Colder weather is right around the corner, but the enjoyment that your outdoor architecture brings doesn’t have to end! Who said you had to spend those chilly fall nights stuck inside the house? Enjoy the colder season with your friends and loved ones with the help of a custom American Deck & Sunroom fire pit or outdoor fireplace.
According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, fire pits, or outdoor fireplaces, are the number one requested design feature today. Why not? They add ambiance to a cool evening, and it’s nice to just sit and stare at a burning fire. Plus, you can have one for a lot less than you might think!
Adding an outdoor fireplace or a custom fire pit offers a new attraction that can be enjoyed at any time of the year. American Deck & Sunroom creates designs based on your existing architecture, pulling from your unique style to create something that will blend seamlessly, adding another piece to the final puzzle. We provide innovative, unique, and long-lasting fire pits and fire places for our customers to enjoy year round, but if you want those s’mores tasting great year after year, some maintenance is required. Luckily, maintaining a beautiful fire pit or fireplace is an easy task.
Cleaning
First and foremost, your fire pit should be regularly cleaned to maintain the aesthetic appeal and to avoid potential fires from developing outside the fire pit. Also, residual soot and debris, when left in the fire pit for an extended period of time, can carbonize the pit and impart unpleasant flavors to food. When cleaning, the number one priority is safety. To ensure your custom fire pit or fireplace is cleaned properly, follow these tips:
- Never attempt to clean your fire pit until you are completely positive the fire is out.
- Always practice common sense and employ the utmost care around a fire pit or fireplace.
- Use an angled broom to sweep away residual ashes that may have formed as result of your toasty fire. Never let ashes accumulate!
- Remove debris such as leaves, sticks, grass and any other potentially flammable items for a perimeter of at lease 10 feet.
- Place debris and ashes in metal ash can for disposal.
- Inspect burners (if using gas fire pit) and any drain or ventilation openings to be sure they are not clogged.
- Clean your fire pit and fire pit accessories using a mild dishwasher detergent or baking soda. Stubborn surfaces can be washed with a citrus based degreaser.
Extinguishing Your Fire
When the music stops playing and all the roasted hot dogs and marshmallows are gone, you must know how to properly extinguish your fire. It’s very common for those to simply let the fire burn out or to dowse water on it and retire for the night, these are unsafe practices that may lead to flare-ups once left unattended. To properly extinguish your fire, take the ashes and spread them over a large area. Allow the fire to simmer down for a little bit, then take a small container of water and gently pour it over the ashes. Lastly, monitor the situation for a few minutes to confirm the fire has been completely extinguished.
Cover Your Fire Pit or Fireplace
Your custom fire pit has provided you the necessary warmth during some of your most memorable nights, now give back to it and protect it from the elements like rain and snow. Protecting your fire pit by covering it will ensure satisfaction and also limit the amount of cleaning you will have to do when your fire place is not in use. Virtually any type of waterproof vinyl tarp will work in this situation. Incorporating these guidelines during maintenance on your American Deck & Sunroom fire pit will lead to a beautiful outdoor feature, capable of creating a great ambiance for you and loved ones for years to enjoy.
Always remember: Practice fire safety!
A fire of any kind demands serious attention. In addition to knowing how to properly care for your custom fire pit and fireplace, keep these tips in mind:
- Check wind direction before you light a fire.
- Don’t use flammable fluids (gasoline, lighter fluid, etc) to light or relight fires.
- Don’t wear flammable clothing (like nylon) or any loose-fit clothing.
- Avoid using soft woods like pine or cedar, because they can “pop” and throw sparks.