Building an Outdoor Fireplace or Fire Pit

Here at Harpeth Valley Hardscapes, we specialize in stone, paver, and hardscape design to clients in the Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin and surrounding area of Middle Tennessee. Outdoor fireplaces or fire pits can be great features to entertain friends and family in the backyard of your home. Whether it’s cool, crisp temperatures of spring and fall, or even a summer gathering, having an outdoor fireplace or even a fire pit is always a fun way to entertain.

At Harpeth Valley Hardscapes, our design, engineering, and production teams are top notch. Qualified, skilled professionals know how to make the most of your outdoor space by adding to its existing appeal. Our team will walk you through every step of the process, including design and installation, to get your outdoor fireplace or fire pit exactly the way you envision it!

Let’s talk about some of the various design choices, pros and cons of both options: outdoor fireplaces and outdoor fire pits.

Outdoor Fireplace and Fire Pit

When selecting a design for your outdoor fireplace or fire pit, there are several factors that need to be taken into account.

• How much heating capacity would you want?
• How large of a structure do you want?
• How extravagant is the design?
• What type of finishing material would you like?
• Would you like seating?

Heating

When it comes to heating there are basically two options, a gas fire pit that runs on propane or natural gas, or a natural burn heating using wood and other natural burning materials. Heat output is measured in BTUs (British thermal units). The higher the BTU, the more heat output. A firepit typically generates a BTU output of somewhere between 30,000 and 100,000 BTUs. The higher the BTU, the more cost or fuel that will be needed to support the burn. A higher BTU generally means a larger flame as well, so take that into consideration when determining the heat factor of your fire pit.

Sizing

The size of your outdoor fireplace or fire pit is also going to be based on the amount of heat you’d like produce. However, some more extravagant designs will have a larger finished product as well, including outdoor fireplaces with large chimneys and fireboxes. The larger the firebox, the more heat can be generated, and the higher the chimney will need to be. If your main purpose for installing an outdoor fireplace or fire pit is simply for ambiance, then a smaller option will provide a perfect solution. If you’re looking to entertaining a large group with great heat output, an outdoor fireplace or larger fire pit may be more along the lines of what you need!

Design and Materials

When building your outdoor fireplace, we always like to take into account any current landscaping or hardscaping you may already have in your yard. We want to match the style of your home and we can also match the type of stone that has been used in any existing hardscaping.

There are many design possibilities when creating an outdoor fireplace or fire pit. Please browse our photos to get a feel for some of the designs we’ve done for other homeowners. Keep in mind, the gallery on this page is only a fraction of what we’ve built over the years.

Seating

Having a place for your guests to sit is sometimes a factor in design of your outdoor fireplace or fire pit. We can bring in natural elements for seating options, such as custom-built benches or low retaining walls, or large stones with flat seating surfaces for your guests to gather around!

No matter the type of outdoor fireplace or fire pit you’re interested in building for your yard, you have come to the right place! Get in touch with Harpeth Valley Hardscapes and let us walk you through the process with no pressure. We’ll come up with the perfect solution that fits your needs. You can reach us by calling 615-947-8029 or send us a message through the form below. We look forward to speaking with you!

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