What is the best fire pit material for you? Our guide to fire pit materials (2024)

FAQs

What is the best fire pit material for you? Our guide to fire pit materials? ›

Carbon steel is a great option for both wood-burning or gas fire pits. Most carbon steel fire pits will take on a beautiful, maintenance-free patina that will darken over time.

Stainless Steel: This material boasts a modern, industrial look, stainless-steel fire pits are durable, lightweight, and one of the best fire pits for handling the outdoor elements. Copper: Copper offers a warm, shiny look to a fire pit, creating a touch of warmth to your backyard or patio.

What Do You Put in the Bottom of a Fire Pit? To create a safe, sturdy foundation for a fire pit, we use a gravel paver base. Other common materials used for the bottom of a fire pit are sand, lava stones, dirt, fire glass and concrete slabs.

Hardwood. High-quality seasoned hardwood is another classic material to burn in a fire pit as it burns steadily and well. Additionally, like charcoal, it produces a lot of heat without releasing poisonous toxins. And high-quality hardwoods will result in a cleaner burn, meaning even less smoke.

Cast iron is sometimes seen as the superior choice for fire pits due to its heat retaining properties and durability, allowing you to create a lot more heat by burning either wood or coal. As cast iron is a thicker and denser metal, it takes longer to heat up than steel but holds the heat for longer.

Seasoned wood will burn more efficiently and keep your fire pit clean. Usually, choosing the best wood for fire pits comes down to hardwoods vs softwoods. Due to their density and dryness, we'd recommend using hardwoods, like beech or ash, since they will ignite a low-maintenance fire that can burn for hours.

Limestone is strong enough to withstand years of exposure to fire and absorbs heat moderately, making a comfortable fire pit to sit around for extended periods of time.

An inch of sand at the bottom of a metal fire pit can help to protect the bowl from the intense heat of the fire. Whether your fire pit is portable or permanent, having sand at the bottom is a handy precaution. If you ever need to smother the fire in a hurry, you can grab a nearby shovel to use the sand.

Shape and Style

A round fire pit is the most common shape, especially for wood-burning models. Like a campfire, this shape emits heat evenly around the perimeter to help ensure a warm seat for every guest.

What type of fire pit gives off the most heat? Wood fire pits give off more heat than propane pits, as wood burns at a higher temperature. Using dry, dense wood will make the fire hotter.

What to put under an outdoor fire pit? ›

Using paver sand under a fire pit helps to level the ground and provide some stability for the bricks. I added about 1.5 inches to 2 inches of paver sand, water to make it more compact and then tampered it. You can't tamper more than about 2 inches at a time.

Cost-Effectiveness and Easy Maintenance

Compared to other materials like concrete or pavers, gravel is a cost-effective choice for your fire pit area. Bags of gravel are relatively inexpensive, making it a budget-friendly option for homeowners.

Natural stone is most commonly used for permanent fire pit installations. This material features a naturally textured finish and is also highly durable throughout almost any weather conditions. You'll typically find both wood-burning and gas stone fire pits.

A fire pit must be constructed with materials that will withstand high temperatures. The internal wall should be made of fire brick and a fire-proof mortar or grout because it will come into direct contact with high heat. The rest of the pit can be built with masonry block, poured concrete, stone, brick or even pavers.

The fire pit you choose should strike a balance between quality and cost. Better quality will cost more, so size, style, fuel, and materials will influence the price tag. However, if you plan to use your fire pit often and for years to come, a solid design with durable materials will eventually pay for itself.

Generally speaking, both media options are durable. However, over time, the rocks will break down and deteriorate. Depending on how often your fireplace is enjoyed, the lava rocks will need to be replaced every 1-2 years. Alternatively, fire glass will last for a much longer time than lave rock.

Copper has a high melting point and does not corrode or rust. It's ideal for holding hot fires and withstanding exposure to rain.