Let's face it - you're a man.
You're laid back and low maintenance.
Around the house, you're happy to concede the decor of the bathrooms, living room and bedroom to your better half.
There are only three aspects of the house that you want your hands on: • The basement (aka "man cave") • The lawn • and perhaps, most importantly, your backyard Yes, your backyard.
It's your safe haven during the summertime when the weather is nice, the nights are cool and visitors are plenty.
And a backyard isn't complete without a backyard fire pit.
The backyard fire pit - it's the place where stories are told, hot dogs and marshmallows are cooked, acoustic guitars are strummed to sing-alongs and where evenings turn to nights as you enjoy the outdoors and reminisce over a few beers with your company.
(Not to mention that fires help keep the mosquitos away at night.
) So what type is the best for your yard? Should your build one yourself or is one better store bought? What role might a landscaping company have in assembling a fire pit? Let's take a look at a few options, as well as what settings they're best used in.
DIY Rock Fire Pit Have a big backyard? You might want to consider making your own rock fire pit.
It's easy to do - all you really need is to clear some space in your yard (size is up to you) and border it off with large landscaping rocks.
Make sure that your area is free of sod or grass - we recommend purchasing a few bags of rocks or gravel from your local hardware store to line the bottom of the pit - and then you're ready to start holding bonfires.
Just collect some wood and start burning.
Rock fire pits are great for big backyards, as they can tuck into a corner of your lot or area of the yard away from the home, so smoke doesn't enter your home through the windows and any commotion won't bother sleeping children.
Portable Fire Pit Not everyone has the fortune of having a large yard, but that doesn't mean that you can't have a fire pit.
It just needs to be a different type.
For instance, in this type of scenario, where you need to tuck a fire pit onto your patio and likely will be entertaining a smaller number of guests, your best bet is a store bought table top type of pit.
These are portable units that can be purchased at your local department store for as little as $40.
They're easy to assemble, easy to move around and still allow for a bonfire type of feel.
These are also great pits to take with you so you can have a bonfire anywhere.
For instance, pack them up and take them camping with you.
Or hold a bonfire on the beach when you head up north to the lake this summer.
Built In Fire Pit A built in fire pit is generally the most expensive type of pit, but it's also the nicest type of fire pit, especially if your backyard is more of an entertainment area than just a yard.
Unless you're extremely crafty, it's unlikely that you'll be able to pull off a built-in pit by yourself.
That's where the right landscaping company comes in.
Built in pits are typically made from stone or brick and are positioned in the yard according to where other seating is located.
Because they're built in, they can't be moved once they're established, so it's important to pick the right spot for your pit.
A fireplace is a type of backyard built in pit.
What's more is that it's common for those paying for built in pits to have some sort of other complimentary decor built in as well at the same time of the pit.
This can be something like benches or borders to make your yard look even nicer.