Fire pit designs -- high quality, reasonably priced -- upgrade the look and feel of your entire outdoor room.
Fire pit designs are about more than just
heat.
They are really about time spent around a fire with
those we love and uniting with the natural world just outside
the door.
But that doesn't mean an outdoor fire pit
needs to be elaborate or expensive.
Your perfect fire pit
might be as simple as a cozy gel burning pit that can be used
indoors or on the patio or it can be as complex as a custom gas fire
pit grill with remote control to match your pool side
pavilion.
As you'll
see from the outdoor fire pit comparison chart below, there are many
variations on the fire pit theme.
But the chart is
useful as a quick view of what some of the designs have to
offer.
Built in Fire Pit
Fire Pit Kit
Portable Fire Pit
Portable
No
Semi
Yes
Cost
$$$
$$
$
Fuel
Wood Charcoal Liquid propane Natural gas
Wood Charcoal Liquid propane Natural gas
Gel Wood Charcoal Propane Natural gas
Styles
Custom Fire hearth Fire bowl Fire
pit table Fire pit grill Fire pit/fountain combo
Fire pit table Fire pit
grill Fire bowl Fire
hearth Fountain fire pit combo
Outdoor fire pit Indoor fire pit Fire pit grill Fire pit end
table Fire pit table Fire pit Ring/campfire ring
With so many choices, which
one should you choose?
The fire pit designs featured here demonstrate
design concepts that can help you plan an outdoor space that
reflects your personality and lifestyle.
Modern
Fire Pit
Lovers of a modern fire
pit design will love this bar stool fire pit.
CalFlame FPT-G5000 Fire Pit Table
is sleek, durable, propane ready, and
includes a 16" log set with lava rocks and a natural gas
converter.
This outdoor
fire pit is built to withstand the weather, and
just might just
become as
indispensable as your indoor kitchen table.
Spilled
wine,
fruit punch, ice cream, ribs, even hamburger grease clean up
easily.
And it's scratch
resistant, so you won't have to worry about scuffs during
shipping
or installation.
Brick Outdoor Fire
Pit
Brick
is classic, warm, earthy and a natural for fire pit construction.
Ordinarily, installing brick is expensive,
but you can build a brick fire pit all by
yourself.
And brick can really makes sense in an outdoor
fire pit, especially if your house or other features
around your property are already brick.
Brick is durable,
affordable, easy to source, and comes in many colors and sizes.
But not all bricks are
created equal though.
Two grades you should be aware of are moderate weather
(MW) and severe weather (SW) grades.
MW
brick is porous and susceptible to freeze-thaw cycles
which could cause them to chip and break. In damp climates,
they can also draw moss though some people find this
attractive.
SW brick on the other
hand are weather worthy in extreme
temperatures and high moisture conditions and are no so susceptible
to moss.
Patio Fire
Pit
A patio fire pit can actually
increase the value of your home.
And if you
have basic handy skills you can build a patio fire pit like
this one.
Even though a concrete slab makes a more
stable base for a patio fire pit, brick or paver patios are
also popular.
They're far
easier to install, offer more visual interest than a gray slab, and
they're within reach of most handy do-it-yourselfers.
Campfire
Ring
Campfire rings harkens back
to days spent on the prairie.
Today, they are decorative,
attractive circular or square metal bands that encase and
contain your bonfire.
The metalwork cut-out
art range from stellar and wildlife motifs to
Asian characters and mystical creatures like
Kokipelli.
Whatever your design
preference, they are as function in the outback as they
are in your backyard.
DIY Fire
Pit
DIY fire pits are
as varied as the designs themselves. And they're unbelievably easy
to build.
So if you are handy and unafraid to try
something new, a DIY fire pit design is not only attractive, but can
save you a lot of money.
And though
I've
seen DIY fire pits built using washing machine drums
and satellite dishes, this video walks you through block fire
pit designs using retaining wall pavers.
Fire Pit
Grill
Grill gourmets say there is nothing like a fire
pit grill, because it produces flavorful, evenly cooked
food.
They love a fire pit grill
because it combines the country allure of a campfire with an
outdoor bbq grill.
Some brands feature an adjustable firebox
that can be raised and lowered to change cooking
temperatures.
Most charcoal and wood burning fire pits grills
have substantial cooking areas, rotisserie cranks, cooking
grates with handles, and swing-out pot hooks.
Deck Fire
Pit
There
are a variety of ways you can go when adding a deck
designs fire pit.
Propane fire pits, natural gas fire
pits, portable fire pits and raised fire pits are all popular
choices for decks.
The Natural
Gas Deck Fire Pit pictured here is a great option. It
has a campfire look and feel designed specifically for
decks.
Fire
pit safety is always important, but it's especially important if
you plan to use your fire pit on a deck.
Cedar is an
excellent decking, but cedar ignites and burns faster than most
woods.
A deck fire pit should not come in direct contact
with the wood on your deck.
A fire-resistant fire pit pad provides
an easy-to-clean, nonflammable surface for deck fire pits. These are
worth considering.
Fire Pit Design
Alternatives
One thing's for
certain, when it comes to fire pits, you don't have to worry about
having enough choice.