| ext">One of the interesting trends in home and patio | | | | higher end models, the decoration gets more |
| renovations are fire pits; these can be fairly elaborate | | | | elaborate, as do the materials. Expensive fire pit |
| set ups, or a couple of steps up from waste paper | | | | tables that are made with granite tops and similar can |
| burning in a steel waste basket. However, as the | | | | set you back a couple of grand, so be sure it's |
| trend has grown, a definite market has grown around | | | | something you'll either want, or will improve the |
| people wanting a safe place in their back yards to | | | | resale value of your home
or buy a cheaper one, |
| roast marshmallows and socialize, hence the fire pit | | | | see how well and often you actually use it, and then |
| table. | | | | decide if it's worth doing a permanent installation. |
| The first and primary purpose of a fire pit table is to | | | | Another concern for fire pit tables is durability and |
| take the burning elements off the ground, where | | | | weathering. Particularly if you live in a part of the |
| stray sparks can cause brushfires. By elevating it, you | | | | country that sees a regular freeze/thaw cycle, any |
| also gain the benefit of getting to sit around the | | | | kind of porous material will eventually crumble due to |
| table, in a comfortable chair, like a real human being. | | | | that. This rules out a lot of the fancier fire pits, like |
| Particularly for those who're a little older, it's a lot | | | | those lined with tile or ceramic overlays — the |
| more comfortable than kneeling or crouching. | | | | bonding agents generally can't stand up to repeated |
| Fire pit tables also make maintenance a lot easier; the | | | | freeze-thaw cycles. In very dry and arid climates, |
| burning elements are kept off the ground, and are | | | | you may need to get special permits to have a fire |
| usually removable from the table itself, allowing you | | | | pit at all. |
| to fill them with detergent or vinegar to clean them. | | | | While fire pits and fire pit tables add a certain rustic |
| The basic configuration of a fire pit table looks a little | | | | charm to your home and your backyard décor, |
| bit like a mobile television stand — it's got a | | | | and are very customizable, remember that they are |
| sturdy frame, a cooking surface, and a recessed | | | | a fire hazard. They may not be appropriate if you |
| basket, usually with a cover, that you can build the | | | | have small children around, and safety is always a |
| fire in. Construction tends to be out of welded steel, | | | | must. Make sure you've got a good class C fire |
| or (rarely) aluminum for the low-end models. For the | | | | extinguisher handy near your fire pit table. |