If you love the sound of the crackling wood burning in the fireplace or the glow and warmth of the dancing flames, you might be thinking about adding an outdoor fireplace to your backyard. Today, we’re going to talk about built-in fireplaces, rather than chimeneas or some other portable unit.
Whether you choose to go with a wood-burning fireplace or outdoor gas fireplace, there are many benefits. Let’s take a look.
An outdoor fireplace adds an upscale focal point to your patio and a natural gathering place. You can add built-in seating or outdoor furniture to create an outdoor living room. Whether you just sit and chat or toast marshmallows, you add warmth and beauty to a chilly day or evening.
An outdoor fireplace enables you to get out on your patio earlier in the spring, and use your patio well into the fall and even winter months. You don’t need to limit your outdoor parties to the summer anymore. If you add an outdoor TV to your patio area, you can also easily hold tailgate parties on football weekends.
The first 2 benefits of having an outdoor fireplace increase your home’s value to you. But having a fireplace on your patio or in your outdoor kitchen can increase the value of the home to a potential buyer should you decide to sell your home. Make the fireplace part of an outdoor kitchen, and you may get an even higher resale value.
A word to the wise – to ensure a well-built outdoor fireplace that meets all the local building codes, we strongly suggest you hire an outdoor living contractor with experience with fireplaces. This will help you get a quality installation that is backed by a workmanship warranty as well as a manufacturer’s warranty (if your fireplace comes from a kit). A fireplace utilizing natural gas absolutely must be installed by a professional.
If you belong to a Homeowner’s Association (HOA) you will also need to get everything approved by the board. Experienced outdoor living contractors can help the process go smoothly.
Related Reading: Navigating HOA Rules and the Permitting Process
If you’re interested in adding an outdoor fireplace or a fire pit to your patio or including one in your outdoor kitchen design, we can help. Our design and build team can create a custom fireplace for you. We can also install a fireplace kit from reputable manufacturers such as Belgard.
We’re in the business of turning your outdoor living dreams into reality. We are now setting design consultation appointments for fall installation. Check out our Portfolio for examples of our work, and to gain inspiration.
We work with homeowners throughout the Capital Region, including Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.
