outdoor fireplace? Chiminea? Firepit?

[faykokoWV]

I'm creating an oasis for myself this summer instead of taking a vacation. I want to get an outdoor fireplace/fire pit/chiminea to put on the deck. Does anyone have one of these types of things? Are they safe to use on a wood deck? What do you like about yours?

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

We used to have a chiminea at our old house on a wood deck but we did have a base of flagstone all around it just to be safe (I am sure code would say you had to have a hearth/stone base at a minimum if it would meet code at all) it was fun to sit by and roast marshmallows. We are going to be building a firepit in the yard soon at the house we are in now because we miss doing that so much

Sounds like a great plan to make yourself a vacation spot at home

 

[PotterWatch]

We have a ceramic fire pit. Like this one:

I like it because we can easily move it around if we need to. It's the perfect size for us and would work fine on a wood deck.

 

[faykokoWV]

I like the idea of the movable fire pits. I've seen some that are more upright and have screens all the way around them. we don't have a fireplace inside and I've always wanted one. I figure since I can't afford to have one added to the house I will put something outside.

 

[mandelyn]

We did a fire pit in the back portion of the yard, out of stone blocks 4 layers high and one of the metal pans on top, to elevate it. Working on a retreat area for entertaining and chicken watching. We then did a gravel circle around it, threw out some chairs and a table, and that's as far as we've gotten on it. Already have had 4 fires this year! We just didn't want it to get too crowded by the house and saved the patio for BBQ space.

If you'll be on the deck, you'll want to watch what you burn, like no pine, because it can pop out embers and put burn marks on the deck. You want a seasoned hardwood, burns nice, no popping and sizzling.

That ceramic one was cool looking!

For us buying the stones was cheaper than buying a pre made pit and husband had fun with it. But for a deck, depends on where you want it. Centered in a seating area, you want an open pit. In a corner with seating facing it, one of those potbelly looking things out of clay or whatever that material is, that has a small smoke pipe on it.

 

[Mattemma]

I did a fire pit in the back yard past the trampoline and intex pool. Sometimes I set up a tent nearby so it is like camping. I am going to put pea gravel around our fire pit.Right now it is just clay dirt and weeds.

 

[Lisa202]

I've had a chimnea for 11 years now (same one)

Cons with a chimnea:
the heat only comes out one side
you fill it with stones, so it's too heavy to move
mine cracked b/c it's ceramic, not cast iron
it's hot if brushed up against

Pros with a chimnea:
has a cover so rain stays out (when not in use)
looks nice on the patio
heat is very nice on open side
can create a lot of smoke to keep away bugs (which it really does)
doesn't rust like a metal fire pit
even thought it's cracked, it still works fine...after 11 years
snow looks pretty on it
can get hypnotized while staring at fire hole in the dark
lit embers shooting up out of the top sometimes looks like fireworks

 

[faykokoWV]

Home depot has a metal chiminea that has a pizza oven in the top of it.... looks cool, but I wonder if I would actually use it. I like the idea of the ceramic chiminea not rusting!

 

[classicsredone]

We have a metal fire pit with full screen, kind of similar to the ceramic pit but more bowl-shaped. I love it. Now that it is getting nice out, we'll be using it a lot more.

 

[DanEP]

We had a chiminea for years on our deck but had it on paver stones. Just watch when you get one that the opening doesn't go to high up the body or the smoke will come out there in stead of up the chimney.