Making the Most of Fire Features This Summer
You Can Still Enjoy a Fire Feature in the Summer
Summer is virtually here! It’s the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the warm weather with friends and family. Swimming pools are the most popular choice to have fun in summer. After all, these small bodies of water help cool you off while still giving you plenty of entertainment. While your pool may be a popular entertainment option over the summer, it is not the only backyard amenity that you can enjoy this season. Not many people would think to use it, but your fire feature can be a source of fun and entertainment for friends and family throughout summer.
When many people think about fire features, they often think about sitting cozied up next to the fire when the weather is cool and crisp. While fire features are perfect for the fall and winter months, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a use for them over the summer. There are still plenty of ways you can make the most of your fire feature this summer.
Mid City Custom Pools prides itself on being the premier pool builder in the DFW area. Not only do we create unique and visually stunning swimming pools, but we also create spas, water features, fire features, and more. If you are interested in adding a fire feature or another amenity to your outdoor living space, contact Mid City Custom Pools today.
Small Gatherings
For some reason, humans are naturally drawn to fire. Maybe it is something primal, harking back to our ancestors, or maybe the movement of the dancing flames hypnotizes people. Whatever the reason, having a fire feature creates a focal point in your backyard where people can gather. If you want to have a small get-together, all you have to do is tell people “We’re lighting up the fire pit this evening. Do you want to come over?” People will flock to your home. The evenings in summer are often cool and can even get a little chilly, so a fire feature will help you and your guests stay warm on these cool nights.
Romantic Night
Sitting around a fire creates a rather romantic evening for you and your partner. While getting a group of people together to hang out might be fun, sometimes spending some quality alone time with your significant other is better and more meaningful. You can skip a night out by sharing a drink next to the fire. Even summer nights can be cool and chilly, which gives you and your loved one a reason to cuddle up next to each other.
Cooking Over the Fire
There are many instances where you can use your fire feature to help you cook a meal. Summer is full of holidays and events that call for groups of people to gather and celebrate. From Father’s Day to the Fourth of July, you can use these holidays to take advantage of one of the best benefits your fire feature offers: cooking. After all, what good is a gathering without food?
You can place a grill rack over the fire to cook whatever you like, such as ribs, chicken, kabobs, steak, salmon, and more. If you have a fire feature that uses coal or wood, you can even wrap up your food in tinfoil and tuck your food among them to cook. Cooking outdoors gives your food a unique flavor that you can’t create inside!
Backyard Camping
Camping is one of the best ways to bond as a family. While not everyone has the chance or ability to go camping at a lake or big woods, you can always create your own camping experience in your backyard. Bring a tent outside for a night full of stargazing and scary ghost stories. But what good is camping without a campfire? A fire feature is an easy and safe substitute for a campfire. You can still gather around it for warmth and roast marshmallows for s’mores.
Fire Safety
Regardless of how you use your fire feature, you must know good fire safety to ensure that you do not damage your property or cause harm to any visitors. Fires of any kind, even in those in fire pits and fireplaces, pose inherent risks. Understanding this fact helps you be more prepared and cautious when using a fire. Taking the appropriate steps to maintain a fire can help you avoid turning your casual cookout into a disaster.
According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, around 5,300 injuries occurred that were related to fire pits and outdoor heaters in 2017. That number nearly triples the number in 2008. There were 509,500 outside fires in 2018, and nearly half were unintentional, which is why it is vital to pay close attention and take the necessary precautions to ensure your fire feature does not cause disaster.
Tips
- Keep fire features at least ten feet from homes and all other buildings. However, some cities and counties require an even greater distance, so you should always check before building one.
- Never place one underneath a tree or overhang.
- Keep small children away from fire.
- Ensure there is no horseplay near a fire.
- Always burn in an open, well-ventilated area.
- Keep all flammable materials away from the fire area, such as loose clothing, furniture, trash, and debris.
- Always cook with mitts or potholders to avoid burns.
- Educate small children about the dangers and seriousness of fires.
- Keep a fire extinguisher or a source of water nearby in case of an emergency.
- Never leave a fire unattended. Make sure a flame is fully extinguished before walking away.
Mid City Custom Pool is here to help you make the most of your summer. While most people think that means jumping into their pool, you can also take advantage of the many opportunities a fire feature provides. If you are interested in adding a fire feature to your backyard, contact Mid City Custom Pools today.
The Different Types of Fire Features
There are Many Fire Feature Options
With winter on our doorsteps, the time you can spend outdoors is getting shorter and shorter. The winter brings with it cold, harsh temperatures that make sitting outside uncomfortable. No one wants to spend all their free time stuck inside, yet no one wants to go outside if they know they’re going to be shivering the entire time. However, there are plenty of ways you can combat the cold and enjoy the outdoors this holiday season. By installing a fire feature, you can offer you and your guests an area to gather around and stay warm.
There is no need to have a pool or spa to install a fire feature in your backyard. All you need is an established outdoor living space. As long as you have an area set aside for gatherings, a fire feature can wonderfully improve the aesthetic of your outdoor living space.
Furthermore, you won’t be limited in the features you can choose from. There are several different types of fire features that each have their own look and style. The expertly skilled designers at Mid City Custom Pools are here to provide you with some of the most common fire features.
Fire Pits
Fire pits are the most common type of fire feature you are likely to see. They are simple to design and build, seamlessly blending into any outdoor living area. They come in many different shapes and sizes and can be built from various materials, including metal, stone, brick, and more. You can create a pit that resembles a campfire, or you can build a more contemporary look.
You can even decide to make your fire pit in-ground, which is a paved or stone space surrounding a hole in the ground. Most fire pits utilize wood-burning, but there are some that use propane, natural glass, charcoal, and more.
Fire Bowls
Fire bowls are extremely similar to fire pits, yet they have slight, key differences. They are generally built into the ground. Whether they were installed above or in-ground, they are still connected to the ground.
Fire bowls, on the other hand, are their own features. They are simply just big bowls that hold fires. They are also very portable. While they are smaller than most fire pits, their portability makes up for their lack of size. You can easily store your pit away instead of leaving it out in the elements.
Just like fire pits, there are several designs available to you. Typically, they rely on natural gas or propane to fuel them, but some do use wood. If you live in an area with strict regulations, fire bowls are a great option since they easily contain fires and aren’t too big.
Fire Tables
Fire tables are one of the most distinctive choices available to you. They provide plenty of benefits for you and your guests. As the name suggests, they are tables with a fire on them. The fires are more often than not found in the center of the table. The fire is small, yet it more than does its job.
Fire tables provide you with a warm area for you and your guests to gather around, enjoying meals, cooking food, and more. They are so helpful because not only do they provide you with plenty of warmth, they also give you a space to set items like drinks, food, or board games.
You also have plenty of options to choose from. You can build a dinner table, coffee table, bar top, and more. Whatever your need is, a fire table can help. Smaller tables are much easier to move. They typically rely on gas or electricity to fuel their fires.
The styles are virtually limitless. These fire features are built for fashion and function.
Outdoor Fireplace
Outdoor fireplaces are very similar to ones you would find indoors, except for the fact that one is inside and the other is outside! Often, your outdoor fireplace will be built into your outdoor living space, remaining in one place permanently.
It is important that when creating your fireplace that you use materials that are weather resistant. After all, it will be open to the elements like rain and snow and drastically varying temperatures, so you need to make sure it can handle the wear-and-tear.
You can build a simple design or get creative and make an elaborate feature. Wood is the preferred fuel for these features. They provide high heat output and are typically safer than other fire features.
Chimenea
Chimenea is Spanish for chimney. You have probably seen examples of them throughout Mexico and the American Southwest. However, they have continued to grow in popularity over the years.
They are essentially small, portable fireplaces. They have an open mouth that directs heat at you and your guests, and it is covered with a small opening on the top to direct smoke up and away from your guests.
Traditionally, chimeneas are made from terracotta, but as they have grown in popularity, more materials, especially metal, have become popular when building them. Typically, chimeneas are wood burning.
Water-Fire Features
If you do have a pool or a spa, you can add to your backyard amenity by installing one of several fire features designed for them. There are quite of few different choices to add a fire feature to your pool or spa, and you can ask your designer for what works best for your backyard.
If you are looking to grab the attention of your guests, you can install a water-fire feature. The juxtaposition of the fire reflecting off of the water is an excellent way to boost the elegance of your backyard. You can also consider a fire fountain. A simple water fountain can be transformed with the addition of a flame on top.
Fire features are the perfect way to make the most out of your backyard living space during the cold winter months. Not only does it give you and your guests a warm area to gather around, but it also adds a compelling focal point for your backyard. There are several options to choose from. Depending on your purpose and the space available, your options are varied. If you are interested in installing a fire feature in your backyard, contact the trusted and skilled designers and builders at Mid City Custom Pools today.
The Benefits of a Fire Feature
Fire Features Can Extend Your Summer Months
Many homeowners use summer to spend a great deal of time outdoors. The weather is often very favorable to events and get-togethers outside, and there are plenty of benefits to spending time outdoors. However, as the summer winds down, many people are counting the days until they are no longer able to spend time outside anymore. Fortunately, having a fire feature can extend that time for you!
Fire features provide homeowners a chance to continue using their outdoor living space well into the fall and even the winter months. Many people are not too aware of the benefits these outdoor amenities offer their home.
Adds Entertainment Outdoors
While pools offer you a chance to cool off during the hot summer days, fire features allow you to warm up during cool autumn evenings. Adding a fire feature creates the ideal focal point for your backyard landscape. It allows you to create an outdoor living space around this amenity.
With this feature, you can have another perfect excuse to invite people over. It offers you and your guest the perfect spot to relax and converse. People love to gravitate towards fire, so it encourages people to migrate towards this one spot.
Outdoor Cooking
You can’t have a get together without food! The perfect thing about many fire features is that they offer you the chance to cook! People love the camping experience without actually camping, which is where these features come in handy.
You can roast marshmallows over the fire pit to make smores. Add hot dogs and kabobs to the mix to have something savory as well. If you have the appropriate accessories, you can even grill over the flames!
Creates Ambiance
Fire features can do something most other backyard amenities can’t do, and that is create an ambiance. Fire pits or fireplaces can create a warm and welcoming ambiance that is relaxed and often informal. Whether it’s enjoying the warmth of the flames or listening to the crackle of the fire, this ambiance adds to your backyard.
You can use this ambiance to bond with your family by having small family night outs. You can even use it as a charming and intimate setting for a romantic night with your significant other.
Stay Warm During Cool Evenings
While many people may choose to just stay indoors to stay warm, the weather is not always too cold to be outside. If it stays chilly enough, you can relax by the fire to stay warm while also enjoying the outdoors. Adding comfortable couches around the fire will give you a space to stay warm and cozy during the cooler months.
Increases Home Value
This is an incredibly important aspect that many homeowners should know in case they ever plan on selling their home. After you have enjoyed years of use with your fire pit or fireplace, you may feel as if it is time to move or are even forced to move because of a job. Fortunately, fire features increase the value of your home.
According to a report by Realtor.com, residencies with fire pits were given a 25% premium. Not only do these amenities allow you plenty of opportunities for warmth and fun, but they can also help you sell your home.
Even though the summer months are coming to an end, you can still extend the time you can spend outside with the help of fire features. They provide you with warmth and ample chances for entertainment and fun. Contact Mid City Custom Pools to learn how we can use our fire feature expertise to transform your backyard.
Now Is The Time To Add A Fire Feature To Your Backyard
Now that summer has come to an end and the cold weather is making its way into Texas, you may be running out of reasons to use your beautiful backyard. If this is the case, the good news is there are actually a lot of ways to make your backyard useful for the cooler weather and all year round.
One of the best ways to add aesthetic appeal to your backyard and create an attraction that will look amazing every season is to add a fire feature. Fire features and fire pits are one the highest rated and desired backyard attractions, and here is why.
Fire features extend your living space to the outdoors
Fire features extend your living space from inside your home to outside your home. With a fire pit in your backyard, you will have another place to sit and relax with your family and friends. You can relax by the crackling fire and enjoy your backyard even more than you did before.
Fire features make your backyard more winter-friendly
While you may find that you spend less time in your backyard during the fall and winter months when the cold weather comes, with a fire feature this won’t be so much of an issue. Your fire feature will warm up your outdoor space and make it a bit more winter-friendly.
Fire features make for wonderful focal points
Aside from being extremely useful, fire features are simply beautiful to look at. If you feel like your backyard is missing something, adding a fire feature may be what you need to tie it all together. Install a fire feature in your backyard to make for a wonderful focal point.
Fire features create for an amazing ambience
The warmth and capturing vision of a fire feature can’t be replicated. Adding a fire feature to your backyard creates for the perfect ambience, come summer, fall, and winter.
Fire features help keep the bugs away
Fire is well-known as a natural bug repellent. Adding a fire feature to your backyard will help to keep pesky bugs such as mosquitos away from you and your loved ones while you are outside enjoying your backyard.
Mid City Custom Pools is a trusted and highly recommended company that specializes in backyard beauty from pools to fire features in Trophy Club. If you have questions or would like to inquire about what we can do to help you reach your backyard dreams, contact us today.