3 Things You Need To Know About Outdoor Fire Pits
If you're like many modern homeowners, you've been spending quite a bit more time improving your own home turf in recent years — and perhaps you've been adding hardscaping to our outdoor living space to make it more comfortable and functional. Outdoor kitchens and dining rooms, for instance, have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, outdoor fire pits have overtaken outdoor kitchens as the 21st century's foremost outdoor living trend. Not only will an outdoor fire pit provide a cozy place for solo stargazing or after-dark gatherings of family and friends, but it will also raise the value of your home and give you a higher-than-usual return on your investment.
Nonetheless, there are certain things that every homeowner needs to know before they decide to add a fire feature to their outdoor living space — the following are three of them.
Placement Matters
For obvious reasons, your fire pit should never be placed under the hanging branches of a tree or too close to your home. You should also be sure to check your municipal and/or county regulations regarding fire pits. Although very few jurisdictions ban fire pits, most have regulations on how far they have to be from your property line, your home, patio, and any outdoor structures. It's always a good idea to check local laws and ordinances before starting any type of hardscaping projects.
Practice the Three Foot Rule
As a general rule of thumb, the higher the fire pit, the more likely it is that the fire will spread to other areas — and this is the type of scenario you definitely want to avoid. A general three-foot rule is also a good one to keep in mind when it comes to children and household pets — make sure they stay at least three feet from the fire pit at all times. Your pit should also be surrounded for at least three feet by noncombustible materials such as sand, brick, or stone.
Learn and Practice Fire Safety
Whenever there is a fire in your fire pit, it should be attended to by an adult at all times. Keep in mind that embers may smolder for hours after you think the fire is out, so be sure that your fire pit comes with safety features such as spark screens and that you've got a quickly accessible water source, such as a garden hose, close at hand so that you can douse any stray fledgling flames before they do any damage.
To learn more about hardscaping features like firepits, contact a general contractor service in your area such as Dias Pro Home Improvement Inc..