What are fire pits made of?

To enjoy a lovely memorable winter night with friends and family, a fire pit is the best idea. You can gather around the fire pit and have some fun. You can enjoy parties and barbeque around the fire pit. Most people enjoy their nights in the backyard around the fire pit because it provides heat and you feel relaxed. Some people have a permanent fire pit, but people who don’t have a fire pit think about the joy. Pits are not that expensive, there are different types of available in the market with different price tags. You can easily get a fire and enjoy the winter nights. You don’t need to make a permanent fire pit and put a lot of money and time.

There are different kinds of fire pits and all are made of different materials. Some people want to know about the construction components and material. Today, we will tell you, “What are fire pits made of?” We will discuss each and everything about it so you can understand everything about the them.

What Types of Material are Used in their Creation?

You need to see the type of material before you buy any fire bowls. They can be made from different materials. The strength of every fire pit depends on the material it is made of. You need to make the correct decision if you want your fire pit to work for years. Many people get confused due to different materials. So, we are going to tell you all about the materials that are usually used when making these.

Steel

Steel pits are very common as steel is an excellent and less expensive metal as compared to copper. You will find dozens of brands that make steel pits. They are available in small bowls and large tables as well. The steel is usually painted to prevent any kind of rusting and harm to steel. In addition, this is also lightweight and are portable.

If you need a portable fire pit, then a steel fire pit is excellent, you can take it anywhere. The weight of some fire bowls can be less than 10 lbs. The weight is usually in the range 10-50 lb depending on the size of the pit. You can use them in your backyard and store them in your house.

Gas fire pits and wood-burning pits are made of stainless steel. Wood burning pits can be in the range $50-$100 or more. The prices of gas pits are in the range of $100-$500. Steel is a durable material, and it can reduce the cost of the fire pit. But make sure to check the thickness of the metal. Some fire pits have a very thin steel sheet, so they are not durable. You should take a thick steel fire pit to ensure a long life.

Pits Made from Pavers

You might have seen people making a permanent fire pit in the backyard with pavers. Pavers are excellent for making a pits because they can retain heat. They also provide durability that cannot be compared with any other type of fire pits. If you want to make a permanent fire pit in the backyard, then you should make it with pavers. You can use it for decades and you just need to take care of maintenance.

The problem with these fire pits is that they are not easy to make. You need to use pavers, cement and other things to make the fire pit. Moreover, you also need to designate a proper place for such fire bowls. Once you make these pits, the place is reserved. These fire pits can cost you a $400-1200 hundred dollars. The price depends on the accessories you are using, the size of the fire pit and the labor cost. If you can make it on your own, then it is excellent; otherwise, you will have to pay someone to make this fire pit. But you can make these as you like; you can decide the size, shape, and everything according to your needs.

Pre-cast Concrete

Permanent fire pits are also made of precast concrete. These are ready-made fire pits, so you can order them and use them directly after the delivery. They are a little heavier than metallic fire pits.

Moreover, you can also shift these fire pits to a new house. These do not fix on the floor, they just stand like a table. They can be in bowl shape or square shape. These fire pits are appealing and excellent for the décor. The price of these fire pits is higher than the prices of metallic fire pits. You will find the price in the range of $200-$1000 depending on the size, features, and appearance.

These fire pits use propane as fuel, so you need to use a cylinder for that. They also have mesmerizing rocks and crystal that are eye-catching. You can find such fire pits in different size and they are ready to use. Moreover, due to concrete, these fire pits are durable and there is no problem of rusting. In most fire pits you will also find a control knob to control the flame. You can put these fire pits in the patio and over the wooden deck.

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Copper

Copper fire pits are also available in the market. They are not very common like stainless steel and other fire pits. They are more expensive than steel because of the copper material. The fire bowl is made of copper which increases the durability of the fire pits. They have the shiny color of the copper that looks appealing. It resists corrosion and work for years. These fire pits are very simple, and they are mostly wood-burning fire pits.

What are Grates of Fire Pits Made of?

Discussion of grates is important to answer, “What are fire pits made of?” You will find grates with some wood-burning fire pits. These are to grill food and enjoy the fire. The cooking area is not that large as compared to grills. The grates are usually made of three types of material which are cast-iron, porcelain-coated grates and stainless steel. Let’s discuss these three types of grates.

Cast Iron Grates

Cast-iron grates are very common in most types of grills because they are much cheaper than stainless steel grates. Most cooks and people prefer these types of grates because of their capability of retaining heat. Due to this property, the food is grilled perfectly and has excellent taste. You will also notice grid marks on the meat which is due to cast iron grates. These are heavy as compared to other types of grates. You can easily season these cooking grates and have delicious food.

Cast-iron grates are very fragile; they can even break if you drop them from a certain height. This is the reason that companies do not provide a longer warranty for these grates. You need to be careful while carrying them. The other problem with these grates is rusting. These grates rust very quickly if you don’t take care of it. Therefore, they require a lot of maintenance. You need to season it and clean it every time after using it. Moreover, they are hard to clean as well.

Porcelain-coated Grates

Porcelain-coated grates are made of cast-iron or steel. They are enameled with porcelain. Due to porcelain coating, the food does not stick on the grates. They are easy to clean and less expensive as compared to stainless steel. The problem with these grates is the chipping of porcelain. The porcelain chips off and you need to replace the grates after some time, so you need to be careful while cleaning the grates. Moreover, they don’t have the capability to retain heat as compared to cast-iron grates. The temperature decreases as the flame go out, so you need to take care of the flame and add fuel.

Stainless Steel Grates

Stainless steel grates are now preferred a lot. People buy these grates because they are very durable. They will not break even if you throw them from a certain height. These can last for years without any worries. You can clean them as well as they have a shiny surface that is easy to clean.

These grates cannot retain heat as compared to cast-iron grates. They can easily lose heat if the flame goes out. The food also sticks on the grates; therefore, you need to clean them after every use. These grates are expensive of all types of cooking grates, and they usually come with expensive pits.

What are Spark Screens of Fire Pits Made of?

Spark screen is necessary to discuss to answer the question, “What are fire pits made of?”. It is an important part of wood-burning fire pits.

A spark is a necessary safety screen that you put on wood-burning fire pits. Wood-burning fire pits produce flying embers which are very dangerous, so you need to put sparks screen on them. It is just like a cap that is made of mesh. A structure of steel is usually made, and mesh is put on the structure. Due to mesh, fire comes out, but the embers live inside the pit. The mesh is also of stainless steel, it also provides oxygen or air for combustion. You will find spark screen with most wood burning fire pits, but if there is no spark screen, then you should buy one to make the pit safe to use. Otherwise, the flying embers can start a fire and burn your skin. Now, you might have got the answer to the question, “What are spark screens of fire pits made of?”

What are Covers of Fire Pits Made of?

Fire pit covers are important to protect your fire pits from damage. You can use them for your outdoor permanent fire pit and portable fire pit to store them. Sun rays, wind, rain, humidity, snow and dust can damage your fire pits, so you need to cover your fire pit to keep it safe and sound. Fire pit covers are either made of metals of special fabric.

Metallic Fire Pit Covers

Metallic fire pits can be made of steel or aluminum. They can be of copper, but copper is expensive. The cover is completely packed, and nothing can enter from it. Metallic covers can protect the surface and inside of the fire pit. You can put a cover on the mouth of the pit, but they do not protect the sidewalls of the pit. If the walls are of concrete, then this fire pit cover is excellent. These are not for metallic fire pits.

For these fire pit covers, you need to take the correct size, because the wrong size cover can be useless. You need to be careful about the size. They are usually in a round and square shape. You can also find a flat plate cover to cover your outdoor fire pit. These are expensive because they are made of metal.

Fabric Fire Pit Covers

These covers are made of special fabric. The fabric is usually vinyl or the combination of vinyl and polyester. You can cover your whole fire pit through it and it does not leave any of the parts. The fabric should be waterproof and strong enough to bear the sun, rain, wind, etc. You can easily find such fire pit covers under $50. They are easy to adjust, you can just order them after taking a rough size.

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What are Components of Fire Pits Made of?

There are some components of fire pits that we would like to discuss.

Burner

You will find a burner in gas fire pits which an important part of these fire pits. The material of the burner should be stainless steel because it is durable and easy to clean. Other materials can undergo corrosion and break after some time. Flames come out from it and so it is an important part. There are multiple burners in large fire pits. You will find holes on the burner; these holes allow the gas to come out for ignition. If these holes are blocked, then the flame will not light properly. So, you need to maintain the burner to avoid any blockage.

Ignition System

There is an automatic ignition system in the gas fire pits. So, you don’t need to use a match stick to light the fire. You only need to push the button for ignition. The ignition system is usually a piezo ignition system that is usually present in lighters. These ignition systems do not require batteries or anything, they create a spark due to accumulation of charge when a force is applied. Due to the spark, the pit is ignited. These can last for years and you don’t need to care about recharging or refueling.

Gas Flow Control

In gas fire pits, you need to control the gas flow. There is usually a knob to control the gas flow and you can easily control the flame of the fire pit according to your need. There can be a regulator as well to control the gas flow from the tank if you don’t have a knob on your fire pit.

Fire Pit Ring

Many people try to make a permanent outdoor fire pit in their home and for that, they buy a DIY fire pit kit or fire pit ring. Fire pit ring is usually a circular shaped ring that can be inside the fire pit walls. You can easily surround this ring with bricks and pavers to make your own fire pit with ease. These are usually made of steel and they can provide you excellent inner walls for wood-burning fire pits. The steel should be thick enough; the thickness can be 3.0mm or more. These are available in pieces and you need to assemble them join the pieces together to make the ring. This allows you to ignite the woods easily. There are different diameters available so you can choose according to the size you need.

Closing Thoughts

Everyone wishes to have a fire pit in the backyard. But people think, “What are fire pits made of? So, we have answered your question in detail. There are different types of fire pits and all have different accessories and parts. To answer the question, “What are fire pits made of?”, we had to trough all the components and parts. Some fire pits are made of steel while some fire pits are made of concrete.

We told you that you can have any of the fire pits that are durable. Both stainless steel and concrete are durable if they have a good thickness. The grates of the wood-burning fire pits can be of cast-iron, porcelain-coated steel or stainless steel. We told you the benefits of each and the disadvantage as well so you can select the best material for you.

We have put a light on the fire pit cover which is essential to protect your fire pit. You can keep your fire pits outdoor as well if you have an excellent cover. We recommend using a safety spark screen whenever you use a wood-burning fire pit. We have answered the question, “What are fire pits made of? Now you might have got a complete answer to the question. For more information, feel free to ask us.

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