Backyard Patio

[mountainman]

Intend to have patio and pergola put in this spring/summer. Want sufficient space for large grill, enough (outdoor) furniture to seat, maybe, 4 or 5 people, and a firepit.

Have been told firepit should not locate under roof-thus plan to put it adjacent to pergola.

Also informed by experts that NObody does backyard patios in concrete these days..only pavers..which appear more attractive to me, anyway.

Am struggling to decide on size and whether to purchase pergola kit, or have dude who built my house construct custom structure-which he says is a specialty and he has done many x...

Wondering if anybody here has been through this? Firepit should be propane, right?..since running natural gas line too expensive and burning wood too "grizzly adams"....??

[Inner Dirt]

What do it yourselfer skills do you have? You would have to check local code of which I will follow but never get permits. You should be able to use Pex to run gas line to the fire pit. You can buy it in rolls so it will be one continuous pipe with just a connection on each end. No screwing galvanized pipe together or sweating copper joints. Long runs end up quick work. A walk behind trencher which many will call a ditch witch rented for a day will cost $300. Add the Pex and fittings DIY your looking at $500 total.
Heck, depending on distance you might hire out the trench job for $300 or less. Now a little old and beat up to want to wrestle a trencher I paid a neighbor just $200 recently for a two foot deep 40 yard long trench to a well for me to replace the plumbing and electric lines. Damn, Bidenomics it was a dozen years ago but I last rented a trencher it was $125 a day. Just my opinion, I am thinking from the perspective not changing propane tanks or having a large stationary one put in. I think they don't have curb appeal. If you don't want to run the gas line yourself I would
just get a quote from a plumber specifying Pex, it could be cheaper than you think.



I actually never heard of the word pergola, I had to look it up. I would just call that a patio cover. Not sure why you can't have a fire pit under it. How
many people BBQ under patio covers. I am sure treated lumber and maybe add some metal flashing should be fine.

[lamboguy]

he may not have gas lines coming into the house from the street, if he already has gas, there is no reason not to use it. with the propane, he will have to go back and forth to fill it up.

[rastajenk]

Burning wood in a firepit is the reason for having a firepit!

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by rastajenk

Burning wood in a firepit is the reason for having a firepit!

Bingo

[OntheRail]

Originally Posted by rastajenk

Burning wood in a firepit is the reason for having a firepit!

Exactly... Christ if it's all for show... just put in a fake one with the clothe flames blown about by a fan.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by rastajenk

Burning wood in a firepit is the reason for having a firepit!

Originally Posted by ElKabong

Bingo

I BBQ a lot using wood. You need to be a real man to BBQ chicken with wood without burning it. I have heard there are girly men that boil the chicken first
so it lowers the chance of them catching fire. Maybe they lack the skills to multi task. I have a spray bottle of water in one hand and a long two pronged fork in the other.

[mountainman]

Wood just seems like so much work. I wonder what percentage of fire pits burn wood? Do people actually do that? And gas can throw heat..just not as much..right? My indoor fireplace uses natural gas and sure throws heat....

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

What do it yourselfer skills do you have? You would have to check local code of which I will follow but never get permits. You should be able to use Pex to run gas line to the fire pit. You can buy it in rolls so it will be one continuous pipe with just a connection on each end. No screwing galvanized pipe together or sweating copper joints. Long runs end up quick work. A walk behind trencher which many will call a ditch witch rented for a day will cost $300. Add the Pex and fittings DIY your looking at $500 total.
Heck, depending on distance you might hire out the trench job for $300 or less. Now a little old and beat up to want to wrestle a trencher I paid a neighbor just $200 recently for a two foot deep 40 yard long trench to a well for me to replace the plumbing and electric lines. Damn, Bidenomics it was a dozen years ago but I last rented a trencher it was $125 a day. Just my opinion, I am thinking from the perspective not changing propane tanks or having a large stationary one put in. I think they don't have curb appeal. If you don't want to run the gas line yourself I would
just get a quote from a plumber specifying Pex, it could be cheaper than you think.



I actually never heard of the word pergola, I had to look it up. I would just call that a patio cover. Not sure why you can't have a fire pit under it. How
many people BBQ under patio covers. I am sure treated lumber and maybe add some metal flashing should be fine.

We put a pergola over the 32x16' deck we built ourselves last spring. Comes with advantages and adds a desirable look

If he's looking to use pavers he should be able to have a fire pit if the pergola is 10' off the surface and the space is clear. My property has a lot of excess wood and timber (20 plus mature trees, 3 are over 150 yrs old) so a firepit in the backyard is going in this fall

[mountainman]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

What do it yourselfer skills do you have? You would have to check local code of which I will follow but never get permits. You should be able to use Pex to run gas line to the fire pit. You can buy it in rolls so it will be one continuous pipe with just a connection on each end. No screwing galvanized pipe together or sweating copper joints. Long runs end up quick work. A walk behind trencher which many will call a ditch witch rented for a day will cost $300. Add the Pex and fittings DIY your looking at $500 total.
Heck, depending on distance you might hire out the trench job for $300 or less. Now a little old and beat up to want to wrestle a trencher I paid a neighbor just $200 recently for a two foot deep 40 yard long trench to a well for me to replace the plumbing and electric lines. Damn, Bidenomics it was a dozen years ago but I last rented a trencher it was $125 a day. Just my opinion, I am thinking from the perspective not changing propane tanks or having a large stationary one put in. I think they don't have curb appeal. If you don't want to run the gas line yourself I would
just get a quote from a plumber specifying Pex, it could be cheaper than you think.



I actually never heard of the word pergola, I had to look it up. I would just call that a patio cover. Not sure why you can't have a fire pit under it. How
many people BBQ under patio covers. I am sure treated lumber and maybe add some metal flashing should be fine.

Definitely NOT a diy guy..I work..workout..bet horses..help keep the house..do some writing..and golf..that's it..lol..

but i do have "Saint" Lucy Hernandez..jack of all trades extraordinaire..and made lots of connections when having the house built..

The house DOES have natural gas..btw..

[jay68802]

Where you put the fire pit and BBQ is the key. Being able to sit around the fire pit without getting smoked out by the BBQ. Hang some pieces of string in that area. You will get to know how the air circulates around down there. Use that to locate the BBQ, and go from there.

[OntheRail]

Originally Posted by mountainman

Wood just seems like so much work. I wonder what percentage of fire pits burn wood? Do people actually do that? And gas can throw heat..just not as much..right? My indoor fireplace uses natural gas and sure throws heat....

I heat my home with wood been doing going on 37yrs. The odds and end end up in a fire pit I built out of the bell end of a 500 gal propane tank. Made an incinerator out of the rest That company refused to haul out after repeated request to do so. I did warn them as to the outcome of their abandonment of the tank. Has pivot for a grate to grill meat on.

But I understand you're looking for decor and atmosphere.

[wisconsin]

Originally Posted by mountainman

Wood just seems like so much work. I wonder what percentage of fire pits burn wood? Do people actually do that? And gas can throw heat..just not as much..right? My indoor fireplace uses natural gas and sure throws heat....

I burn wood both inside and outside. I love the smell and sounds of real wood burning.

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by mountainman

Wood just seems like so much work. I wonder what percentage of fire pits burn wood? Do people actually do that? And gas can throw heat..just not as much..right? My indoor fireplace uses natural gas and sure throws heat....

I'm about the only guy on the block without a fire pit in the backyard, every one uses wood. Lots here are a half, to a full acre. Lot of trees.

I'm not clear on wood being a lot of work. To cut? I'm 68yo, cut wood every week for a few minutes. Not much time at all. Like someone said above, the smell of wood in the fall or winter, you can't beat it. Two neighbors watch football by their backyard firepit, that's been my goal since moving here. The wife has other project priorities, so...

But yes, can't beat wood in the firepit. Awesome stuff

[mountainman]

Originally Posted by ElKabong

I'm about the only guy on the block without a fire pit in the backyard, every one uses wood. Lots here are a half, to a full acre. Lot of trees.

I'm not clear on wood being a lot of work. To cut? I'm 68yo, cut wood every week for a few minutes. Not much time at all. Like someone said above, the smell of wood in the fall or winter, you can't beat it. Two neighbors watch football by their backyard firepit, that's been my goal since moving here. The wife has other project priorities, so...

But yes, can't beat wood in the firepit. Awesome stuff

I have 1.5 acres, but no trees to cut. It's not that kind of property. By "work" I meant stocking and storing wood, and getting the stuff to burn. Also, I suppose cleaning the ashes out would be part of the process?