Each of us has our own vision of what our backyard is for and how it fuels our rest. The backyard is a slate of expression for how we live when we take the time to live. It’s the yang to the yin of our hard work. For some of us, the backyard includes a patio or a deck. For some of us, the backyard includes lush gardens to help us enjoy the beauty of creation, or to grow our own food. For some of us, the backyard will include kitchens, swing sets, or swimming pools. But there’s one element that’s essential for every backyard: the fire pit.
Fire pits are the crown jewel of any backyard. The fire pit is where we gather with friends after a barbeque. It’s where we keep warm outdoors in the fall and winter. It’s where we roast marshmallows and create the most decadent s’mores with our children and grandchildren. And on its own, the fire pit is a sensory wonderland: the beautiful colors of dancing flames, the comforting sounds of crackling wood, the smells of wafting smoke, and warmth on chilly evenings or late nights.
So how do we choose the perfect fire pit to go with our home? On one hand, the fire pit is simple: gather some stones or blocks around a liner, stack some wood and kindling, and light it. We made fire! But fire pits have actually come a long way in recent years. As lifestyles and technologies have changed, so have fire pits. The wood burning fire pit is a classic that’s never going away. But today we also have the option of fire pits that burn natural gas or liquid propane. Some of them are operated by remote control. And we even have wood-burning fire pits that don’t smoke!
Of course we have the classic wood-burning fire pit. This is the fire pit that we all know and love. They can be made from boulders and masonry. But we’re going to focus on precast kits. Kits are a great option, because they include everything that you need to build your own fire pit with tools that you already have, usually in less than an afternoon. They’re guaranteed to look great, and there are lots of options for shapes, textures and colors. You can match the perfect fire pit to the style of your home.
Round fire pits are a timeless shape. They’re great because everyone who gathers around one can be the same distance from the flame. With a generous diameter of nearly five feet, the HIGH FORMAT Belvedere® fire pit is a fantastic option for families and larger gathering spaces. The blocks have the beautiful texture of weathered limestone, but they’re actually made of durable wetcast concrete. The kit comes with a heavy-duty steel liner to refract the most warmth and to protect the stones. And, it comes in three beautiful colors.
Rectilinear fire pits have gained popularity as modern design styles have come back into fashion. Square shapes are the perfect accent for any home with linear design elements, and they give off as much heat as their curvilinear brethren. The HIGH FORMAT Kodah® fire pit makes a bold statement, with a footprint of more than four feet, a snapped limestone texture, and a heavy-duty steel liner. It has a generous ledge for drinks or to kick up your feet. They are also available in the same beautiful color blends as the Belvedere® kit.
Probably the most amazing development in firepit tech has been the invention of the smokeless liner. We’ve all experienced the phenomenon of having smoke follow us around the fire pit, regardless of where we try to sit. Drop-in smokeless systems from Breeo® can replace the liner in any HIGH FORMAT® fire pit. These genius fire pit liners are double-walled, and recirculate air and gas back into the fire, creating a secondary combustion that burns off remaining smoke. Breeo® also makes a number of self-contained steel fire pits that come fully assembled, and can go almost anywhere.
We all love the sounds and smells of a wood fire. But sometimes we live in municipalities that don’t allow us to burn wood; and a wood fire can be a lot of work too. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to light a match or flip a switch and have instant fire. In those cases, having a gas-burning fire pit is a God-send. Gas fire pits can burn natural gas or liquid propane. They can be as simple as a match-lit system with a key valve. Or they can be state-of-the-art systems with electronic ignitions. Gas fire pits can even be operated with remote controls and phone apps! And when you’re done with the fire, you just turn it off. You never have to worry about smoldering ash or waiting for a fire to die out.
Gas-burning setups are available for all of the HIGH FORMAT® fire pit kits. But there are lots of other options for gas as well. The flexibility and safety of a gas system allows for all kinds of different shapes and sizes. Some of them can even go on your wood deck. Modern looking bowls and tables are just a few of the endless possibilities. You can even dream up your own custom fire pits or tables, and there is a burner to fit your wildest ideas.
At the end of the day, every home calls for a fire pit. It’s the cornerstone of your yard. It’s the main event at all backyard gatherings. It’s where friends, family and neighbors gather to create new memories and to recall old ones. Whether you burn wood or gas, there’s no wrong way to fire pit. For the love of s’mores, to keep warm, or simply to extend the evening: be sure to make time to spend around the fire.
