Fire Pit or Outdoor Fireplace?

Your patio was built to extend your living area out beyond the walls of your home… you put your heart into choosing the perfect outdoor furniture, fixtures, and lighting. Now, you’re looking for the pièce de résistance to put the cherry on the top, as it were. It’s a question that most home owners may have found themselves facing: should they get a fire pit, or an outdoor fireplace? Luckily for you, American Deck & Sunroom can take care of both of these outdoor fixtures! Enjoy the warmth on a cool summer evening, entertain friends or make s’mores with the kids with a outdoor fire place or fire pit. The possibilities are endless… just add fire!

Fire Pit

These can be located almost anywhere on your property, since they don’t have a chimney. Fire pits can entertain a large number of people at a time, since people can circle around the fire pit and face one another. Fire pits also make it easier to add more seats around the area, whereas fireplaces may need couches or heavier chairs.

Fire pits can burn wood or gas, and won’t obstruct the view of your property. Because of this, however, they’re less private, and don’t block wind. Since they don’t have chimneys, there are no building codes or chimney requirements to consider. Fire pits are also typically less expensive, since they require less materials and less labor than fireplaces. Fire pits are typically more for socialization and enjoyment with friends and family.

Outdoor Fireplace

These can be custom-built to any size. Outdoor fireplaces can be a great source of warmth, but usually have a limitation of 4 to 6 people who can enjoy the heat at a time. However, adding an outdoor fireplace (of stone or brick) instantly adds a sense of class and style to an outdoor room. Outdoor fireplaces are more intimate and romantic than fire pits.

Outdoor fireplaces are more private, and can burn wood, propane, or gas. They also block the wind, which could cause embers to scatter about in a fire pit. They do, however, require code regulations and permits because they have a chimney. Gas fireplaces don’t require a chimney, but do require a gas line. Fireplaces are typically more expensive, because they require more materials and labor. Built-in fireplaces definitely offer an extra boost of aesthetic appeal that a free-standing fire pit won’t.

Remember…

No matter your architectural needs or whether you choose a fire pit or outdoor fireplace (or both!), American Deck & Sunroom can provide you with a custom design that will increase the worth of your home, will blend seamlessly with your existing architecture, and will last a lifetime. Many homes benefit from the beauty of both of these custom architectural additions.

At American Deck & Sunroom, we don’t build houses. We don’t just build a fire pit or outdoor fireplace. What we do is design and build beautiful outdoor spaces…extensions of your home that flow with your existing property and architecture. And because we specialize, we go beyond the, “If you can dream it, we can build it,” catchphrase often quoted. After nearly 20 years in business and nearly 13,000 designs and counting, we have the experience to design outdoor spaces you’ve never even dreamed possible.

Sources: 1, 2