Fireplaces & Fire Pits

B. DeMichele Inc. makes outdoor living a year round event – but for the most part it’s most enjoyable in the mild fall, winter and spring months.

During those cool evenings, a fire feature tends to be one of the most popular outdoor features in most landscape projects. Basically, a traditional backyard must have some sort of fire pit or fireplace to complete the overall project. B. DeMichele Inc. is one of the best fits for designing and building your outdoor fireplace because of our seamless integration with the several phases that need to come together to complete such a fire feature.

Fireplaces and fire pits require the coordination of several key elements – masonry, gas and plumbing, and stonework. The masonry work is the craftsmanship of the CMU block, mortar and rebar. This is the infrastructure of the fireplace or fire pit. The plumbing and gas line work is completely necessary for a gas fireplace or gas fire pit. This involves running underground gas lines or propane lines from a gas source (usually a propane tank or gas meter), to the fire feature or fireplace. The finishing touches involve stonework, paint and stucco – which complete the overall fireplace project. B. DeMichele Inc. seamlessly coordinates these elements into the build process.

Which fire feature is best for your outdoor experience?

• Fire pit – one of the most common fire features has become a standard backyard installation. Fire pits can range from 3’ wide to as much as 6’ or greater. Usually at a height of 12”, these are all custom-built to the owners and landscape designer’s specifications. The fire pit can be wood burning or setup for natural gas or propane. A wood fire pit makes for a great evening, but requires the dreaded “clean up”! So, most of our clients tend to prefer the quick and easy gas setup. With a gas fire ring, lava rock is the most common flame distribution method, but other options include silica sand fire pits, glass beads, or a real-wood looking ceramic log set! Fire pits have become popular because of their ability to be the center point of an evening of fun, with everyone sitting and talking around the fire pit!

 

• Fireplace – The outdoor fireplace is the best way to make a statement in any backyard landscaping or pool project. This gorgeous focal feature can take on the design and feel of the house, backyard, or patio. The fireplace is more of a daily focal feature but as the night cools off, it becomes the center of the party. The fireplace sets on the edge of the patio, whereas the fire pit sits in the center. With that being said, the fireplace can allow more patio space for our landscape projects. Fireplaces are traditionally built with CMU block and stuccoed/painted, but most of our fireplaces have some really unique stone or custom accents. Don’t forget the ceramic log set, to complete the authentic look of a real outdoor fireplace, without the messy cleanup!

 

• Fire channel – Our ability to design and build custom fire features has always been our forte! Our clients love our ability to run fire out 6’ to 12’ in a straight line, creating what we call a “fire channel”. Fire channels create a great atmosphere, as well as an incredible conversation piece. The dancing flames are almost mesmerizing, as the blues and yellows appear in each of our custom fire channels.

 

• Fire pot or bowl – the smaller version of a fire pit is the fire pot or fire bowl. Some of our clients love the more contained version of putting fire in a presentation pot, and setting it on a stone column or patio location. Fire bowls create a great overall appearance, and can be filled with lava rock, ceramic logs, or even water!

 

• Fire & Water – One of the most difficult fire effects is the mixing of fire and water! Nothing beats the WOW-factor of fire virtually rising from a water feature or water pot. After years of studying the pros and cons of fire and water features, B. DeMichele Inc. has learned many do’s and dont’s when working with the combination of these two elements.

 

• Tiki torch – Bring a little taste of the tropics to your backyard with our fire torches. The cheap versions can just be oil-filled, and can easily last an entire evening. Our versions are custom designed and built with gaslines, and copper tiki-torch heads (which safety shut-off valves) – giving our clients a permanent landscape feature for year round enjoyment of fire! These tiki torches allow our landscape designers to spread the fire out throughout the backyard – and the atmosphere tends to come alive!

 

GOOD TO KNOW:

1. A standard fire pit can be a huge asset to any backyard. Both fire pits and fireplaces can be topped with flagstone or stucco. The interior should always contain some sort of “fire brick” material and be of sound construction. A fireplace can be the perfect accent to any outdoor space and can range from 4’ to 12’ tall.

 

2. For the truly custom projects, our clients tend to prefer the installation of gas or propane lines, for easy on/off of a fire feature. Gas is the perfect fit for any fireplace, fire pit, or fire feature. Safety valves make sure that only adults can manually turn on these fire features when it’s time for the entertainment. Custom accents such as stone, Travertine, or boulders can accent any fireplace or fire pit.

 

3. When one fire feature is just not enough, our client can have MULTIPLE fire features. We’ve done projects with up to 3 different fire features in one backyard! Next, if budget is not an issue, the automated fire pits and fire features tend to be the latest craze. At a price tag of around $2500 each, our clients can enjoy fire at the touch of a button (from a cool remote control). Fire glass tops off our “premium” list because of its upscale look to any custom fire project.

 

4. Remember, fire pits can be the biggest patio “killer”, since most fire pits sit in the middle of a large patio space. Try pushing the fire pit to the side of a patio which may not get as many people around it – but, it will allow more people to use the patio!

 

5. A fireplace should be designed as a focal-point in your landscape or patio project. Even an unused fireplace can get years of enjoyment if properly lit at night.

 

6. Virtually anything can be done with fire – let our professional designers work with you to create a “custom” fire feature that will be the topic of every outdoor party at your place.

 

WHY WE STAND ABOVE THE COMPETITION:

After many years of perfecting our products, we have come up with the best possible way to construct many of our popular items.

• Bond beams, rebar, and solid filled block – it’s an industry standard to think that just stacking block and stuccoing it will suffice, but our mason’s mortar every block, and then take it a step further by filling it solid with rebar and concrete – making cracks a thing of the past!

 

• Stone and Tile Experts – Our projects look better when they are finished because of the experience and attention to detail that our stone and tile experts add to each project. We do so many fireplaces and fire pits each year that we keep full-time tile setters, flagstone masons and stone experts on each of our projects.

 

• Inspired Designs – B. DeMichele Inc. specializes in some of the most spectacular water and fire features that our area has to offer. Our designers research, design and perfect any custom fire feature or any specialty project for our clients. From automated fire and water, electronic ignition, water and fire combined – we have perfected it! You don’t have to be another contractors “experiment”!

 

• Safety – We makes sure that everything we do is designed and built for future safety. From our “child-proof” key valves, to our safety shut-offs – our fire features are as safe as possible when not being used.