What many people appreciate about their patio is the ability to use it many more months of the year than they first imagined. If you live in the desert southwest of the U.S., you know this to be true. This is where many people find that having an outdoor fireplace opens up new possibilities to patio living. In the summer, all you an imagine is that your patio provides you with shade and some sort of cover for the elements.
Then, in the late summer and fall months, you realize that a patio fireplace can extend your patio time that much longer. In fact, spring is also a great time to enjoy evening fires out on the patio. Some of these fires can be contained within any number of great fireplace designs. Some are more portable and are typically made of metal. Yet others are more permanently set into the ground. These outdoor firepits can be made of brick or other masonry products and can provide for quite a stunning outdoor addition to your patio space.
Additional ways to warm your patio living space is with another type of outdoor fireplace called a chiminea. This is a teardrop-shaped structure, often made of clay that can provide quite a nice little bit of warmth to your sitting area. Now, these chimineas are not meant to provide large fires and will most likely fail in high heat conditions. You can also opt for a metal chiminea and avoid some of the fire size issues. However, these were never meant to be the sole source of heat for your patio.
More modern versions of staying warm on your patio include things like patio heaters. You’ve seen them, the stainless steel propane gas heaters with the hoods at your favorite outdoor bar. These can provide heat for quite a wide area, often up to 10-15′. So, if your patio space is this size or even double that, you can get by with one or two of these types of heaters.
However, there is nothing that can replace that crackling sound, smell and look of a real wood burning fire. Outdoor spaces are perfect for these types of pits or built-in fireplaces. This is definitely something to consider when you are designing your outdoor fireplace plans. Keep in mind that a patio fireplace that is movable will give you flexibility, but less impact. A large stone or other masonry built fireplace will give you plenty of statement power but isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.
