There are a lot of things that one should think about as they get ready to purchase backyard fireplaces. What will it's use be? How fancy or common would you like the design to be? How much room do you have to place the fireplace? That's just the beginning of the questions you need to ask yourself as you ready for your purchase.
Backyard fireplaces can add a bit of kindliness to your outdoor theme. It's a nice place to join for conversation during a get-together and is a nice decorative touch to the yard's theme. During colder days and nights you can build yourself a fire and enjoy the outdoors just a little while longer in front of your new fireplace.
Maintenance
First of all, when choosing from the many backyard fireplaces available, decide how much maintenance you want to involve yourself in. Some will last longer than others. Some require more maintenance than others as well dependent upon the material the fireplace is constructed with. The fuel that you choose to you will also have something to do with the amount of maintenance the fireplace will require.
Construction
The less durable construction that you will find on backyard fireplaces would be thin metals and clay. More durable would be the stainless steel, cast iron or cast aluminum constructs. Copper is quite durable too, but don't forget that it can oxidize and change its color from the pretty golden-bronze to a green. Also be aware of the fact that if you choose the iron construction, it may rust if in receipt of too much moisture.
Fuel
The fuels that are available for backyard fireplaces are wood, gel, natural gas and liquid propane. The gases burn cleaner, so there is less of a cleanup required than if you were to use wood. Of course, with the wood you have more maintenance but you have the opportunity of mixing different types of trees together for different odors such as pine with oak. If you choose the cleaner gases of NG or propane don't forget that you'll need gas lines installed to get the gas to the fireplace to be lit.
Chimineas
Of course, there are several different styles of backyard fireplaces available for your pleasure. The chiminea is also referred to as the Mexican fireplace. The most common chiminea has only one opening in the front to make it possible to fuel a fire in its large belly. The tall chimney gives the chiminea a nice cross draft so the fire is can continue to grow with proper ventilation of the smoke upwards and away from the people sitting around it. The chiminea is portable, so a lot of people enjoy it for this reason. Sometimes you will find these backyard fireplaces sometimes have an opening that goes all the way through the construct rather than just in front and sometimes they even have openings that wrap around. This allows people at all angles the enjoyment of the flames as they dance about. The material of preference with a chiminea is clay although some manufacturers began to produce them with cast iron, cast aluminum and copper.
Fire Pits
Fire pits are another form of backyard fireplaces. These are also sometimes referred to as fire bowls. The fire pit is the most portable form of backyard fireplace and takes up the least amount of room. These are ventless and come without chimneys. Fire pits can be bowls, pots and pits that contain the fire within its boundaries. Sometimes you will find fire pits with wheels for even easier transport. Without a chimney to force the smoke away from the guests, the air could get a little smokier than with other choices of backyard fireplaces.
Fire Rings
Fire rings are similar to fire pits and they are the third version of backyard fireplaces that are available. These are similar to what you would find in camp as a campfire. These are simple containment fields for the backyard fire. This is the least expensive method of providing your yard with a fireplace and a grill can easily be put overtop the fire for cooking. The only place for a fire ring, however, is on the ground. It's portable, but this is the only place they can be.
Fireplaces
Finally backyard fireplaces can be, well, fireplaces. This style has the same look as an indoor fireplace with fire, doors and construction to match. Spark screens can keep the embers from escaping to protect the surroundings from fire. The fireplace units also come with the louvers that control heat and a flame resistant interior. The most efficient and controlled fire can be made within these backyard fireplaces although they are not portable. This would also be the most expensive method of providing your yard a fireplace. You will need to construct the hearth and surrounds in addition to purchasing the initial unit. This would allow you more freedom over the type of material you will use, colors, and basic feel of the piece.
Price
Since all the backyard fireplaces are different, there naturally will be a bit of a variety in the pricing. Chimineas will run around $150 upwards to perhaps $600. Fire pits can start at as little as $100 and the fancier, larger ones come in at thousands of dollars. An example of the latter would be a fire pit built into a patio table running on propane. Fire rings, as mentioned, as the least expensive and able to purchase at $100 or less. The units for the fireplaces are on market for $500 to $2500 and don't forget the extra expensive of constructing the hearth and surrounds.
Now that you know what your choices are of backyard fireplaces, and the pros and cons, it is time to sit back and imagine one in your backyard. Find one that fits in the space you have available, plan for a fireplace that also fits the scheme of the landscaping. Don't forget to figure if you want to simply watch the dancing fire or cook with it as well. Once you have the answer to your questions, not to mention what you want it to look like, you are ready to go shopping for backyard fireplaces.
