As experts in fire pits Brisbane, we have all the tips for protecting your lawn from fire pit damage. You can have easy and fun entertaining with minimal lawn impact!
Brisbane, it’s cold outside! It’s a great time to invite your friends over to gather around the fire pit and share good food and stories.A fire pit for cosy entertaining
A fire pit can be an anchoring feature of an outdoor space, whether it’s the central feature or tucked away in a private pocket. Your outdoor space might be modern or more natural, but a fire pit will fit in regardless, adding charm and cosiness. They’re warm and welcoming, and a wonderful addition to your home.
Brisbane fire pits – protect your lawn
Of course, it’s important to put safety first – your family and friends, home and everything in and around it! One thing that many people forget to protect, however, is the lawn. And if you don’t have a purpose-built fireplace away from your lawn, often the ideal location for a fire-pit can be on the lawn itself. You’ll want to protect your lawn from scorch marks and wilting under heat stress and compression. So, you’ll need to take some steps to protect your lawn when it’s time to light the fire.1. Choose the right location
When setting up a fire pit on your lawn, take care to ensure there’s plenty of distance between it and nearby structures, trees and anything else you don’t want to catch fire. It’s also important to make sure your site is level to avoid your fire pit becoming unbalanced and tipping over.2. Be ready to extinguish the fire
Fire safety is the key responsibility of fire pit-ownership particularly fire pits in Brisbane. Make sure you have a hose or extinguisher nearby and keep your fire at a controllable size. Always rake out any debris, leaf litter and dead grass that might ignite from an escaped ember.
3. Create a heat shield
By raising your fire pit on a brick or paver platform, you create a heat shield to protect the grass underneath. The higher the fire, the lower the chance of scorching the surrounding grass. The platform should be larger than the base of the fire pit. Once centred on the platform, there should be plenty of surrounding space to protect the lawn (as well as you and your family and guests!) from escaping embers and excessive heat stress. When not using your fire pit, remove the platform so the grass isn’t compressed for too long.
4. Sand
A layer of sand will protect the base of the fire pit, absorb heat and distribute it evenly across the base of the pit. Silica sand is best, as it retains heat well, acting as an insulator.
5. Fuel
Do not use lighter fluid or any accelerant that will create extremely hot flames. It’s important for the wood to catch fire slowly, which will build hot coals at the base.
6. Water
The grass underneath and around your fire pit will be subject to intense heat, even if the pit is raised on a heat-shield platform. It’s important to keep the grass as cool as you can to avoid it wilting under heat stress. Before using your fire pit, lightly spray water around the surrounding grassed area, to minimise heat stress. Keep the hose (or a bucket of water) close by to gently re-spray the area as the water evaporates.7. Never leave a fire pit unattended
This goes without saying (especially with fire pits in Brisbane and bush fire prone Queensland!), but it’s important that once your fire is lit, a responsible adult is always on site. Children and pets should be closely supervised. Consider using a fire pit screen to contain sparks and embers.8. After the fire pit party is over
When you’ve finished using the fire pit, extinguish the flames. Once the embers have cooled completely, scrape out the remaining ash and contents of the fire pit into a metal bucket for disposal. Then move the fire pit away from your lawn and pick up the heat-shield bricks or pavers to avoid prolonged compression.