Andreas Ketels
Artist and founder of Glowbus®
First concrete tip: Take a moment to chart which contact moments you prefer to spend in your garden and start from there. So, do not start from “pool, BBQ or fire pit” but from the question: at which moment do I want to spend a valuable moment with whom? If you have this clear, you immediately know what the most valuable investment is for you to make in your garden. Build around your life, do not live around the items you build. Make sense, right?
Buying a fire pit: banal or quality?
Also, the fire pit used to be a banal product. A cheap fire pit can be bought for 150 euro (or less). The result is that such a fire pit will be quickly banished to the garden shed to make a quick appearance when friends visit. At least, in the beginning. After a few years, the fire pit is not even brough out for those occasions, because it is such a hassle, a dirty job…
Leave it out permanently? Usually not the best of ideas. Many fire pits (particularly in the price range <500 euro) are not made to remain outside for years in all weather conditions. Cheap models are often painted or are built with inferior materials. Usually, these fire pits have a frustratingly short life, and although all fire pits are made of steel, this should not this mislead you.
Some points to take into account:
- What is the thickness of the material used? Parts of 1 to 2 mm will quickly rust when used often. A steel fire pit of a meter in diameter with a weight of 6 kg? You already know that the material will be wafer-thin.
- Where are the welding seams located and how are they finished? The price of some fire pits is not even worth the price of the steel. Unfortunate, but the truth. Often, much is saved on the production, particularly in cheaper, mass-produced fire pits, with the result that having one inadequate welding seam renders your fire pit completely useless. A fire pit which, for example, joins 2 plates with 2 welded points can be produced more economical than when all welding seams would run all the way, but one broken welding points means buying a new fire pit.
- Finished with heat resistant paint? It looks beautiful when you take it from the packaging and offers protection in places which do not get too hot, but such a layer of paint does not offer any protection directly above the fire. Moreover, it is not environmentally friendly because harmful substances are released when the paint is burnt. Most heat resistant paint can withstand temperatures up to 800 °C. A wood fire with burning coals easily achieves higher temperatures (up to 1000 °C).
- Is it possible for all the water to drain? If it rains, it should not fill up half your fir pit. If a fire pit does not properly drain, the central zone at the bottom of the fire pit is often the problem and your fire pit will rust very quickly.
Important tip: if you opt for a fire pit in standard steel, the rusting process will continue until it has eaten through the steel. If you opt for a fire pit made of corten steel, the oxide layer or rust layer will provide protection to the steel, so your fire pit will not rust.
Experience learns that saving on any product which must defy all weather conditions is often not a good idea. You will often spend more money in 20 years by constantly replacing a cheaper product than when you would have initially invested in a product that lasts for 20 years or longer.
Exit, fire pit. Welcome, design fire pit.
You opt for a fire pit which is central in the hotspot of valuable moments and you will leave it outside in all weather conditions the entire year. This usually means your fire pit will be placed in a visible position, and of course you want something beautiful to look at throughout the year. So, you choose for a design fire pit. But what is exactly the difference with a ‘normal’ fire pit? Firstly, today, many products are too quickly labeled as design. Of course, everything has a design, because all products have once seen a drawing table before being actually produced. But that does not make it design. A design product marvels and surprises. It breaks with the mundane and lets people pause to stop and appreciate form and aesthetics.
For a fire pit, this usually means 2 things:
- During the day, the fire pit must be an aesthetical eye-catcher which adds value to its immediate surroundings. The place with the fire pit is more beautiful to look at because of the addition of the fire pit. A good design fire pit has a sculptural effect. It is a beautiful object to look at, also without a burning fire.
- In the evening or at night, the light play must be more than normal fire light play. Creating a unique experience, such as the Glowbus® Dewdrop with its steel slates around the pit. These reflect the light and transform the entire surrounding of the fire pit.
A last tip: If you install your fire pit place in your garden, pay attention to the most important lines of sight from the places you spend the most time. An example. During summer, you are mostly outside on the terrace, and during winter there is 1 window in the living room you often look out at. Make sure that your design fire pit is visible from both locations for optimal added value.
Conclusion
Choosing the ideal fire pit is about much more than just functional comfort. It is about aesthetics and experience. From all corners of your garden, and particularly when spending time around the fire pit. Pay attention to the location around the fire pit, and turn it into a nice hotspot, for valuable moments around a crackling fire. Interested in a design fire pit which lasts a lifetime, and which meets all mentioned points of attention? Check out our Glowbus® Dewdrop collection. See you soon!
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