Outdoor Fireplace Design Ideas

There are many ways to come up with an outdoor fireplace design for your home. However, certain parameters are established even prior to the establishment of your fireplace.

If you have yet to have a fireplace built outside your homes, make sure that you follow the laws set by your district regarding your fireplace. Also, the design used in an interior fireplace is not directly translated to your outdoor fireplace design. Suffice to say, your fireplace will not need a damper, and will most likely be made from stone. You can choose from limestone, marble, or slate, depending on what outdoor fireplace design fits your home. Lastly, determine the function of your outdoor fireplace. There is a fine line between having the fireplace merely as a design or that which actually provides warmth and comfort.

With that out of the way, you are now set to make an outdoor fireplace design. If you have decided on a traditional fireplace, choosing the right design for your outdoor chimney may be your first priority. Outdoor chimneys are required to be shorter than indoor chimneys, but they should still be long enough for the conduction of smooth airflow, and for the fuels to properly combust. Aside from using brick and terracotta material for your chimneys, you can have aluminum and cast-iron for long-lasting use.

Traditional outdoor fireplaces provide advantages for better aesthetics and warmer atmosphere. This type of fireplace can be fairly larger than indoor fireplaces, so coming up with an outdoor fireplace design is easier due to the space it allots for decorations. Considering the size, it also follows that the fire will be hotter because of the greater space the fireplace allows for the wood to be burnt. On the downside, traditional outdoor fireplace designs are more expensive since specifically durable materials are used in order to withstand the wear and tear of the outdoors. With this, a portable outdoor fireplace is another alternative for your outdoor needs.

There are different types of portable outdoor fireplaces available in the market. Known as chimenea in Mexico, this type of fireplace has its base shaped like a cylinder and a chimney connected above to conduct airflow. Other types such as gas kits and fire pits share the similarities of the chimenea, but there have an open fire that allows warmth from all sides. Due to their size, coming up with an outdoor fireplace design for your chimenea may differ from how a traditional fireplace is ornamented. This type of outdoor fireplace is no longer the centerpiece of your patio since it is no longer immovable. However, being movable as it is, you do not have to worry making outdoor adjustments for the sake of your fireplace. In other words, portable outdoor fireplaces almost become furniture in itself.