Patio Designs with Fire Pit

Do you return home stressed and tired after slogging hard at work? Do you come home with a headache and droopy tired eyes? Do you enjoy the occasional drizzle from the confines of your window? Do you lean on your kitchen platform and wait for your oven to grill that juicy sirloin while you feel the cool breeze flow outside? Get yourself a patio. In your backyard or front yard, or even on the terrace. A patio with a couple of lounge chairs, walkway, barbecue grill, an accompanying swimming pool, or a small pond, will stimulate your living by notches.

A patio is not just a designed backyard, but also a place which you can utilize for entertainment and recreation. After a tiring day, who wouldn't like to have a place to spend their evening just lazing around! If you have a patio and want to spruce up its image, and are looking for some nice design ideas, then you can try adding in a fire pit to your patio. Fire pits are a popular addition to patios as they create a warm glow to the outdoor experience and enhance the surroundings.

Building a patio with a fire pit also adds value to your backyard. If not a compulsion, it is certainly an aesthetic necessity. Patios with fire pits lend a rustic charm as well as elegance and beauty, while providing the perfect place for a family to sit around the fire and enjoy the sunset.

Choosing a Design
Like any other patio accessory, fire pits come in different sizes, designs, shapes, and colors. While some can be simple and understated, other fire pits can turn your drab space of land into an inviting sanctuary. With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to choose a patio design with a fire pit that suits your needs and taste.

For Small/Compact Patios
If your yard is fairly small, using a portable fire pit or a fire pit table can be of great help, since they save space. A portable fire pit gives you space flexibility, while a fire pit table doubles up as a table as well as a fire pit. In contemporary patio designs, fire pit tables have gained huge popularity.

Another design you can use in small backyards or compact patios is a sunken fire pit. A sunken fire pit is basically an insulated pit dug up in the yard. Let the pit be big or small, depending on the size of the yard. A fire vessel made of wood or metal is another option there is for a small yard. A fire vessel usually comes with its own lid, which comes in handy, especially if you are planning to buy a portable fire-friendly vessel.

For an inexpensive option, just create a fire ring using natural stone instead of a tall block structure. These days, ceramic fire bowls have also made an appearance in the market, although they haven't taken the average consumer by storm as was expected.



For Medium-Sized Patios
For yards which are fairly big, if not huge, the number of options increase considerably. Design your patio in such a way that it can accommodate a fire pit anywhere you want. Generally, in medium or large patios, fire pits occupy the center spot to spread warmth evenly in all directions. Construct a concrete square or a stone rock structure, and top it with sandstone tiles for the classic country look.

If you want to go more rustic, use paver blocks or natural regular stones to build the outer structure. The pit can be partly filled with sand, gravel or manufactured crushed stone, and partly with firewood for a sober but warm effect. For yards that are not too small and have enough moving space, metal pits (cast-iron and copper are the most popular) can be used. While both have a high melting point, giving them enough longevity, copper has a slight edge over iron in this context.

For a medium-sized patio, the surrounding enhancement options also increase greatly. With bigger space, a fire pit can be designed with a permanent seating arrangement around it. A semi-circular stone and rock bench structure built around it for seating will add great value to the patio's looks. Matching the fire pit's building material with the seating area's flooring material will add aesthetic value.

For a rustic (and of course inexpensive) alternative, choose wooden benches. Only make sure they are relatively far away from the fire pit, lest your patio furniture catches fire. With a moderately big patio, the options to play around with are many, but be careful with space requirements and the material, and you are good to go.



For Large Patios
With a large patio, your options to design a fire pit are as abundant as a child in a toy shop. In fact, if you own a large yard, you better build a patio around a fire pit instead of the other way round. While the basic ideas mentioned for designing fire pits remain the same as in a medium-sized patio, the options for designing them increase greatly. The material used for building can vary from natural stone to sea rock to sand stone to concrete to field stone, and even stacked paver blocks. The shape can vary - you can design a square or a circular fire pit. Retaining walls around the yard can be used as extra seating, as the fire pit will be fairly large, given the size of your patio.

A large yard can easily accommodate a patio with a fire pit, and a swimming pool somewhere around it. For a more 'beachy' look, use a wooden fire pit, and nail around strong but short tree trunks as the seating arrangement. Use lounge chairs as relaxation furniture. A compact and portable bar and barbecue station will add more to the feel. A large yard or patio also gives you the option of using an integrated in-the-wall, custom-built fireplace. To add to the grandeur of your patio fire-pit, use flagstones, Eldorado stone, or marble tiles to design its exteriors.



Special Tips for a Fire Pit

• Find out the prevailing wind direction before you decide on the position of your fire pit.
• If you want to save yourself the effort of collecting wood, burning it, flaming it, and then cleaning the ash later on, use a gas-flamed fire pit.
• Never leave the fireplace alone or unattended when children are around.
• Always use fireplace tools to handle wood and other equipment.
• Using long-burning hardwood like maple or oak will result in less usage of wood and more output in terms of fire.
• Having a fireplace around the house is important as it saves energy. During winter, avoid turning your heater high and instead go sit near a fireplace for some warmth.

A well-designed patio with a fire pit is bound to stand out and make an impression, but most importantly give you a place where you can unwind after a hard day at work. A patio with a fire pit always has special memories of the whole family getting together and roasting marshmallows and s'mores or just getting warm in front of the fireplace on a chilly night.