How to Build a Simple Outdoor Fireplace

How to Build a Simple Outdoor Fireplace

March 30, 2011 by in garden design with Comments Off

A fireplace in the backyard can be a great area for relaxing and entertaining family and friends. Here you can gather your loved ones and close friends on a weekend for barbecue and catching up with your respective happenings. If you don’t have an outdoor fireplace yet in your home, now is the time to consider building one.

Building an outdoor fireplace can be a simple do-it-yourself project especially if you use a kit and follow instructions carefully. You have several options as far as design is concerned. Since you are targeting just a simple outdoor fireplace, you can choose the very basic type such as the chimenea or just a portable fire pit.

The chimenea is a Mexican style fireplace that is made from clay with a chimney at the top and an opening below for building fire using wood. This has been commonly used in the past as a garden accent. A portable fire pit, on the other hand, can be an advantage to a small area especially if you want to move it from one place to another to suit your mood. These two are available at garden shops, discount stores and home improvement centers.

If you want a more permanent structure, you have the freedom to do so. But first, be able to determine the space available in your backyard or existing garden patio so you can decide on the size of the outdoor fireplace you will build. An important thing to consider is to place the fireplace away from your home, plants and other garden structures. Make sure as well that you have extra space to accommodate people in the area. The least you want to do is cram the people you entertain in your outdoor fireplace.

The next step is to search for your ideal fireplace style and design. For outdoors, the simpler, the better. Do look for designs in your home or garden decorating books and magazines and on various websites on the internet.

At this stage, you may want to search for a contractor to do the work for you. This is if you decide to have it professionally built as you don’t feel very confident with your home improvement skills yet. Make sure to hire an efficient contractor who knows how to follow the design you prefer. Getting referrals from relatives and close friends is a good start.

If you have a contractor, it’s essential to work with him closely as he will normally take charge in buying the materials and paying the labor fees of his people. You may want to inform upfront about your budget and the materials you want for your fireplace.

For a do-it-yourself project, there are fireplace kits already available. These kits contain the materials needed as well as the instructions on building the structure. However, if you wish to build your own style such as the traditional brick type, just be sure to use the bricks that are meant for use near a fire. Stones are also recommended because they’re hard and are not fire hazards.




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