An outdoor fireplace creates the perfect atmosphere for outdoor entertaining, provides cheap, natural heating to your outdoor spaces and adds both aesthetic and monetary value to a home. But in order to maximize these benefits, the positioning of your outdoor fireplace should be carefully considered. Here are five points to bear in mind when choosing the new outdoor fireplace area for your Bethpage, NY home.
As a wind breaker
When deciding on a position for your outdoor fireplace, it’s a good idea to take the direction of the prevailing wind into account. Keeping the back of the fireplace facing the wind will not only reduce smoke and keep your fire better controlled, but create a niche in which you and your guests will be protected from gusts of wind. The bulk of an outdoor fireplace is often a sufficient windbreaker for a comfortable outdoor area in which to enjoy the pleasures of a fire, but for additional shelter, the back wall of the fireplace can be extended in either direction.
For privacy
In the same way that the breadth of the hearth and chimney can be used to block wind, your outdoor fireplace can also be used to block the line of sight from your neighbor’s porch or from the street, ensuring better privacy and a more enjoyable space. As with blocking wind, this can be done by keeping the back of the fireplace facing the line of sight that you’d like to obstruct. Additional measures can include an extended back wall, trees, shade cloths or privacy screens.
As a central feature
An outdoor fireplace, carefully designed and expertly crafted from high quality natural stone or top grade concrete products, is something worth keeping on display. The bold structure of an outdoor fireplace automatically places it at the center of attention – add in a blazing fire and you have a mesmerizing centerpiece that catches the eye and directs the focus of the space. As such, an outdoor fireplace can be used as a central feature around which the layout of a patio, seating and other furniture can be arranged.
Maximizing space
An outdoor fireplace and attached patio can take up quite a bit of room in your yard. To reduce the amount of space assigned to an outdoor fireplace, the fireplace can be attached to the exterior wall of a home, nestled against a retaining wall, or placed in the corner of an enclosed or semi-enclosed patio. These techniques can also help create a wind-free zone and reduce excess dissipation of heat.
Limiting obstruction to a view
An outdoor fireplace’s width and height are a huge advantage when it comes to blocking wind and creating privacy. However, these qualities can backfire if the fireplace is positioned in front of an open landscape, as this will ruin a perfect view and detract from the natural surroundings. Instead, an outdoor fireplace should be placed off to one side so that the view remains open. Rather than placing the fireplace directly opposite the view, forcing guests to toggle their attention 180 degrees between fire and vista, a fireplace can be placed at 90 degrees, allowing enjoyment of both.
