How to Heat Up Your Outdoor Space
Ambient or recreational fire can be a place to gather around and socialize, quietly reflect, or ignite a little romance. At its very basic, an outdoor fire does what it was intended to do from the very beginning of its existence: provide warmth and light. Having a source or heat outdoors can influence whether your guests hang out at night on the patio or go inside. From a design standpoint, it also provides a focal point for an outdoor room, with patio furnishings arranged near or around a fireplace or fire pit to take advantage of its ambiance and warmth.
Fireplaces and pits aren't the only types of outdoor hearths and heating sources. Learn other ways to heat up a patio or deck when the temperatures drop.
An outdoor fireplace makes your outdoor room an inviting place to gather on summer evenings
Outdoor fireplaces usually don’t require a chimney and can use either natural gas, propane or wood. Most outdoor fireplaces are custom built, and can be constructed of stone, brick, concrete or other traditional patio and pathway materials. The look and design of an outdoor fireplace often complements the architecture of the home, with many of the same materials and details.
A fire pit can be as simple as a hole dug in the dirt and lined with rocks, or as elaborate as a granite fire table that is integrated into the design of your swimming pool and spa. Intended for heat and ambiance, some fire pits come with grills and can be used for cooking anything from a marshmallow on a skewer to a full-course meal.
During the post-World War II patio-building boom, fire pits were often constructed within the concrete or brick patio, often flush with the ground or slightly raised. They would be circular, set in mortar, and often lined with bricks. When it came time to use the fire pit, you would either sit on the concrete patio, sometimes on a pillow or a low-slung aluminum patio or beach chair. In more recent years, raising fire pits to chair height became a practical and more aesthetic solution.
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Probably the oldest and least-expensive type of outdoor hearth, a chimenea is traditionally made of clay or red terracotta. A chimenea (or chiminea) can be the focal point of a small patio, deck or outdoor living space, with chairs and other pieces of outdoor furniture arranged around it.More »
Even if a fireplace or fire pit don't appeal to you or your budget, you will be able to get more use out of your outdoor space by investing in an outdoor heater. Using radiant heat to keep your patio or deck warm, outdoor heaters come in electric, propane or natural gas models.
Fireplaces and pits aren't the only types of outdoor hearths and heating sources. Learn other ways to heat up a patio or deck when the temperatures drop.
•Outdoor Fireplaces
An outdoor fireplace makes your outdoor room an inviting place to gather on summer evenings
Outdoor fireplaces usually don’t require a chimney and can use either natural gas, propane or wood. Most outdoor fireplaces are custom built, and can be constructed of stone, brick, concrete or other traditional patio and pathway materials. The look and design of an outdoor fireplace often complements the architecture of the home, with many of the same materials and details.
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- Firewood Q and A
- Firewood Value and Costs: Determine a Fair Firewood Price
- How Much Wood is in a Cord?
- Where to Find Free Firewood for Heating
•Fire Pits
A fire pit can be as simple as a hole dug in the dirt and lined with rocks, or as elaborate as a granite fire table that is integrated into the design of your swimming pool and spa. Intended for heat and ambiance, some fire pits come with grills and can be used for cooking anything from a marshmallow on a skewer to a full-course meal.
During the post-World War II patio-building boom, fire pits were often constructed within the concrete or brick patio, often flush with the ground or slightly raised. They would be circular, set in mortar, and often lined with bricks. When it came time to use the fire pit, you would either sit on the concrete patio, sometimes on a pillow or a low-slung aluminum patio or beach chair. In more recent years, raising fire pits to chair height became a practical and more aesthetic solution.
More »
•Chimineas
Probably the oldest and least-expensive type of outdoor hearth, a chimenea is traditionally made of clay or red terracotta. A chimenea (or chiminea) can be the focal point of a small patio, deck or outdoor living space, with chairs and other pieces of outdoor furniture arranged around it.More »
•Patio Heaters and Heat Lamps
Even if a fireplace or fire pit don't appeal to you or your budget, you will be able to get more use out of your outdoor space by investing in an outdoor heater. Using radiant heat to keep your patio or deck warm, outdoor heaters come in electric, propane or natural gas models.
•Radiant Heating and Snow-Melting Mats
For those who live in regions that experience snow -- usually in the winter months -- radiant heating and snow-melting mats make it possible to use outdoor areas like driveways and patios throughout the year. Outdoor surfaces are heated via cables, mats or portable devices and actually melt away snow and ice. Temperatures can be adjusted from tolerable to downright toasty.
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