If you like the idea of outdoor entertaining and find it frustrating that you can’t be outdoors all year round, then you should consider the option of an outdoor wood fireplace or an outdoor gas fireplace. The months spent outside automatically increase.
The obvious benefits are family fun and longer days with dinner outside around the fire rather than inside around the table. Kids love it when you mix it up a bit. They’ll be more inclined to have their friends around which means more time at home with you. Most families struggle to find the time to spend together.
In Sydney, the winter months are few and the cold really only bites hard for some of those months. An outdoor fireplace can remove the chill from the air and increase the comfort level by just the right amount. If it’s really cold, the heat an outdoor fireplace generates can make the outside accessible.
If you contact a professional fireplace installation company that regularly engages in these types of projects, then they will make your fireplace the focal point of your landscape or deck, if that’s what you would like. Equally, they could also make it subtle and non-intrusive if that is your preference. And outdoor fireplaces can have more than one function. Your design could incorporate the correct proportions for a grill. You could barbecue, cook hot dogs, grill kebabs and don’t forget that roasting marshmallows around the fire is one of life’s great pleasures.
The materials you use can blend in with your paving or create a really interesting contrast. Depending on the design, your fireplace could be used as a garden ornament or feature during summer. Fire pits are particularly versatile for their aesthetic value. Consider the size of your yard and really consider what it is that you are trying to achieve. Don’t go building a fireplace if you think that in a few years the kids might like to turn the yard into a cricket pitch for neighbourhood test matches. Build something discreet, functional and to the side. Alternatively if you are seeking an ornamental garden that you would like to spend loads of time in, then why not go all out?
Check with your council about building codes. There will be some requirement for you to adhere to council regulations if the structure is of a particular size. Don’t expect your fireplace installation company to know each council’s by-laws chapter and verse, that is your job. The council may insist that you deconstruct your fireplace if it’s constructed without their approval.
Did you know that it’s best to purchase a new fireplace in summer. Installers aren’t as busy and you may stitch up a bargain while demand is low. People tend not to think about the cold weather during the summer months. You should contact Fireside heating and have a chat about your next indoor or outdoor fireplace before winter arrives.
