Heating the Outdoors: Fireplaces, Firepits, and Heated Pools
The New York Times mentions in a recent article that people are trying to extend their times outdoors enjoying their backyards, by well, heating the outdoors.
Patio fireplaces, fire pits, and heated pools are all ways that homeowners are doing this.
Among the cheapest and most environmentally friendly outdoor heat sources are freestanding and tabletop propane heaters, which start as low as $50 but are usually $125 to $400. They usually use less gas than a barbecue grill.
Somehow sitting around a propane flame is not the same thing to me.
Portable wood burning outdoor fire pits are among the least expensive option, however some object to wood burning because it releases fine particulate pollution. But how are you supposed to roast your smores if we do away with fire pits? Fireplaces are another option that some home owners will install on their patios, but just like their interior counterparts, they are more for ambiance than warmth since most of their heat goes up the chimney flue.
We have a fire pit in our back yard, most often it is used as a burn pit for wood that has been torn out of the house. But during the spring and fall we enjoy sitting around it in the evenings and roasting marshmallows, especially as a pay-off from a long day of working around the house. There was no cost associated with buying it for us, we built it ourselves.
There is a nice thread on building firepits at the Garden Web should you be interested in undertaking this particular DIY project. And Uni-Lock pavers have a DIY friendly Firepit kit.
Heating a pool– that I have no experience with personally. Though most of the people I know heat their pools around here even in the summer, such is life in the frozen tundra of New England. The idea of being able to swim in March sounds lovely, if only because it would mean the pool is not buried under two feet of snow like it would be here. However as most homeowners have found out, a heated pool comes with a high price tag, up to $2000 per month for some Arizona pool owners.
Any of these options can prolong your enjoyment of the outdoors into the cooler months. You just need to chose what price you are willing to pay to dine (or swim) outside in March.
