As the weather changes to fall and the nights in Southern California become cooler, a great way to continue using your backyard is with the addition of a fire feature like a fire pit or fireplace. They add warmth and ambiance to a cool evening and extend the amount of time you can enjoy your outdoor spaces.
There are so many options to consider when adding a fire feature to your landscape. The best thing is that you have a myriad of options to best fit the space you are designing. Plus you can add outdoor living space around your fire pit or fireplace, designing seating with comfy and colorful cushions, outdoor furniture, or even built-in benches. The sky is the limit when designing your outdoor space focused around a fire feature.
Here are some ideas of what to consider before planning a fire feature and dreaming of those cool nights around a warm file:
Consider Your Cost
How much you want to spend on your outdoor area can largely influence the direction which you take your fire feature design. Costs can be as low as $100 for a small fire pit, one where you buy your own stones and dig the hole yourself, or comes as a kit purchased at a big box store. At the other end of the scale, a large built -in fireplace can run several thousand dollars, especially when seating design is added.
Permanent or Portable
A good idea when planning your fire feature space is to determine how portable or permanent you wish to make the space. Do you want the fire pit to be a focal feature in the yard, or something lightweight and potentially portable?
For permanent designs, you generally want to take into consideration the materials that are used on the house or in the garden and try to match those materials. Permanent can be a DIY job where you use a pre-made kit from the store, or you can fully customize with a landscape professional to do your design and build it.
Options for portable fire pits are also varied, there are fire bowls, fire tables, and chimney-style options and all come in a range of materials and can fit anyone’s needs.
Anyway you go, you should ensure you are using the proper stones and materials to ensure the safety of your space. Make the fire pit proportional to the size of your yard, and be sure you have room for seating and circulation.
Consider the Requirements
Many communities have minimum guidelines of distance from neighboring yards, and from your home. There may be permitting requirements when designing and installing a permanent fire pit. Finally, check with local officials to see if there are bans on certain styles of fire pits, such as open fire designs.
Of course, Pacific Vista Landscape is available to make your fire feature design plans come together without the major headache of figuring out all the design, and permitting requirements all on your own. Just make a call and we will help you get setup with your dream fire pit or fireplace, and before you know it, you’ll be relaxing in your new outdoor area, enjoying a nice warm fire, and making s’mores!
