An outdoor fireplace can add warmth, light, and ambience to an outdoor living space, making it more homey and comfortable. A key element of reaping the most benefit from an outdoor fireplace is positioning it in the optimal spot. Here are a few ways to find the best location for your outdoor fireplace.

Ways to find the best location for your outdoor fireplace

Ensure Safety

Your outdoor fireplace should be positioned at a safe distance from anything flammable, including tree branches and vines. It is also essential to distance your outdoor fireplace from your home and any other buildings. Hiring professionals to help you position and install your outdoor fireplace is extremely helpful because they are able to assess the wind patterns of a landscape. By keeping the direction of the wind in mind, you can position your outdoor fireplace so that the rest of your property is protected from flying embers and smoke doesn’t waft toward your house.

Find a Spacious Spot

The ideal location for your outdoor fireplace will offer more than enough space for its installation and a surrounding furniture arrangement. Whether you opt for built-in seating or movable pieces, it is essential that you do not pack them into too small space. Try to achieve a balance between creating enough legroom for comfortable relaxation, yet retaining enough closeness for a sense of intimacy. Having a fair amount of space around your outdoor fireplace can also help to ensure your fireside safety.

Select a Perfect Space for Socializing

An area of the landscape in which you and your family spend a lot of time is an excellent place to install an outdoor fireplace. An outdoor fireplace at the far reaches of the backyard, where you hardly ever venture, runs the risk of going underappreciated. Situate your outdoor fireplace near other places of interest, instead, such as the outdoor kitchen or poolside. It can serve as a spot to warm up after a dip in the pool or to enjoy a cocktail after dining outdoors. The most visited part of the landscape is often the one with the best view, and this is an excellent spot to perch an outdoor fireplace.

Find a Place That Needs a Focal Point

An outdoor fireplace tends to serve as a focal point because it can be fabulously tall and showcase stunning masonry. Large, flat landscapes can benefit from vertical focal points like an outdoor fireplace. Consider which part of your landscape you’d like to draw focus to and consider assigning this spot to the installation of your outdoor fireplace. Positioning the outdoor fireplace at least 10 feet from other important structures, like the home, can enhance its dramatic presence.

Consider the Location of Underground Utilities

It is important not to install an outdoor fireplace over existing utility lines that might present a fire hazard. An outdoor fireplace situated above underground lines that may require access in the future, for replacement or repair, runs the risk of becoming damaged. It is also essential to take note of where existing lines are so that you can plan where to run new gas lines for your outdoor fireplace if burning wood is not your preference.