The warmer months don’t last forever, but that doesn’t mean the outdoor entertaining season has to end when the leaves fall. Cooler temperatures encourage people to gather around a cozy fire—and if that isn’t reason enough, here are six reasons why you should incorporate a fire pit into your York, PA, area patio project.

Add Beauty to a Backyard

A fire pit becomes an instant focal point of a patio. A chic, modern fire pit adds sophistication and ambience that can totally transform a formerly blah outdoor space into everyone’s favorite space to hang out. A rustic stone fire pit invites marshmallow roasting on those weekends when homeowners can’t manage to get away for a camping trip. And what about this idea: Combine a fire pit with a water feature as a backdrop, and you have created jaw-dropping drama as the dancing flames are reflected in falling water, or they could be reflected on a still, tranquil reflecting pool.

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Take the Treats Outside

Add a fire table for a serious “wow” factor. Fire tables (table-height fire pits that have adequate space around the perimeter for plates and glassware) are becoming the new “in” fire feature. A fire table can be constructed to blend in with the outdoor kitchen (perhaps even replacing a dining table), or it could act as a stand-alone artistic piece that looks interesting even when the fire is out, thanks to lava rock or colored fire glass.

Image Source - Unilock

Open Up the Cooking Options 

Everyone knows that food cooked outside just tastes better. A wood-burning fire pit can do double duty as a cooking station—anything that can be cooked on a grill can probably be cooked over a fire pit. Suggest laying down a grate, skewer a hot dog or marshmallow, and sticking it over the open flame. To cook over a wood fire pit, the homeowner will have to choose firewood carefully—you may want to recommend fruit woods for this purpose and suggest avoiding pine, which can infuse food with a sharp taste. Gas- or propane-fueled fire pits are generally not suitable for cooking, because food drippings can stain the lava rock or fire pit glass.

Add Vertical Interest

Once it’s been decided that a fire pit is a must-have, the design fun begins. You can present the choice between an elevated or a recessed fire pit. Elevated fire pits rise above the patio surface to add a vertical dimension to a flat entertaining space. They can be surrounded by movable patio furniture or by built-in seating (either a backless seating wall or backed seating). Recessed fire pits are set below the level of the patio for an intimate experience, and they incorporate built-in seating.

Express the Homeowner’s Style

Aside from choosing the materials and shape, you can personalize a fire pit in countless ways by adding festive cushions in the seating area, colored fire pit glass, built-in low-voltage lighting under the lip of the fire pit, or even mixing a few larger river rocks in with lava rock or fire glass. You could suggest decorating the fire pit for the holidays, for year-round fun!

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Bring Modern Conveniences to the Landscape

Today, many homeowners are choosing gas- or propane-fueled fire pits over traditional wood-fired fire pits. True, you don’t get the authentic campfire smell and crackle, but you also don’t have the mess of firewood, the fire danger, or smoke in your eyes when the wind is blowing the wrong way. Gas- or propane-fueled fire pits are suitable for small spaces. They don’t put out quite as much heat as wood, but the flames are consistent. Homeowners can instantly adjust the flames, turn them on or off, and have the flames exactly at the height they want.