As with indoor fireplaces, an outdoor fireplace requires cleaning and maintenance to keep it looking and working at its best. While you might not have to clean your outdoor fireplace as often, you will need to be sure to keep it reasonably tidy and maintained.

To do this, follow these simple tips:

Wood burning outdoor fireplaces require more cleaning and maintenance than the gas variety. The main issue with cleaning outdoor fireplaces is ash removal. The tendency with outdoor fireplaces is to let the ash build up until it becomes unmanageable or it starts to cause problems or hazards. To avoid this, clean the ash out of your fireplace weekly. If you use your fireplace every night, you might want to step this up to two or three times a week.

Other problems that are unique to outdoor fireplaces are animal droppings and weather elements that might work to mar the brick and mortar of your fireplace. To keep these issues from becoming overwhelming, clean any droppings or stains on the brick immediately after you spot them. Cleaning a spot here and there is a lot easier to handle than spending an entire afternoon on this nasty little project.

Also remember to clean your chimney if you have one. Even though the chimney on your outdoor fireplace does not pass through your home, a clean chimney is vital to maintain a properly burning fire and is a necessity for directing the smoke up and into the air instead of out to you and your guests.

Copperfield 16139 GSS36N Outdoor Fireplace

When landscaping their outdoor spaces, many people choose to splurge on one major feature.

Many times this is a water feature such as a fountain or pond. While these features are beautiful and add ambience to any outdoor space, they offer little else by way of comfort. Outdoor fireplaces, on the other hand, can add beauty, ambience, functionality and comfort to your outdoor areas.

Fireplaces are also a great way to add a decorative focal point to any space. You can create an elegant statement or add rustic charm. You can incorporate them into elaborate outdoor entertaining areas or simply create an intimate, cozy area for you and that special someone. Or how about snuggling up to a fire after an evening dip in the pool?

Fireplaces – Make practical use of the outdoors in the Fall & Winter.

Another reason that you may want to include a fireplace in your outdoor plan is a very practical one. You may have noticed that the use of traditional indoor fireplaces has declined. This is not because people do not want to have fireplaces in their home. It is because insurance companies have made it very expensive and sometimes impossible to include one in your home. With an outdoor fireplace, though, you can still have the fireplace that you’ve always dreamed of and it won’t cost you a fortune in insurance premiums.

Fireplaces are also more functional than building a regular pitted fire in many ways. With a fireplace, you can direct heat into your seating area instead of dispersing it aimlessly into the air. Just think about the times that you’ve sat with your loved ones around a fire. Did it seem like every time that you got comfy the wind would shift and the comfy warmth you were feeling would be replaced by a chilly breeze? And what about the smoke? With a fireplace the smoke is directed up and away from you and your guests.

Granted, fireplaces take a little more thought and planning than a fire pit would. Some are permanent fixtures and cost quite a bit more. So, they should only be chosen by people who would really get some use out of them or those who want to increase the value of their home. If this doesn’t sound like you, you might want to look into portable fireplaces. These cost quite a bit less and can be moved when your décor changes or if you move from your home.