There are many different types of outdoor fireplace designs on the market these days. It is very popular to have an outdoor fireplace or fire pit and it adds to your garden design. Outdoor fireplaces make it possible for people to stay warm in the outdoors in somewhat unenclosed spaces when it would be normally too cold to stay outside. Fireplaces for outside are either custom made or portable readymade. If you are building an outdoor fireplace you will need to check all local codes as these will include which kinds of firebricks you can use. There are many styles and designs to choose from but you need to be conscious of making sure the design is secure and that you have a satisfactory ventilation system.
Building an outdoor fireplace is very comparable to building an indoor fireplace except that there will not be a damper in the outdoor fireplace. Outdoor fireplaces need to be built with a tall chimney to prevent any problems with smoke.
There are a variety of outdoor fireplace designs to choose from. Chimineas are Mexican style chimney pots and make a decorative addition to your garden. They are usually made from clay, cast iron or aluminium. They come in various different designs and are normally only about five feet tall. They have a long vertical chimney or smoke vent and have a rounded body with a grated door. They are loaded from the front and usually light quite quickly giving off incredible heat within a short period of time. Metal chimineas last a lot longer than clay chimineas but they are more expensive.
Fire pits are another example of outdoor fireplace designs. They can vary from being dug into the ground to purpose made pits made from brick, stone or metal. They can be used to keep you warm, or as a barbecue or even to burn garden waste. It is wise to make sure that there is no debris on the ground beneath your fire pit to ensure that nothing could catch fire from stray sparks.
Outdoor fireplaces which are made from masonry are usually much stronger than those made from metal. Metal fireplaces can be susceptible to the outdoor elements and can often rust whereas stone fireplaces are much more long lasting and can withstand even the most harsh weather conditions.