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Fire pits for decks?
If the deck is your favorite gathering spot and you love the outdoors, then having a fire pit there would be the ideal choice.
There are so many options which you can choose from, which can further enhance your deck and the outdoor ambiance. You can have a beautiful permanent landscape fire pit or you can even keep a mobile and portable as well as a compact form of a fire pit as well.
Open flames and wooden decks?
Can fire pit be used on wood deck?
Before you do decide to go shopping for your fire pit for your deck, it is important to do your homework first, whether or not you are even allowed by the state to keep one and if you are, then what are the regulations regarding the fire pit in the house and only then should you shop accordingly.
Mostly the local municipality would have some specifics about having open flames which might not be permissible on wooden decks or not within 20 feet of your home, and there might be other ordinances as well. These are basically to protect your homes in case of a fire hazard.
Most of the traditional wood burning fire pits on the deck can have sparks and embers that can ignite the nearby surfaces and may even land on a deck board and even after you have doused the fire pit, it can still ignite a large blaze.
Get clearance & right fire pit?
So the first thing you need to do is get a clearance for having a fire pit on your deck and then go about from there. Choose the best one, something with a gas fueled pit with the lowest risk of fire. You may be able to find special gas fire pits which are designed for deck use.
Moreover, the next thing you need to do is to make sure that you deck is strong enough to actually support the fire pit, especially if you are planning to have one custom made.
If you are planning to make it yourself, then it is advisable to check and confirm with a local contractor before undertaking the project.
Safety
No matter how safe you think it is, always double check for safety concerns. Make sure your fire pit is away from furniture, railings or plants that are prone to catching fire.
You may want to install some sort of a flame resistant surface in order to hold the fire pit and catch the sparks.
There are many options like that where you can purchase fire pits which are designed to protect the deck surfaces from high temperatures or you may want to create your own fire pit for the deck which you can construct using metal pavers or bricks over a wooden deck.
Always make sure your deck can handle the weight of the fire pit that you are constructing. If you fire pit is equipped with a screen that is an ideal situation and it is good to keep it closed in order to prevent sparks from getting outside.
Even after you have taken all possible precautions which you must, accidents can still happen and that is why you should always have a fire extinguisher fully charged and always available with you, in case there is a fire.
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