As the winter months roll on, the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, you may be looking out at your backyard yearning for the summertime. Once thought of as warm weather spaces, patios outfitted with a fire feature are an excellent way to keep your outdoor living going all year round.
Fire features make an excellent centerpiece for any outdoor space. They integrate seamlessly into most patios, creating a focal point where people can gather to keep warm, roast marshmallows and make memories with friends and loved ones. Whether you prefer a traditional round aesthetic or a modern fire table, Belgard fire features are an excellent solution for elevating any outdoor space and expanding its year-round appeal.
Evoking imagery of cowboys sitting around a campfire, in-ground fire pits have perhaps the most traditional look of any fire feature. While sunken fire pits offer simplicity, above-ground fire pits have significant aesthetic allure. With Belgard’s modern and rustic options for stone fire features, the potential for your patio is endless. For a more classic look, the Aspen Stone and Highland Stone fire pits can integrate into any outdoor space. The Weston Stone Fire Pit Kit offers a sleek contemporary look for something as timeless as a fire pit, providing the best of both worlds.
There’s a romantic simplicity to the classic circular stone fire pit, but if your tastes skew to the modern end of the spectrum, a fire table may be the perfect option. The Cast Stone Rectangle Fire Pit is the perfect solution for anyone looking for a modern minimalist look that stands up against the elements. Regardless of which option you’re leaning toward, the first choice you should make is whether you want a wood or gas burning fire feature.
There are several factors to consider when deciding whether to go with wood or gas. Wood-burning features tend to have more restrictions based on their proximity to structures, all depending on your local building codes and regulations. On top of being able to put a fire feature almost anywhere, gas also creates no smoke, sparks or messy ash. The downside to gas is the work required during installation or retrofitting to route gas lines to the feature. That being said, any certified Belgard contractor will be able to handle that kind of project easily.
While gas allows more versatility and ease of use, some prefer the classic wood-burning feature for its sensory draw. A wood fire engages your senses in ways that gas can’t. It’s hard to beat the soothing sound of crackling while warm, glowing embers waft calming scents into the air. On top of the aesthetic reasons for choosing wood, there’s the added bonus of easy installation.
Regardless of what style of fire feature you choose, it is bound to catch people’s eyes and become the centerpiece of your outdoor space. For outdoor living rooms, a fireplace creates the perfect gathering area for friends and family. While integrating seamlessly into retaining walls, fireplaces add a vertical element to a patio and create a focal point for every other element. Outdoor kitchens are another perfect location for fire features. Outdoor kitchens already evoke imagery of cooking over an open flame, so why not complement that with a decorative piece like a fire table?
Something about fire is so closely tied to our sense of safety and well-being as human beings. Throughout our history as a species, it has kept us warm at night, cooked our food and illuminated the darkness. It’s no wonder then that fire features can immediately elevate any outdoor space from a simple patio to a place of relaxation, comfort and belonging that brings people together year round.
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