Outdoor Fireplace Design Plans

An outdoor fireplace is the area which gives you the comfort and coziness that you look for when you are spending some time with your friends and family in your backyard or patio in the evening. The first thing you must do to implement your outdoor fireplace design plans is to inform the local authority about it. Check out with the local authority if you can build one outdoor fireplace. There are restrictions in some areas where burning of a fireplace is not permitted during the night. In other areas, they will provide you with basic guidelines on the precautionary measures to be taken for outdoor fireplace plans.

Outdoor Fireplace Design

Basically, there is not much of a difference between the designs of the indoor and outdoor fireplace. The main difference is that the outdoor fireplace uses a chimney in place of a damper. For an outdoor fireplace the length of the chimney should be about 5 feet. The two things that has to be kept in mind when you choose a fireplace outdoor design are - the number of persons who are going to use it and the purpose for which you are going to use it, and whether you want to to use it for cooking or for having some outdoor fun. The key features of outdoor fireplace designs are the fireplace mantel, fire pit, filler panel, over-mantel, crown, header, plinth base and leg.

The material that can be used for outdoor fireplace designs are stone, cast iron, cast aluminum, etc. Among them, the most popular are outdoor brick fireplace designs, outdoor stone fireplace designs and outdoor wood fireplace designs. This is because the metal of the fireplace tends to get corroded by various weather elements very easily and does not last for a long time. If you are choosing to use brick to build the the fireplace, the inner lining of the fireplace should be made of firebricks as they are capable of withstanding very high temperatures.

There are two different models for an outdoor fireplace. One is the wood burning model and the other is the natural gas burning model. The wood burning one tends to make the house and the surrounding area slightly smoky. If you like that smell then you can choose the wood burning model and use dry wood as it gives out much less smoke than damp wood. Thus, you can prevent environmental pollution to some extent. There are two options for outdoor fire pits. One is portable and the other one is built-in or fixed. The portable one has a very light weight, and can give out heat for a long time. It is most commonly used for the purpose of grilling food.

Precautions for Outdoor Fireplace Designs

The primary concerns for outdoor fireplace designs are that they should have good ventilation and fireplace safety. Choose the right space where you want to set up the fireplace. Make sure that the chosen area is at least 15 feet away from your house. Moreover, it should also be kept away from tress, plants, overhangs or any electrical gadgets. This should be done to prevent spreading of the fire when there is a strong wind. It is advisable to keep some material like gloves, a garden hose pipe and some insulating material in the nearby area, so that in case of any emergency the fire can be brought under control immediately. You should choose such a design which has a wide base to prevent spreading of the fire outside it. When your surrounding is safe and secured, only then you can enjoy the outdoor experience peacefully.

When you plan for the design for your indoor fireplace, you keep in mind the interior decoration of your house. Likewise, outdoor fireplace designs should also merge well with your overall home decor.