Top Upgrades for Fall: A Custom Fire Pit or Outdoor Fireplace

The end of September and the beginning of October are some of the best times to spend outdoors in Maryland. The heat of summer is but a memory, and the fall colors are starting to show. As the days get shorter and the temperatures start to drop more and more at night, you can still enjoy your outdoor living space with the warmth of a fire from a custom fire pit or outdoor fireplace.

Along with outdoor kitchens, fire pits and outdoor fireplaces are among the most requested features our clients ask for. And it’s easy to see why. Not only are they beautiful, but they’re functional and make it so you can even stay on your patio on some of the milder winter days.

When it comes to adding a built-in fire pit or outdoor fireplace (or both) you have 3 main decisions:

1. Choosing the Location(s)

We can help you choose appropriate locations for your fire pit and outdoor fireplace based on local building codes, prevailing winds, and your preferences. Neither outdoor living feature can be located too close to your home, for safety reasons.

You also want to ensure that smoke from a wood-burning fire isn’t constantly creating a cloud over your patio or your neighbor’s yard. For a little more money, these days you can get a “smokeless” fire pit that resolves that issue.

If you have an existing patio, you may be limited in choice of location, but if you’re building a new patio and want to include these fire features, you have more options.

2. Choosing Materials and Design

Many of the top landscaping materials companies have fire pit kits and outdoor fireplace kits to choose from. These are made with landscaping pavers and blocks in a variety of colors, textures, shapes, and sizes.

We can also design and build your custom fire pit or fireplace using fire-rated brick, natural stone, or create a custom design using a mixture of materials.

3. Choosing the Fuel to Burn

The traditional fuel to burn in a fire pit or outdoor fireplace is wood. But we have a lot of homeowners who are opting to burn propane or natural gas. With propane, we can hide the tank, but provide easy access to it. As far as a wood-burning fire pit goes, we can install it just about anywhere on your property, from your patio to a far corner of your yard that has its own little patio.

With natural gas, as long as you have a gas line on your property, we can run it to connect with the patio fire pit or fireplace. Running the gas line may become cost-prohibitive if you want to locate your fire pit or outdoor fireplace further away from your home, as might be the case with a multi-level patio or auxiliary patio seating area.

When it’s installed by professionals, your built-in fire pit or outdoor fireplace will be up to all local codes and last for years to come. They will also enhance the value of your home if you should decide to sell.

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How to Create Outdoor Rooms You’ll Want to Spend Time In

Make It Exceptional. Make It Woodfield.

Are you ready to add in a built-in fire pit or an outdoor fireplace to your outdoor living space? We can help. We can create a custom design for you, or use one of several high-end kits from quality manufacturers including:

• Techo-Bloc
• EP Henry
• Belgard

Check out our Patios and Masonry Portfolio for examples of our work. Pinterest is also a great source of ideas for fire pits and outdoor fireplaces. If you can show us multiple images of what design and materials appeal to you, our team can turn your ideas into reality.

We work with homeowners throughout the Baltimore region, including Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Cecil County, Harford County, and Howard County. Contact us today to set up a consultation.