Looking at different outdoor fireplace ideas online is a great way to decide what you want your own backyard feature to look like.Perhaps you already have your eye on a certain size or style. You might even know exactly where you want it to go. But before you settle on a fireplace, it’s important to understand how your choice of fuel changes the experience.
Let’s take a look at three popular fuel types and what you need to know before deciding which one is right for you.
How do gas fireplaces work?
Gas is worth considering if convenience matters to you, especially when your home is already connected to a natural gas (NG) line. However, you can also choose to run it on liquefied petroleum (LP) from a portable tank.
The gas feeds into a burner beneath materials such as lava rock or fire glass. Depending on the setup, you can ignite the flame using a push button or key valve. Within seconds, you can have a steady flame, and a regulator lets you adjust the heat output.You don’t even have to keep adding fuel or tending to the fire once everything is running. As you look into outdoor fireplace ideas, you may notice that gas fireplaces are common on open terraces where reliable heat and convenience are important.
What should you know about wood fireplaces?
Wood gives you that classic campfire experience in your backyard. Unlike gas, though, you can’t simply set the heat level and leave it there. How much heat you get can depend on the type of wood you burn and how dry it is, as well as how you stack the logs and even what the wind is doing that day.
That unpredictability is also part of what people enjoy about a real wood fire. You get crackling logs, visible flames, and a familiar smoky smell that other fuel types simply do not provide in the same way.Of course, you also get smoke along with more embers and ash.
You’ll need to keep adding wood as the fire burns down, too. So, if you like stacking logs and tending a fire while sitting around glowing embers, wood may suit you well.
What about ethanol fireplaces?
Ethanol offers a very different experience, using liquid alcohol fuel stored in a stainless-steel burner.
Once set, you can ignite the fuel at the surface to create the flame.
You might find ethanol outdoor fireplace ideasattractive when you’re looking for a cleaner-burning solution. When it burns, it creates water vapour and a small amount of carbon dioxide without creating smoke and soot, or even ash. Plus, you don’t need a flue or a permanent gas connection, which gives you more freedom to set up your fireplace in more areas. When the bioethanol fireplace is EN-16647-certified and has specified safety components, you can even set it up in covered outdoor spaces. However, you should still check the specific appliance requirements and local rules before deciding where to install one.
Need help choosing?
Let The Fireplace Technician assess your outdoor area and recommend outdoor fireplace ideas based on your space, lifestyle, and how you plan to use it.We can also help with the installation and required consents, so you don’t have to worry about the technical stuff.
To learn more, call 0800 024 324 or email firetech222@gmail.com.