As the weather gets colder, many homeowners appreciate the presence of a fire pit in their backyard. Even in warmer months, a fire pit is a good addition for light and a sense of coziness. Fire pits can come in many different styles and materials. However, a stone fire pit will complement any style of landscaping and hardscaping.

Fire Pit Size

One of the first steps to designing a fire pit is the size. Different factors help dictate the size. One factor is the available space you have. You're better off having a small fire pit that fits proportionally into your backyard instead of one that's oversized.

Besides the circumference of the pit, you'll also need to decide on the height and width of the walls. If you want guests to sit on the edge of the fire pit, Landscaping Network recommends walls that are 18 to 20 inches tall. The lip of the pit should be around 12 to 16 inches for seating.

Possible Fuel Sources

A classic fire pit runs on wood. You have to stack the wood inside the ring and ignite it. Such a pit conveys the ambiance of a campfire, complete with the sounds and smells. However, wood-burning fire pits also carry more cleanup duties.

If you already have a natural gas line, you could talk to your contractors about extending the line to the proposed site of the fire pit. This option is the lowest maintenance. If you don't have a natural gas line, consider propane. These pits use propane tanks like you'd use for your outdoor grill.

Fire Pit Style

You may choose to have the contractors build the pit by stacking stone to make a wall. Conversely, you may want to have a concrete pit lined with natural stone products. You might even choose a prefabricated pit constructed of cast stone.

Regardless of your chosen building technique, you'll have a lot of options for stone shape and grouting. The most rustic fire pit will feature stacked stones with no grouting. If you choose cut stone with grouting, you'll have a polished fire pit. Between those two extremes are a host of options that can match your vision.

Stone Choices

If you don't opt for a cast stone pit, you get to choose the stones on your own. Besides shape, the kind of stone used is a choice you'll make. You can choose from hard rocks such as granite or slate.

You'll more likely choose your stones according to color. You want the gradients of color to somehow connect to the rest of your hardscaping and house façade. You can echo colors found in either when choosing stones for your fire pit.

Design a beautiful stone fire pit to augment your outdoor lifestyle.