your patio fireplace. You’ll be glad you did when you’re sitting around it enjoying a cozy fire.