Recent studies down on the trends in the real estate industry show a surge in the popularity of outdoor living spaces. There are lots of happy homeowners out there who happily spend most of their day in their outside living space. They usually hire masonry contractors for patios, pools and outdoor fireplaces.

An outdoor fire pit or outdoor fireplace can be used as the central focus of your outdoor living space, and you can use them year round. It is especially great if you like to spend some time out in the winter season as well.

But how can you make a choice between an outdoor fireplace and fire pit? Well, here are some factors you can consider when looking to make a choice between these two.

Consider Functionality

The perfect thing between a fireplace and fire pit depends on how you plan on using it. If you usually enjoy having informal settings with lots of people around, then having a fire pit would work the best for you. You can do many creative things to modify your fire pit and make it look awesome and perfect for every informal setting. Fire pits can add value to your house as a thing that you can always move around according to your personal needs and weather conditions.

Outdoor fireplaces are perfect for relaxing with your loved ones outside the house in a more intimate setting. An outdoor fireplace allows you to relax and enjoy some lonely moments instead of facing lots of people like in settings around fire pits. Walled structure of the outdoor fireplace can be used to add privacy from neighbors, divide different areas, and to block the wind as well. It can also provide you shade from the sun. You can also get more backyard ideas for your fireplace to shape it how you want.

Make A Budget

As it is evident from the previous heading, fire pits are less structured things and are more budget friendly as compared to making an outdoor fireplace. Fire pits are pretty cheap, and you can buy a decent one started from a few hundred dollars all the way up to $6k. This will surely depend on the features that you choose to have in the fire pit.

Outdoor fireplaces usually cost more money. They can be bought within the $3k to $24k price point. However, fireplaces are usually well decorated and can make your outdoor living space look awesome.

Safety Of Your Family

Since fire pits using wood are made in open designs, they do not contain the sparks, and you should be more cautious when using fire pits. That is why a wind shield/ screen cover is often used to contain the flames and sparks.

Outdoor fire places are always built by keeping safety in mind. They have specific fire boxes and metal fences to keep kids away from fire. So, you get a lot more protection when using an outdoor fireplace.

The Amount Of Heat Needed

Since fire pits have an open design, the warmth they create can be removed by the breeze. Fireplaces are usually good at containing the flames and warmth generated by fire. Fire pits on the other hand lack this particular feature, but this can be good or bad depending on the season.

Outdoor fireplaces can also block air flow due to their walled structure in order to retain more warmth. Also, the smoke goes away through the chimney and prevents you from suffering in the wood smoke as is the case with a wooden fire pit.

Consider The Needed Design

Fire pits come in a wider array of options that you can choose from. Outdoor dining tables with a burner in the middle are trending these days. You can also get the thing customized in order to fit your designing needs.

Outdoor fireplaces on the other hand are usually larger and bigger as compared to a fire pit. You can opt for various traditional as well as modern looks when getting a fireplace made for your house.

So, both of the options are great if they fit your specific needs and wants. The main deciding factor for many homeowners is their budget. So, you can choose the option that best suits your interests and budget. This is how you make a choice between a fireplace and fire pit. You can also talk with an outdoor fireplace builder about which option is better for your house. Lagras