There’s nothing quite like relaxing in your garden with a nice, warm fire going. You’ve got your friends and family with you and everyone’s having a great time relaxing by the fire, sharing stories and making memories together. An outdoor fireplace can be a real focal point for your garden. To make choosing one easier, here’s a guide to some of the main types of outdoor fireplace you’ll come across.
Wood-burning fireplaces
Wood-burning fireplaces are ideal for those who like to feel the warmth of the flames, take in the smell of the smoke and listen to the gentle crackling of the wood burning. There’s a lot of work involved: you have to chop up the wood (unless of course you buy pre-chopped pieces of wood), build up the fire, tend to it and clean up ash afterwards, plus there’s the matter of storing the wood to be burned. Though wood is natural and cheaper than other fuels, having a wood-burning fireplace installed can be quite costly because you may need to have a chimney of some sort. There’s also the matter of where exactly the fireplace will be installed, as in some places you’ll have to check with your local authority to ensure the fireplace doesn’t fall foul of any fire regulations.
Natural gas fireplaces
Natural gas fireplaces are a great choice for those who don’t want any fuss or hassle. You don’t have to spend time setting things up, nor do you have to find space to store supplies. They’re very convenient and quick to start, plus they don’t require any cleaning up afterwards. The main downsides are that natural gas fireplaces aren’t environmentally friendly and that unless you have a natural gas line on your property, you’ll have to get one installed.
Propane fireplaces
Propane fireplaces are just as convenient and easy to work as natural gas fireplaces – there’s also no cleaning up involved. They’re also similar to natural gas fireplaces in that they don’t have embers so they’re quite safe – propane has been widely used in homes for around a hundred years now. However, they’re not without their faults: propane gas fireplaces aren’t that environmentally friendly since propane is derived from a fossil fuel; they’re also more expensive than both wood-burning and natural gas fireplaces.
As you can see, each of these three fireplaces has its pros and cons. It’s a good idea to decide on fuel type first and go from there. Once you’ve decided what type of outdoor fireplace you want, it’s then time to start considering things like the look of your fireplace, how it’s going to fit into your garden and where it’s going to be located.
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