Designing an Outdoor Fireplace

Published March 5, 2012 | By Jane

One style outdoor fireplace in stone

Designing an outdoor fireplace is one way to make an backyard patio into an extension of your living space. These structures really create the feel of an outdoor room. The warmth they offer can extend outdoor living into cooler times of the day — or year. And they add the illusion of a wall to your backyard patio.

In some areas of the country building an outdoor fireplace is more difficult due to air quality restrictions. Be sure to check your county’s codes before designing one into your landscape.

Then look around at all the possibilities. There are many styles of prefabricated outdoor fireplaces that are not too difficult for a do-it-yourselfer to assemble. Most are better put together by a contractor.

You can also find plans for an outdoor fireplace in books and on the internet to build from scratch. Always be careful with structures that will handle gas lines or open fires. Safety is paramount in both the designing and the construction of the outdoor fireplace.

Sizes and materials can vary. Design in an outdoor fireplace that is in proportion to the space you have. You don’t want it to overwhelm your space or look lost. Choose materials that blend with other parts of your hardscape reflecting the same kind of stone, colors or finishes that are being used on walls, flooring or other parts of the garden.

A well designed fireplace will offer sufficient space to allow comfortable seating where the heat can be enjoyed. It can be situated so it blocks an undesirable view or it can become the focal point of your outdoor room. Make it blend into the garden with decorative potted plants to soften the outside edges. And be sure to design it in a location where the heat or potential sparks will not be dangerous to home or surrounding property.

Do your research. Outdoor fireplaces can vary widely in cost and appearances. Some are built of cast concrete, some of metal, and others with the look of wood. Use your style of fireplace to punch up a theme. A rustic style outdoor fireplace built of wood or brick will blend in well with a woodland or cottage feel. Go ultra modern with a contemporary house, or stick to stucco for a Mediterranean look. You can make a statement by painting your fireplace an bright color, or blend it into part of an outdoor room like a living room wall.

The most important parts to designing an outdoor fireplace are to situate it safely and where it will be of practical use, to shop within your budget and to blend the style of your chosen fireplace into the decor and feel of the outdoor space you want to create.

Originally posted 2010-05-19 08:35:38. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Be Sociable, Share!