Inspiring Fire Pit Landscaping Ideas for Your Outdoor Spaces
If you are looking for outdoor fire pit ideas to add ambience and warmth to your outdoor spaces, we have some inspiring ideas for you and tips to choose what style will best suit your landscaping style.
Outdoor fire pits have become a popular design statement and they are a central focal point for people to gather in the cooler nights allowing you to use your garden all year round. Who doesn’t love being warm and cosy whilst sitting around an outdoor fire?
There is something so relaxing about staring into the glow of amber flames while listening to the gentle crackle, toasting marshmallows, and sharing stories around an open fire.
Outdoor Fire Pit Ideas – Top Tips for Installing Your Fire Pit
Location: The first consideration when selecting an ideal location for the fire pit is safety. This is especially important when you have young kids and pets.
Ensure that the fire pit is positioned in the centre of the designated space and a safe distance from plants and other flammable materials, including trees and any timber structures.
Surface: A solid, level surface of gravel or pavers is ideal for a fire pit installation. Allow a 2metre clear radius around the fire pit itself for people to move around safely and easily when the fire is lit and this space also reduces the risk of the fire escaping the fire pit.
Size: The overall space available in your designated location will determine the size and style of the most suitable fire pit. Consider the space required to also accommodate enough seating for your family and when entertaining groups to allow these to be a safe distance from the heat of the fire.
The purpose of your fire pit will highlight the design that works best for you – do you need it for warmth, are you wanting to cook over the fire pit or is it purely an aesthetic design feature to attract people to that space and huddle around.
Style: There are many fire pit styles to choose from to meet your needs, including free-standing, grills, bowls, tabletop, portable, pre-fabricated and built-in, and they all come in varied shapes, colours and designs. These fire pits can be made of metal, stone, concrete, brick, glass or copper.
Safety: Fire screens help stop large flames and embers from escaping the fire pit and are recommended if they can be used on your style of fire pit. Having a bucket of water or a hose handy with the nozzle set to spray is advisable to deal with any flyaway sparks.
Avoid lighting fires in windy conditions and not at all when there is a total fire ban in your area.
When you’ve finished enjoying the fire for the evening, carefully spread the coals out a little to cool them quicker. Then spray them carefully with water until all the steam and heat has been removed.
Review the manufactured fire pits specific instructions for extinguishing a fire. Water can crack ceramic fire pits and some metal ones if applied when they are too hot.
Fire Pit Rules and Regulations:
It’s important to check your building regulations and with your local council to see if you’re permitted to install and use a fire pit. Building and council codes vary in each area but the main areas of concern are:
– The distance between your fire pit and the nearest vegetation, residential, or commercial structure
– If the smoke from the fire pit will disturb and harm your neighbours.
– The fuel needed and used to light up your fire pit.
Seek the Council’s approval to determine whether or not it’s viable for you to have a fire pit in the first place. Some regulations restrict using certain types of fuel or materials.
The RFS https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/ Fact Sheet: Lighting a fire – Quick Facts section:
Can I light a campfire on my property (for cooking or recreational purposes) states that,
Yes, you can as long as:
– You are burning dry, seasoned wood; and
– there is at least 2m around the fire clear of any combustible material, and
No – No fire is to be lit in the open on Total Fire Ban days.
The Blue Mountains City Council https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/ Permits – Open Burning document states in the bottom section of the permit details guidelines for fires used for cooking or recreational purposes (camping, picnicking, scouting or similar outdoor activities), eg campfires.
Fires lit for this purpose are only permitted if they comply with the following conditions:
– only dry seasoned wood (or store-bought BBQ fuel) is burnt
– there is at least 2m around the fire clear of any combustible material, and
– the fire is contained within a metal drum, store bought fire pit or constructed fire ring
If your outdoor area is in need of a central hub for winter entertaining that adds warmth and ambience then there are outdoor fire pit ideas and designs available to suit every space and budget. For all your backyard fire pit ideas, contact Luke for a free initial quote or visit us on our Facebook page to see our latest landscaping projects.
Contact us if you want a toasty warm fire pit installed
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