Many people are excited to get an outdoor fire pit or fireplace, but the novelty wears off after a while. At first, it’s an exciting addition to the porch or yard and then it becomes just another outdoor decoration. You can visit Nostalgia UK to get your hands on the finest collection of fireplaces.
If your outdoor fireplace hasn’t seen any action for a while, here’s how you can revive the excitement and start enjoying it once again.
- Make sure your outdoor fireplace is up to code
You’ll never enjoy an outdoor fireplace if it’s broken or gets you fined.
Before firing up your outdoor fireplace, make sure it meets all required building codes and EPA regulations. Never use a visibly broken unit.
Depending on where you live, you’ll need to follow specific regulations that govern approved units, chimney height, and what fuels you can burn in the chamber. If your outdoor fireplace is broken or doesn’t meet regulations, look for a new unit.
If it’s been a while since you’ve looked around, this outdoor fireplace buyer’s guide will help you choose the right style for your space.
- Build a covered patio area for your fireplace
An outdoor fireplace is fun, but in an uncovered area it can get pretty cold. Even in the summer, some areas experience wind and low temperatures that start dropping in the early evening.
By enclosing your outdoor fireplace with a couple walls and a roof, you’ll keep the space warmer. Wind will be blocked and you can even add patio heaters for extra warmth.
When your patio space is warmer, you and your guests will hang out by the fireplace longer and get more enjoyment.
- Build a mini bar next to your outdoor fireplace
Nothing brings people together like alcohol. If you host parties and want your guests to spend more time around your outdoor fireplace, build a bar. You don’t have to build anything fancy. All you need is a counter, a space for alcohol and ice, and some chairs.
If you want to get even fancier, put your outdoor fireplace in the middle of an outdoor living area with an ice maker, a barbecue grill, a cooking pit, and a bar. Don’t even bother trying to DIY this type of project – hire a pro and you’ll have it fast.
- Repaint the unit
If your outdoor fireplace comes built into a unit made of painted wood or other materials, give it a fresh coat of paint. Even if the paint isn’t cracking, peeling, or fading, a new look will make it feel brand new and you’ll want to spend more time around your fireplace.
If you have kids, get them involved if you don’t mind an interesting paint job. Or, you can have your kids apply special decals or pick out some stencils for painting intricate borders.
- Start hosting more gatherings
Although the phrase “if you build it, they will come” is a misquote from Field of Dreams, it’s still true. If you build an awesome backyard for hosting gatherings, people will show up to your house for your parties.
Start hosting more gatherings for friends, neighbors, and even your clients. Hosting more gatherings will force you to upgrade your yard, which will make people want to come back.
- Install surround sound speakers around your patio
When you host gatherings, do you normally blast music from the house and hope you don’t make your neighbors mad? There’s a better way: surround sound speakers mounted to your patio or gazebo.
With surround sound outside, your guests will enjoy their time outside by the fireplace. They won’t have to strain to hear the music or shout over the distortion.
While installing surround sound speakers outside could still become a noise issue for your neighbors, you’d actually have to turn the music up really loud to equal the kind of disturbance that comes from loud music inside the house.
The music coming from the house will sound more distorted and neighbors will feel the bass more intensely than if you just play soft music from outdoor speakers.
Summer is closer than you think
It’s time to upgrade your outdoor fireplace and its surroundings. Those cool summer nights are right around the corner. The sooner you get your patio set up for entertaining, the sooner you’ll be enjoying those outdoor flames with your friends and family.