Nothing may more relaxing than spending an evening outdoors sitting in front of a roaring fire with a group of friends and family.
Whether it’s located on an extended patio of an open back yard, installing a fire pit with the help of a general contractor can be one way to add visual interest and value to your home.
According to the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association, the addition of hearths and fire pits into the backyards of Americans have helped turn outdoor living into a $6.2 billion industry, with one-third of all the money spent on home remodeling going towards outdoor living projects.
What many homeowners still aren’t clear about, however, is the best way to go about installing a hearth or fire pit. After all, with so many styles to choose from, and safety issues to consider, the installation of a pit can seem daunting for many.
With proper guidance from a qualified general contractor, however, the process of installing an outdoor fire pit can be made easy.
Location
Safety should be the biggest consideration when selecting an outdoor fire pit. Because of this, homeowners must select a location for their pit that is free from dangerous contaminants and flammable objects.
Although the easiest option may seem to be simply digging a hole in your lawn, adding lining and starting a fire, this practice is actually against the fire code in many cities across the country. Before moving forward with the project, homeowners are encouraged to clear the intended fire pit area of anything hanging overhead—such as tree branches—and call the utility company, who should be able to send a representative to ensure no buried lines or cables are underneath the potential fire pit location.
Once you have gotten the go-ahead from the utility company and verified with local officials that it is acceptable to build a fire pit in your location, you are ready to move on to the next step.
Uses
The type of fire pit that a general contractor installs will be largely based on what the homeowner plans to use it for. For example, some families hope to build an outdoor fire pit to roast marshmallows, while others yearn to cook pizza outdoors. Most commonly, families simply seek to have an outdoor gathering spot for relaxation and conversation.
Usually, a contractor can help guide you in the right direction in terms of fire pit products once he understands the pit’s intended uses. For example, homeowners hoping to cook pizzas in an outdoor oven will likely need a bricklayer to make that happen. Meanwhile, a family who simply wants to put their feet up and relax next to the fire will have the widest available options since nearly any in-ground pit will do.
Traditional or Gas
Some outdoor fire pits that come pre-made start with the help of natural gas rather than logs. Whether a homeowner chooses to go with a traditional outdoor fire pit or one that uses gas is a matter of personal choice, although anyone who enjoys roasting marshmallows or cooking food over an open flame will likely be more satisfied with a traditional fire over gas. Still, families who don’t want to worry about the hassle of cleaning up may enjoy a gas pit since it involves much less work and cleanup. In addition, fire pits using natural gas do not require wood to burn, lessening the need to keep a stockpile of logs available at all times.
Landscaping
The installation of an outdoor fire pit is not complete until the area around it looks inviting and ready for company. One of the quickest ways to do this is by getting new landscaping, accent lighting, and outdoor living furniture. For optimal effect, homeowners should choose plants and trees that change in color with the season (and smell inviting), lighting that provides safety without being obtrusive, and patio furniture that feels comfortable enough for people to sit for long periods of time.
More than anything else, however, the outdoor fire pit—and the space around it—should reflect the entire family as a whole, since these are the people whose enjoyment of the area is the most important.
