A hearth on the patio: design ideas, installation tips, and new products - Home

Sunset, June, 2003 by Peter O. Whiteley

An outdoor fireplace makes a great gathering spot. It creates a feeling of intimacy while letting you stay outside to take advantage of long summer evenings. You can install one in a sheltered entry courtyard, along the rear wall of a home, or at the boundary between paved and planted areas. On the following pages, you'll find inspiration for your own setting and help in choosing the right fireplace unit.

Sitting pretty

Notched into a hillside retaining wall, this stone-clad fireplace is an elegant garden focal point. An arbor tops the gently curving wall, which includes built-in storage for firewood.

DESIGN: Michael Yandle, landscape architect, Ross, CA (415/464-0763). Patio furnishings: Linda Applewhite & Associates, San Rafael, CA (415/456-2757)

* Simple sculpture

Nicki and Peter Mofft's outdoor fireplace rises from the back of a patio shaded by a tall Chinese elm. At night the graceful mantle of leaves becomes a gilded dome in the reflected firelight. A spark-arresting screen caps the chimney.

DESIGN: Nicki Moffat, Palo Alto, CA (650/324-1722)

Stone forest

A careful composition of large, pitted boulders surrounds the opening to this fireplace facing an outdoor dining area. A multilayered trellis helps frame the space and reinforces the Craftsman-style architecture of the house.

DESIGN: Thomas Bateman Hood, architect, Larkspur, CA (415/461-9490)

* Drama in the desert

The curving seat wall defines an 8-foot-wide elevated patio in front of this distinctive stone fireplace (the stone is made of sedimentary clay from Arizona). Granite boulders edge the entrance and serve as a stationary coffee table. The fireplace is part of a stuccoed retaining wall set into a hill at the rear of the property.

DESIGN: Tracey Adams, landscape architect, Duo Design Group, Phoenix (602/433-1174)

Low-commitment choices

Traditional masonry models--with footing, a firebrick-lined firebox, and a brick-lined or stone chimney--are heavy and costly. Here are lighter, less expensive options.

Zero-clearance units. These are designed so they can be installed in contact with combustible framing material. Many builders start with a prefabricated metal shell. They add a metal chimney, frame the unit with studs (wood or metal), encase it in plywood or backer-board, and finish it with stucco, stone, or tile. Stainless steel shells are available from Lennox (from $1,800; www.lennoxhearthproducts.com or 800/854-0257) and Vermont Castings (from $1,612; www.vermontcactings.com or 800/227-8683). Heat-N-Glo makes a gas-fueled stainless steel model called the Dakota, which arrives complete with a gas-log set and glass doors. It doesn't need a chimney, since the exhaust is released through slots in the decorative face frame ($2,499; www.heatnglo.com or 888/743-2887).

Modular units. Precast modules (often made of pumice stone) stack together to make the firebox, fireplace, and chimney. Installing these lighter-weight sections is easier than dealing with heavy solid units. Isokern Fireplace Systems makes a 36-inch-wide patio fireplace with options including a firebrick interior and stone, tile, or stucco finish on the exterior. $1,200-$1,700 plus shipping. www.azisokern.com or (866) 476-5376.

Another modular fireplace, the Manor House from Nexo (imported by Hearthlink International), comes prefinished with a stone veneer. $1,999 plus shipping. www.outdoorfireplaces.com or (877) 337-8414.

Chimeneas. Originally made of clay, these freestanding portable units have been updated with more options in recent years. Hearthlink International offers several versions made of cast aluminum. At a relatively light 90 pounds, they're easier to move than the traditional kind. They include spark arresters, small-mesh screens, and leg levelers (for uneven patio surfaces). An optional gas-log set can also be ordered. From $399 including shipping. www.outdoorfireplaces.com or (877) 337-8414.

Freestanding metal units. These resemble fire-pits or fireplaces crossed with chimeneas. A fanciful model for wood burning and grilling comes from SoJoe ($399; www.sojoe.com or 888/316-1404). Waterloo Gas Products' 7001 Solarium uses propane or natural gas (from $425; www.waterloogasproducts.ca or 519/725-0196).

For more information on outdoor fireplaces and related products, contact the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association: www.hpba.org or (703) 522-0086.

Related article: Fireplace basics.

* Good neighbors use chimneys, especially when a wood-burning fireplace is near the property line, says John Crouch of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. The chimney elevates the release point of smoke.

* Burn dry, well-seasoned firewood. This greatly reduces the amount of smoke and particulate (a by-product of combustion).

* Add a spark arrester. Chimneytop units trap and break up embers.

* Avoid burning when fire danger is high or an inversion layer (which inhibits the upward motion of air) is likely.

* Switch to wood substitutes to reduce pollution and minimize the chance of a wayward spark escaping. You can buy wax-based logs, such as Duraflame's Open Air fire log, at home-improvement or grocery stores, Logs made of "densified wood-compressed sawdust-are also cleaner-burning choices. Try Goodwood from Summit Views (www.summitviews.com or 877/872-8341) or Wise Wood Firelogs from WorldWise (www.worldwise.com or 415/721-7400).