Can You Place a Fire Pit on Timber Decking?
Is it safe to use a fire pit on wooden decking and how to protect your patio from a fire pit
Using fire pits on a timber decking seems dangerous; you could end up setting your wooden deck on fire. So, can you place a fire pit on timber decking and how to do it safely? Here I talk about the accessories that help you protect your wooden deck and enjoy a fire pit at the same time.
Can You Place a Fire Pit on Timber Decking?
You can place a fire pit on a wooden deck, but you need to take some safety measures. Here is what you need to consider before placing a fire pit on a wooden surface.
You may also like:
How to use fire pits on wooden decks
What you should consider before using a fire pit on a wooden deck
Check the local regulations
First of all, check the local law, as some localities have their own regulations on whether you can use fire pits on timber decks or the distance required between the fire and any buildings or forest.
Heat radiating down
Next, consider how hot the bottom of your firepit gets and whether it radiates heat down to the ground. Most metal bowls fire pits produce a lot of heat, which can be unsafe to use directly on a wooden surface.
Flying sparks and embers
The other obvious safety consideration when burning fires close to wooden or any other flammable surfaces is flying embers and sparks. Even if your timber deck won’t catch fire immediately, they will leave marks and stains on it, so this is something you should consider.
Clean the deck
Before starting the fire, clean the surface around from any leaves or other dry bits which could catch fire easily.
The weight of the fire pit
If your fire pit is of a larger weight, consider whether your wooden deck is strong enough to support the fire pit as well as people sitting around at the same time.
Have something to extinguish fire
Always have something at hand to extinguish the fire. It can be a bucket of water, a fire-resistant blanket or a fire extinguisher.
General safety
And lastly, just to remind the obvious, look around and see if any sparks can reach dry leaves on trees, the roofing or any other things which can catch fire easily.
Using a Gas Fire Pit on Timber Decking
If you want to use a fire pit on a wooden deck, a gas fire pit is a safer and cleaner option. This type of fire pit does not produce sparks which could jump in an uncontrolled way setting things on fire or leaving burn marks. If you want to find out more about gas fire pits on wooden decking check out this article:
Using Wood or Coal Fire Pit on Timber Decking
After you’ve considered all the safety matters of using a fire pit on a wooden deck and decided to go for it, you may want to use the following accessories to protect the wooden surfaces and surroundings.
Fire pit mat
To protect your wooden deck from the heat radiating from the fire pit, you can use a heat mat like this:
Fire pit mesh cover
If your fire pit comes with a mesh cover, then we recommend using it, as this reduces sparks flying around and prevents embers jumping out of the pit. If your pit didn’t come with a mesh screen, you can easily find them online, just make sure they are the right size for your fire pit. Here are two examples, one for a round fire pit and another for a square fire pit:
The don’ts of using a fire pit on timber decking
Here is what you shouldn’t do when placing a fire pit on a wooden surface:
Don’t Use Lighter Fluid
It may be tempting to use a liquid fire starter or a lighter fluid to get your fire pit going quickly, but doing this on a wooden surface is a risky business. In case it gets spilled on your wooden deck, it can catch fire very quickly and you could cause a huge amount of damage.
Don’t leave the fire unattended
Although it’s obvious, it’s always good to remember about the basic safety around the fire. Ensure that you ask someone to watch over the fire. There has to be someone to be able to act early in case a stray spark sets a small fire to avoid it developing into a larger and damaging one.
What to remember about after using a fire pit on a wooden deck
Extinguish the fire
After a relaxing evening around the fire, and perhaps a couple of glasses of something stronger, the last thing you may be willing to do is tidy up… but. You do need to make sure that the fire has been extinguished properly. Ashes and embers could blow out onto the deck and set it on fire if still hot.
Dispose of the fire pit ashes properly
Apart from the safety concerns, it is not a good idea to leave ashes inside of a metal fire pit for a long time. Ashes absorb moisture easily, so you should remove them the next day or soon after to avoid metal corrosion.
Here we have a short guide on how to dispose of fire pit ashes and some surprising ways you could use them!
Final note
The quick answer to the question whether you can place a fire pit on a wooden deck is yes, but you need to consider several things before that. You need to follow the local fire regulations and common sense safety rules when handling fire on or near wooden surfaces. Have a great time around your fire pit!
