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Catalina Creations Celestial Cauldron fire pit, cast iron with black steel stand. Includes spark screen. $219 at Home Depot, www.homedepot.com. (Home Depot) |
The classy campfire
A chill creeps into the summer evening, but you’re loath to repair to the living room. A fire pit or chiminea can allow you to linger longer and more comfortably outdoors. Available in many different styles (and at many price points), fire pits and chimineas can also be attractive centerpieces or complements to backyard decor.
“A lot of people will design around a fire pit,’’ says Chris Muller, senior buyer at the Web store FirePits.com. Metal cauldrons, mosaic-tiled bowls, even dining tables with a built-in, propane-fueled fire apparatus figure among the fire pits now available. Traditional chimineas, meanwhile, tend to have a wide opening at the base to draw in air and a chimney to release smoke and heat. Fire pit-chiminea hybrids, open on multiple sides and with a less-pronounced chimney, are also available.
If you’re the campfire type, you might want to go the fire-pit route. If you prefer an enclosed heat source with minimal clean-up, a chiminea fits the bill. Blair Reuther, owner of The Blue Rooster Company, a Minnesota-based outdoor fireplace manufacturer, recommends chimineas made of cast aluminum rather than cast iron or clay, saying cast aluminum holds up better in the elements, and is fairly easy to move.
Naturally, chimineas and fire pits come with safety considerations. You never want anything above, below, or nearby that could catch fire. If you have children, you won’t want them touching a hot chiminea or getting too close to a burning fire pit. “One of the first questions to ask is, ‘Are we the right family to have one?’ ’’ Muller says.
But for those interested in buying a fire pit or chiminea, the design options just keep growing.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
