An outdoor fireplace is a place for building fires outside of the home. Similar in construction to an indoor fireplace, an outdoor fireplace is usually added to a stone, brick, or concrete patio. It often consists of a firebox and a chimney. As with indoor fireplaces, an outdoor fireplace requires cleaning and maintenance to keep it looking and working at its best. While an outdoor fireplace may not need to be cleaned as often, it will need to be cleaned regularly in order to keep it reasonably tidy and maintained and to remove ash build.
While indoor fireplaces are traditionally designed for heating, an outdoor fireplace is usually used for cooking. Many are designed to double as wood-fired ovens that allow homeowners to create meals such as pizzas and casseroles. Entire outdoor kitchens can evolve from the fireplace.
Any one who knows what the worth of family affection is among the lower classes, and who has seen the array of little portraits stuck over a labourer’s fireplace ... will perhaps feel with me that in counteracting the tendencies, social and industrial, which every day are sapping the healthier family affections, the sixpenny photograph is doing more for the poor than all the philanthropists in the world.
— Macmillan’s Magazine (London, September 1871)
An outdoor fireplace can simply be a decorative element, which allows homeowners to enjoy a crackling fire while entertaining in the backyard. Some municipalities may prohibit purely-decorative fireplaces (e.g. Toronto)
Types
By Fuel Type
- Gas
- Wood
- Propane
Pellet Coal
By Construction Type
- Stone
- Stainless Steel
- Cast Iron
- Aluminum
- Copper
- Granite
- Marble
- Mosaic Tile
Other Outdoor Fireplace Options
- Chimenea
- Wood-burning fire pits
- Portable gas fire pits