Fireplaces vs. Fire Pits: What’s Best for Your Home

Both an outdoor fireplace and a fire pit can transform your backyard into a cozy and inviting environment. These outdoor fixtures can provide light, warmth, and a relaxing focal point for any outdoor setting.

So, what’s the difference between the two? Which one is the best choice for your home? If you’re debating a fire pit vs. fireplace, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing what’s best for your home.

What to Consider About a Fire Pit

A fireplace is designed so that you and your guests sit in front of it instead of around it. Fireplaces’ design allows you to transform your backyard into a sophisticated and cozy setting. Besides bringing warmth, a fireplace can serve as a stunning focal point in your outdoor space.

What to Consider About an Outdoor Fireplace

Fire Pit vs. Outdoor Fireplace

While these two fire features have their similarities, they provide different experiences. Here are the main differences between a fire pit and a fireplace.

Space

Although a fire pit can be located almost anywhere on your property, it can take up a large portion of your backyard- as much as 150 to 200 square feet of space.

Instead, you can add an outdoor fireplace on the edge of a patio, keeping the rest of the space open. An outdoor fireplace comes in different sizes and designs. It may only use 50 to 75 square feet of space, and you could even build it in an attached section without using all the main yard space at all.

Maintenance

Fire pits require consistent cleaning and maintenance to stay fully operational and aesthetically pleasing. For fire pits, this means covering them up when it rains, regularly sweeping out dust, routine power washing, and treating the metalwork to avoid rusting. If you opt for a fire pit, ensure it has the proper drainage to collect rainwater.

Maintaining your outdoor fireplace instead only involves cleaning out the ashes and anything combustible regularly.

Wind Changes

Whereas outdoor fireplaces blow up smoke through the chimney, a fire pit can produce smoke around your seating area. Since fire pits make a lot of smoke, ensuring you place it in the right spot is necessary. Even when putting it correctly, wind changes can provoke smoke to blow right at your gathering space. Smoke is less likely to interfere with entertaining in an outdoor fireplace.

Fuel Source

The most common options for fueling a backyard fire pit are wood, propane, and natural gas.

When it comes to fireplaces, standard designs require wood. However, ventless fireplaces use gas or ethanol as a fuel source.

Outdoor Fireplace: The Best Option

While both the fireplaces and fire pit serve as safe and cozy places to warm up your outdoor living areas, they are two completely different structures.

Although fire pits can create a warm, cozy environment in your backyard, they require a lot of space and extensive maintenance. Outdoor fireplaces instead are resistant, easy to maintain, and long-lasting outdoor additions that can be used in all weather conditions.

Texas Best Outdoor Fireplaces

Are you looking for outdoor fireplace ideas? At Isokern Outdoor Living, we provide superior outdoor living designs in Texas. The Isokern garden fireplace comes in a wide range of colors, sizes, and layouts.