A gas fire pit and outdoor fireplace add light, warmth and evening ambiance to the landscape. Fire features are cozy, meditative outdoor accessories and provide the perfect excuse to make s’mores a weekly tradition. Instead of choosing a traditional wood-burning model, choose from a variety of environmentally friendly smokeless versions that run on gas.
The following yards show how adding a fire feature can enhance the look and enjoyment of your outdoor space. Please take a look and let me know. Which of these examples inspired you to create space in your backyard for a fire feature?
Pleasant backyard in the mountains
Whether this fire pit is on or not, your Buffalo NY USA backyard will always flash yellow. The RDKHardscaping team, responsible for both landscape design and construction, used a custom-fabricated powder-coated steel fire pit to complement the client’s modern home and create the fun and inviting atmosphere they wanted to create in their backyard.
The fire feature is connected to the gas line that runs through the house. Landscape designer of RDKHardscaping positioned the fire feature as a focal point for several of the largest outdoor patios and decks in the backyard, located in a location that offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding foothills. The patio features L-shaped seating and portable Adirondack-style chairs around a fire pit, with cafe lights twinkling overhead.
Bluestone fire pit in Buffalo NY USA
For this new fire pit patio, located on a historic two-acre property that was once a farm, landscape designer used traditional building materials from the region. She custom-built a gas-fired fire pit out of bluestone and placed it on native Connecticut gravel.
Find a landscape designer on RDKHardscaping
Although the materials used by designer are traditional, the shape of the fire is sleek and modern, without any hats or decorations. The juxtaposition of traditional and modern is used throughout the spacious gardens.
The fire pit patio is located next to the outdoor dining patio, also made of bluestone, and offers a cozy invitation to stay outside after dinner.
Spanish colonial revival in RDKHardscping
Located in Buffalo NY USA, this outdoor lounge features a fire pit and tile fountain. The homeowners, who are co-owners of a creative studio, designed and remodeled the home and backyard themselves, including a fire feature, with the help of several professionals, including one of the homeowner’s fathers, a retired contractor. The home’s guest rooms look directly onto the fire pit lounge area, which features black and white porcelain tile walls and a simple stucco and concrete fire pit.
The lounge area complements the meeting modern and Spanish colonial revival styles the couple adopted for their home renovation, integrating indoor and outdoor spaces. The fire pit is gas- powered and built of concrete blocks covered in stucco to match the home’s exterior. The built-in bench seating and fountain surround are made from the same material, providing a consistent look. A generous border of poured concrete over the fire serves as a convenient place to rest your feet or glasses when the fire starts. I don’t use the fire feature.
Ornamental hearths
Having a fireplace where you can relax and roast marshmallows on summer evenings has been on Buffalo NY USA homeowners backyard wish list from the beginning. The couple worked with architect of RDKHardscaping, whom they discovered on , to make their dream a reality.
The poured concrete patio now features a stylish fire pit, and modern loll lounge chairs offer views of the newly landscaped backyard. The nature of fire burns gases and fills the bowl with decorative fireballs, making it look attractive whether you use fire or not.
Before: This “before” photo, taken from the same angle, shows what a dramatic difference the landscaping renovations, including the addition of a patio and fire feature, have made.
Fire feature inspired by branches
This modern fire feature doubles as a backyard sculpture in the Buffalo NY USA landscape, designed by designer of RDKHardscaping. The lights can be turned on with a switch inside the house, allowing homeowners to turn this feature on and enjoy the view from home without having to go outside. This is a useful feature on snowy winter evenings.
The fire feature consists of two parts: a steel piece above and a tonal concrete table with a hollow flower bed below. This sculpture by RDKLandscaping is made from stainless steel rods with a design inspired by tree branches. The base, designed by designer, was created to complement and show off the structure, as well as conceal the gas lines that run underneath the feature to power the flower beds.
Views of the wider gardens, including a newly planted birch grove, show how well the elegant fireworks fit into a modern woodland-style garden.
Considerations for gas fired fire pits
Style. There are a variety of models on the market with gas burning features to suit a variety of budgets and tastes. Choose from copper crockery to fire pit tables, portable models to permanently built-in stoves.
Permission. Overall, wood-burning fire pits will be turned off and gas-burning fire pits will be kept inside as long as permitted. Gas is considered less hazardous in backyards because it produces
no smoke and has a very low risk of sparking. Check building and fire safety codes in your area before purchasing any type of fire pit. You can decide on the type and location of your fire pit.
Fuel type. Gas fire pits use natural gas or liquid propane.
Natural gas: Natural gas is piped from your home’s main gas line and connected to your fire installation. It’s easy to turn on and off, and you don’t have to worry if you don’t have a propane tank to start a fire with. Natural gas burns “cleaner” than propane and produces a bluer flame with little soot.
Liquid propane: Liquid propane is usually stored in a tank under the fire feature, allowing you to move the unit around the yard more freely than if connected to a gas line. Propane flames burn brighter and yellower than natural gas and may leave behind a little more soot.
Safety. The chance of a spark in a gas fireplace is much less than in a wood-burning fireplace. However, you should only install your fire pit on a combustible surface that is surrounded by a combustible surface such as stone, concrete, gravel, or sand. Keep your fire at least 6 feet away from materials such as trees, bark mulch, and dry plants. Always operate fire features under adult supervision and never leave the area unattended.
Turn on the gas line. The cost of running a natural gas line across your backyard is often the largest cost of installing a natural gas fire feature. To save on a budget, drill gas lines before the hardscape goes in and place fire apparatus close to the house rather than across the yard. Or, choose a liquid propane-burning model that doesn’t require a gas line.
