Outdoor Fireplace Review

How to Assemble Outdoor Fireplace Kits

Mark — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:40:44 +0000

Outdoor fireplace kits have become ever more popular in recent years among people who want to install an outdoor fireplace in their home. While many people like to have a large permanently installed fireplace in their garden or on their patio, both the costs and effort required to build a custom outdoor fireplace will likely be prohibitively high for most.

The alternative to such an individual building project is to buy one of the many outdoor fireplace kits for sale available on the market. The variety of models offered by most manufacturers has increased significantly in recent years. Most of these fireplaces can be customized in their outside appearance either by painting the outside of the construction or by adding a stone or brick layer on top after assembly. Most outdoor fireplace kits are designed to be built as freestanding constructions, but can still be integrated into, for example, an existing wall with slight modifications.

Available Outdoor Fireplace Kit Options

Most fireplace kits can be delivered for use with either wood and charcoal or with a gas burner. Both natural gas and propane can be used as fuels with outdoor gas fireplace kits, supplied either from the fixed installed line or from a gas bottle which regularly needs to be exchanged. The typical size of an outdoor fireplace kit will be somewhere between 30 and 48 inches, usually spaced in 4 inch intervals.

The main attraction of a prefab outdoor fireplace kit compared to a custom built hearth is the ease of assembly. While building an outdoor fireplace from the ground up will require both expensive tools and considerable expertise, raising up an outdoor fireplace kit is an easy do-it-yourself project that could be completed by one or two persons in a single day. Most kits do not require mortar, glue or other kinds of fasteners for assembly.

The Fireplace Kit Assembly Process

The actual assembly of an outdoor fireplace kit proceeds as follows: at first, a level surface needs to be created upon which the construction will be built. Most assembly kits contain anything between 10 to 30 prefabricated stone or concrete parts which are already shaped in such a way as to fit tightly together. Construction starts with the lowest part of the fireplace, where the four bottom walls are connected in such a way as to form a basis for the firebox itself. The next levels of the fireplace including either the walls of the firebox or, in the case of see-through fireplaces, the front, back and side screens of the firebox are then stacked upon each other in the same way. On top, the chimney construction is again built from stone or concrete plates which will then be secured to the rest of the construction in such a way that the whole fireplace now forms a tight fitting construction.

Afterwards, the fireplace is already finished from a technical point of view and could be used without further building efforts. However, most installations will be finished with an additional decorated layer on top of the stone construction which will give the fireplace its final outside appearance. The materials needed for this are usually not included in the outdoor fireplace kit but need to be purchased separately. Most manufacturers offer a large variety of materials for this purpose specifically.

Due to the standardized manufacturing and the do-it-yourself installation, outdoor fireplace kits are significantly cheaper than individually designed fireplaces, saving the owner large sums of money which can then be spent for other purposes on and around the fireplace, enhancing the overall appeal of the ensemble. This possibility is certainly one of the major reasons why people choose to buy an outdoor fireplace kit instead of building a hearth from the ground up.

The Gas Fire Pit: a Modern Alternative

Mark — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 07:04:18 +0000

When thinking of fire pits, the first thing to come to mind is either a traditional, simple fire bowl or maybe a Mexican chiminea, both used for burning small wooden logs. Fire pits are typically outdoor fireplaces, for the dirt, ashes and smoke associated with an open fire would definitely be problematic inside the house. Some Gas fire pits, however, can even be used on the inside if they fulfill the strong regulations required for ventless gas fireplaces. Still, their typical environment is the outdoors – in the garden or on the patio. We will now take a look at the reasons more and more buyers decide in favor of a gas-burning model when looking for a fire pit.

Gas fire pits fall into one of two groups: portable or built-in. Both are used for the visual enjoyment of the flickering flames as well as for heating purposes. Most of the time, an outdoor gas fire pit is of the portable kind, with built-in pits being used only in advanced landscaping settings. There are some features common to all gas fire pits, indeed to all gas fireplaces. Two kinds of gas fuel are used almost exclusively: natural gas and propane. The portable gas fire pit uses small gas bottles attached either externally or integrated into the fire pit housing. For built-in pits, the additional option of a permanent underground gas line exists, which can be fueled either from a large gas tank or the main house line. Typical materials used for gas fire pits are clay or ceramic, different metals such as iron or copper and special heat-resistant reinforced concrete. Commonly seen decorations such as colored fire glass provide the finishing touch for any outdoor gas fire pit.

When prospective buyers express their reservations about owning a gas fire pit, their main criticism invariably concerns the lack of “campfire atmosphere” associated with a wood-free outdoor fire pit. While this objection is certainly worth considering, it is balanced by several advantages unique to gas fire pits. Due to the increased control over the size and temperature of a gas fire, there are less concerns about moving a gas fire pit close to building walls or below outdoor ceilings. The lack of smoke and wood fire-related smells is also seen as an advantage in many settings. Based on the amount of heat generated, a gas fire pit is also more fuel-efficient that its traditional wood counterpart, not to mention the increased convenience due to the absence of any wood-related work.

While it is almost impossible to give a reliable price range for available gas fire pits due to the large variety of available designs and models especially in the case of the portable gas fire pit, it is probably more important to mention two important pieces of advice for potential buyers: first, when comparing offers, make sure that all of them include a gas tank. Second, planning in advance pays off: outdoor gas fire pits are much cheaper during fall and winter, when most buyers have other things on their minds.

Finally, do not forget to check for your local regulations, fire and zoning laws regarding outdoor fires before buying your fire pit. While many communities allow gas fire pits, being aware of any possible restrictions will help you to avoid any disappointments.

The Electric Fireplace: Introduction and General Overview

Mark — Tue, 31 May 2011 09:19:30 +0000

Electric fireplaces have undergone an impressive development in recent years. Gone are the early days when their obviously fake flames and unreal looks failed to capture anyone’s imagination. Today, practically all electric fireplaces on the market feature a very realistic and professional design that will surprise many when they see an actual electric fireplace for the first time: often, prospective buyers cannot spot an electric fireplace among its gas counterparts during a store visit. Still, an electric fireplace is not a fireplace in the true sense of the word: there is nothing burning at all. This, however, has not kept sales of these units from rising tremendously in recent years. To understand better what electric fireplaces have to offer, take a look at their features, the available types, their installation, prices and costs, and finally, their advantages and disadvantages.

All electric fireplaces produce visual effects designed to closely resemble an actual wood-burning fireplace: “flames” made from fabric are moved by the air from a small blower, while glowing lights and even simulated burning embers add to the overall impression. Additionally, many units contain an electric fireplace heater which generates heat for distribution into the surrounding room by a fan. To control operations, most electric fireplaces come equipped with devices found usually also in gas fireplaces: an instant on/off switch with optional timer settings and a remote control.

There are three main types of electric fireplaces available: electric fireplace logs, electric fireplace inserts, and free-standing electric stoves. Electric logs are simple and cheap and can be easily installed into a real fireplace as an add-on for the summer months. Electric fireplace inserts consist of an entire self-contained housing also designed for installation into an existing fireplace cavity. They are designed tp generate more heat than logs and are typically built for permanent installation, requiring significant effort to remove. Finally, free-standing electric stoves are available in many varieties, for example simulating old-fashioned wood ovens or more modern designs.

The installation of an electric fireplace is far simpler than that of any other fireplace, in fact, for someone with experience in home improvement, do-it-yourself installation is definitely possible. Most units simply need a regular 100-120 Volt power plug-in, while large electric fireplace inserts may require a 240 Volt connection.

The prices for electric fireplaces start around $200-$500 for electric logs and $500-$2000 for free-standing stoves. A simple corner electric fireplace costs between $500 and $1000, while more elaborate inserts can be found from $1000 up to more than $2000. Still, compared to gas or wood fireplaces, electric models are by far the cheapest solution.

There are numerous advantages associated with an electric fireplace: first, only a power connection is required – no venting and no fuel is needed. Nothing is burning, there are no fumes and no soot. The appliance is plugged into a standard outlet and uses only minimal electricity: on average equivalent to 2-3 light bulbs for visual flame effects. However, an electric fireplace heater will use 10 to 20 times more electric power than that. It can be switched on and off conveniently, can be tuned to an exact heating level, and requires minimum maintenance effort: no fireplace-specific cleaning needs to be done and no firewood or gas must be supplied. Many free-standing units are small, even movable. Electric fireplaces are “zero clearance” devices, installable anywhere in the house. Realizing a small corner electric fireplace is as easily possible as installing a free-standing unit in the middle of the room.

By far their biggest advantage is however the separation of the visual “flames” effect from the heating function. Both can be turned on and off independently, for example to use only the visual aspects during hot summer months or to ward off a chill in a dark bedroom with the electric fireplace heater.

With all these advantages, it must be remembered that an electric fireplace is, in fact, not a real burning fireplace. Being dependent on electricity, it cannot be used during a power outage. Also, the heater alone is -like all electric heaters- less efficient than a comparable unit running on gas or wood.

In summary, electric fireplaces have become more and more attractive over the last years. While they cannot replace a real gas— oder wood-burning fireplace, they have many interesting features to offer, especially for buyers on a tight budget or for those whose housing situation does not allow for a fireplace using real flames. In any case, the information provided above should help prospective buyers to make an informed decision and get the most out of their new fireplace.