What Should I Sit My Fire Pit on? Permanent fire pits come with built in heat proofing. But the freestanding ones need to sit on a heat shield, fire ring, cement pavers or fire-resistant mat in order to protect your grass or patio.
On the other hand, you need a thermal barrier like DeckProtect for your trex decking or wooden decking. This to make sure that it will not damage your deck. So, what should I sit my fire pit on? Here is the explanation.
What You Should Sit a Fire Pit on
What should I sit my fire pit on? There are many safe ways to have your dream fire pit in the spot you wish without damaging your garden, deck, or patio.
As it is said before, you can add a fire-resistant mat, heat shield, fire ring, or cement pavers for a freestanding fire pit. While for a built-in fire pit, you can add a layer of materials that absorb heat, such as rocks.
Wood burning fire pits burn hotter compared to gas fire pits. A lot of fire pits are made of steel since this material is an incredible conductor.
The temperature under the fire pit will be nearly as hot as the fire itself. A small wood fire burns at 600° F while a large wood fire burns at 1,400° F.
The hottest fire is when flames die down and the fire has burnt to embers, which is about 2,000° F. You need to consider several things when putting your fire pit.
First, you need to check your homeowner’s association about rules regarding fire pits. There should not be any overhanging trees or roofs if your fire pit is wood burning.
Make sure there is no gazebo fabric that can accidentally blow close to flames. Safety experts suggest that a fire pit should be at least 15 feet away from anything that can catch fire.
For example, trees, a wooden fence, storage shed, and so on. Any overhanging roofs or tree branches should be 10 feet to 15 feet away.
While property lines should be 10 feet away at least. Space restrictions will be fewer if your fire is a gas burning model.
Gas fire pits do not burn that hot. They also can be turned off with a switch and do not produce sparks. Gas pit tables are totally safe. Safety experts say that you should locate gas fire pits at least 10 feet away from your house.
Gas fire pits are fine to be located under a roof or gazebo if it is more than 6 feet away. Just make sure you have a lot of fresh air around the gas fire pit. Your fire pit should be level so that the fire pit will not wobble.
If there is no good level area at your house, try to make one by using a shovel. Try to find your fire pit in the lee of the prevailing winds. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher, fire blanket, or other safety precautions close.