Fireplace vs. Fire Pit: What’s the Best Way to Warm Your Carlinville, IL Landscaping?
Looking to make your exterior living space more inviting once the sun goes down? Want to extend your backyard season by adding a cozy fireplace to your landscaping? Wondering whether you should buy a fire pit or install an outdoor fireplace at your Calinville, Il home?
Both fire pits and a fireplace serve the same basic function – they each add light, heat and an unbeatable ambiance to your patio, deck or yard. That said, there’s some important differences that you need to consider when choosing the right one for your space:
What fuel do you plan on using?
With a fireplace your fuel option is limited to wood, which delivers great heat and that unmistakable scent of burning wood. On the other hand, a wood-burning fireplace means you’ll have to keep a stock of dry firewood on hand and hone up your fire-starting skills.
Fire pits offer a lot more flexibility when it comes to the type of fuel you use. You can always opt for a traditional wood-burning fire pit or choose a simple, instant-start gas fire pit. As an added bonus, gas fire pits won’t leave you and your guests with that distinctive ‘campfire’ smell on your clothes, however, wood does deliver more heat.
How big is your exterior living space?
Building a fireplace into your landscaping is a great way to add visual interest and create a gathering spot, but just like with interior fireplaces, there are rules around how close your exterior fireplace can be to your home, garage and other flammable structures. This is why most outdoor fireplaces are built along the outside perimeter of the landscaping installation.
And while fire pits also must be placed in a way that is safe, there’s more options when it comes to where you put a fire pit because they can be purchased or custom-made in a wide variety of sizes. Many fire pits are also movable, giving you the option of switching up where you warm up outside.
What’s your landscaping budget?
Another consideration when weighing the choice between fire pits and a custom fireplace is the price. Generally speaking, a fire pit will cost less than an outdoor fireplace simply because a fireplace involves more landscaping material.
No matter how you choose to warm up your Carlinville, IL exterior living space, our team of landscaping experts here at Monarch Landscaping is here to help bring your backyard vision to life.
