Comprehensive Guide

Many outdoor fireplaces come with a steel firebox. The main advantage of steel is that you get a complete ‘unit’ that can be fitted to a custom designed outdoor space. This is perfect for those looking to create a custom outdoor fireplace without having to pay for a full custom built solution. The steel firebox will come with specifications that can be provided to your architect or builder who can then design a ‘hole’ in which to place the firebox, to suit your house.

Because a steel firebox is a ‘unit’ it can come either gas or wood fired. Some steel fireboxes also come with self-lighting features, making for simple starting of your wood burning outdoor fireplace.

The main downsides to a steel firebox is the cost and warranty. They can be quite an expensive solution, especially when you factor in the architectural and or build cost for the ‘hole’ and surround for the firebox. Being steel, the outdoor fireplace will have a limited warranty, and this is worth investigating before purchasing. Warranties on a steel outdoor firebox can often be less than three years.

A gas outdoor fireplace can quickly create a big yellow flame that looks great. They are easy to start, quick to use and save countless hours chopping firewood or money to buy the wood you would otherwise need. The real problem with a gas outdoor fireplace is that they generate very low kilowatt output.

Gas can be tuned like a BBQ to create a blue flame, with lots of heat to cook, or a big yellow flame with little heat for ambience. The ambience is not fully delivered upon however with the lack of heat, and so you will notice people do not gather around a gas outdoor fireplace, instead they are usually utilised for their appearance.

There are times when this makes complete sense and some outdoor designs makes space for the utilisation of flame, not for its warmth or the creation of a space to gather, but simply the creation of light and the impression of warmth.

At first glance, the consideration of whether or not you can cook on your outdoor fireplace may seem down on the list of what’s important. However one of the best bits of advice we can give in this comprehensive guide is to give the potential of cooking on your outdoor fireplace due consideration.

The reason for this is simple, by design an outdoor fireplace will either facilitate cooking or not. Whilst you can cook on a gas BBQ, you can’t cook on a gas outdoor fireplace. The big yellow flame and lack of fat collection just makes this impossible.

It’s great to see an increase in the number of steel fireboxes that now include some cooking options. Whilst a steel firebox limits the range of cooking styles that can be achieved, there are now a range of steel firebox options that facilitate basic outdoor cooking.

If you choose an outdoor fireplace solution with a block or masonry firebox, you can remove the limitations that come from the flu and grill design of a steel firebox. This then can enable proper wood fired pizza, meat smoking and more, depending on the options that come with your outdoor fireplace.

The last thing to consider here, is that many people want an outdoor fireplace for the ambience, then spend so much time in front of their outdoor fireplace they find themselves wanting to entertain and cook up a good steak.

It sounds simple, but we all need a reason to use our outdoor areas. We like to think that just being outside is reason enough, however having something to watch, something to do, something to experience…these are all motivators to use our outdoor spaces.

Many enjoy just the process of lighting and watching their outdoor fireplace, others couldn’t think of a better place to savour a fine wine or craft beer, families enjoy time without devices, just chatting and the best thing is you can cook and entertain for all your friends and family.

An outdoor fireplace is a simple thing that gives you reason to do very little and feel completely satisfied that you’ve spent the best part of your day doing it.

We touched on this a bit earlier when discussing the limited warranty timeframes available on steel fireboxes. These are often just a year and almost always below three. When considering the level of investment, this is a key consideration. Some outdoor fireplaces are completely steel in design. The limiting factor however is always the firebox, as this is where cracking and deterioration is most likely to occur.

Custom built outdoor fireplaces may come with or without a warranty, depending on the stone mason. In this instance you want to choose a reputable supplier with a proven track record and excellent references.

Whilst remaining unbiased, it has to be mentioned that Flare Fires outdoor fireplaces come with a limited lifetime warranty.

If your outdoor fireplace is to be included in the design of your house, it will most likely need to come with engineering drawings and specifications that can be approved.

A steel firebox will come with specifications defining clearances and the engineering required for the ‘hole’ in which it is to be placed. The fireplace ‘hole’ however will require its own engineering and design, approved to local building standards.

A custom built outdoor fireplace will unlikely come with any engineering drawings and will likely need to be a stand alone solution, kept away from permitted buildings.

Flare Fires, which are modular, come pre-engineered and with the specifications needed for local permitting body’s to authorise. These specifications are often used to place the Flare outdoor fireplace in an outdoor room, or through an outdoor roof.

When considering an outdoor fireplace you’ll want something that looks good and adds to the design, functionality and appeal of the area you have available.

One of the key considerations therefore is the footprint of the outdoor fireplace. The solution has to match your space well. Both a custom built outdoor fireplace and a modular outdoor fireplace can be sized to suit the scale of your site.

Another key consideration is obviously the physical appeal of the outdoor fireplace.

A custom built outdoor fireplace, often made of natural stone, can look incredible. These can be designed to create a look you love and a size to suit your space.

Compared to a modular outdoor fireplace the main drawbacks are the time, engineering design and cooking options.

Building a custom outdoor fireplace can often take many weeks. A modular outdoor fireplace, like Flare Fires, are installed in just a few hours, allowing this to occur easily around other parts of the building project.

A Flare outdoor fireplace has considerable design merit so as to act as an outdoor centre piece. Flare Fires may not suit all tastes but the Flare range of outdoor fireplaces tend to provide options most love the look of.

The often lacking engineering design aspect of a custom built outdoor fireplace means that they have to be stand-alone units, separated from permitted buildings. Whereas an engineered product such as Flare Fires can be planned and permitted into building projects.

A custom built outdoor fireplace may come with limited cooking options, where-as solutions created by dedicated outdoor fireplace companies like Flare Fires can incorporate many innovative and proven cooking options.

Probably the last consideration on the topic of a custom built outdoor fireplace is the cost. We have heard countless times, people comment on the cost of their custom outdoor fireplace when they compare it to the cost of a Flare outdoor fireplace.

Occasionally cost isn’t really a consideration, design and functionality is everything. But when cost does matter, there are a few factors to consider.

A. Consider making it stand alone – if you make the outdoor fireplace part of your house construction you will need to think about building permits, design, the cost of a firebox and the complication of building it into the structure. Keeping it stand alone removes most of those complications. With a Flare Fire this is made easier as our outdoor fireplace is engineered and come with all the required manufacturing specifications.

B. Consider your property boundaries – if you place the outdoor fireplace on or near your boundary you may need to consult your neighbour and seek consent. Proximity to boundary considerations vary from council to council. Typically if you are over 1.5m away from a neighbours side boundary you will be fine, but it’s always best to check with your local council in New Zealand. Seeking permission from your neighbour can add cost, not counting the inconvenience factor.

From our end, we work hard to keep our outdoor fireplaces as cost effective as possible. This is something our increasing scale has helped us achieve. We are pleased to say that our outdoor fireplaces are often considerably cheaper than an outdoor table setting or a spa pool. Yes there are additional costs, such as freight and install, but the overall investment is still relatively low compared to other outdoor products.

In many parts of the world open fires are not allowed. Most rules globally require the outdoor fireplace to have a chimney and or allow for cooking. This is another reason to want to have the ability to cook on your outdoor fireplace, this way you can call it wood burning BBQ, braai, wood fired smoker or whatever you prefer.