Learning Center - Can You Use a Fire Pit on a Wood Deck?

Obviously, wood is a combustible material. But it is possible to have a fire pit sit harmoniously on a wood deck if specific safety precautions are taken.

Six Things to Keep in Mind Before Installing a Fire Pit on Your Deck

Decks are a great place to enjoy the outdoors. But on cold nights, with no heating available, they often are abandoned for cozier climes indoors. And while most homeowners who have decks would love to be able to enjoy a gas fire pit or log burning fire pit on them, many consider this to be an impossibility.

This is largely due to the potentially dangerous combination that decking materials such as wood or vinyl and a fire’s high heat represent. After all, no one wants to burn their deck down.

Yet, the conventional wisdom, in this case, isn’t true. If given enough forethought—and a little bit of luck when it comes to your local municipality’s regulations—certain fire pits can be safely enjoyed on a deck.

Making a fire pit work on a deck won’t be easy. It will require a specific combination of space, finding the right type of fire pit, determination, and good breaks. But if your will is strong enough, it certainly is possible.

Below, we’ve gathered six of the most important aspects to consider when trying to install a fire pit on your deck. If you pay attention and put in the hard work of making a fire pit installation work, you just might be able to cozy up to a fire on your deck the next time a nippy night comes along.

Gas Versus Wood-Burning Fire Pits

Before going any further, you should first consult your locality’s regulations on fire pits on decks to see if they are permissible.

If you are looking for a safe bet for your deck’s fire pit, try looking finding a gas fire pit you like first. Gas fire pits either propane fire pits or natural gas fire pits are generally compatible with a wide variety of decking materials and can be easily installed with the help of a professional. Be sure to check with the manufacturer to make sure this is a suitable use.

Wood-burning fire pits shouldn’t be installed on wooden, composite, or vinyl decks unless a non-combustible (think concrete or metal) base is being used to act as a buffer. Even then you should make sure to check that doing so is allowed by both your town and the fire pit’s manufacturer.

Important Differences Between Common Deck Surfaces

Wooden Decks

Due to their highly flammable nature, wooden decks have limited fire pit options. Some natural gas or propane burning fire pits can work, but wood-burning fire pits won’t work for this type of deck due to either municipal or manufacturer restrictions.

Composite Decks

If your deck is made of composite materials it is generally considered combustible. This will severely limit the types of fire pits that are suitable due to the risk of fire or melting.

Vinyl Decks

Vinyl decking is tricky to install a fire pit on for a couple of reasons. First, vinyl is sensitive to excessive heat and is likely to expand and crack if a fire pit is placed on top of it. Second, vinyl decks are usually made of PVC which is also highly combustible unsuitable for fire pit purposes.

Concrete Decks

Decks made of concrete, stone, or pavers are ideal surfaces for a fire pit. They aren’t combustible and their surface is able to stand up to the radiant heat that a fire pit produces.

Consulting Potential Fire Pit Installation Manuals

When it comes to the facts of your particular fire pit, the manufacturer’s installation manual is a treasure trove of information. Consulting it will let you know if your fire pit is a potential fit with your deck. You can also find other important information such as exactly how much clearance your pit requires along with other details such as what surfaces are suitable for it to be installed upon and its potential weight.

These manuals can normally be easily found online but if you do have trouble finding one reach out to Fireplace deals support and would love to find it for you.

Weight Restrictions

If you fail to do your homework before installing a new fire pit, a deck collapse could be one of the worst possible outcomes. Luckily, this fate is easily avoidable if you take the time to calculate your deck’s maximum weight-bearing ability.

If you don’t know how much weight your deck can hold, it is best to consult a structural engineer to get a firm answer.

Once, you know how much weight your deck is capable of handling, simply total the weight of everything on your deck already and add your potential gas fire pit’s weight (using the info from its installation manual) along with any accessories it may require. Of course, don’t forget to calculate for people as well.

Scouting Your Deck for Fire Pit Locations

If you still haven’t run into any dead ends at this point, feel free to study your deck for possible fire pit locations. When doing so it can be helpful to keep the following in mind:

Make sure your fire pit is placed well away from any trees, plantings, awnings, railings, or other combustibles.
Fire pits need plenty of clearance (or space) on all sides. The general rule of thumb is that they should be placed at least 20 feet away from any nearby structures such as houses. The immediate vicinity surrounding your fire pit will also need to be kept clear by at least 3 feet on all sides.
Homeowners often overlook vertical clearance, but you will need at least six feet of clearance in this direction as well. If you are perpendicularly cramped, consider getting a fire pit with less BTU and flame height.
When in doubt, refer to your fire pit’s manufacturer’s requirements for specific clearance and placement information and follow their guidelines to the letter.

Ensure Your Blazes are Safe with Safety Accessories

As an old football coach once said, “the best offense is a good defense.” And when it comes to preventing fire damage, the same principle holds true. This means you will want to make sure you have the right accessories to make your deck-top fire pit as safe as possible. Below, we’ve listed just a few of the essentials:

Metal or stone covers

Use a fire pit cover to protect your fire pit from damage when not in use. Not only will this keep your fire pit safe and ready to use, but it might also be required by the terms of a manufacturer’s warranty.

Spark guards

These mesh screens are indispensable when it comes to keeping possible ignitors such as ash, embers, or sparks from escaping from your fire pit.

Non-combustible bases

Typically made from non-flammable materials such as stone or metal, these fire pit bases protect the surface of your deck from exposure to radiant heat. Not only do they improve safety, but they can often be stylishly designed as well.

Portable fire extinguishers

The last accessory may seem a tad over precautious, but when it comes to fire extinguishers, it is better to have one and never use it than to need one and not have it nearby.

The Bottom Line: Can You Install a Fireplace on Your Deck?

So, can you install a fire pit on your deck? Well, if you’ve checked your town’s regulations on the matter, found a fire pit that is compatible with your deck’s surface, consulted the manufacturer’s installation manual, and made sure you haven’t exceeded weight requirements, then the answer could well be a yes!

If it is, hooray! Congratulations and enjoy your deck’s new fire pit. If you aren’t able to have a fire pit on your deck for whatever reason, don’t fret, there are plenty of other options for enjoying a fire outside. Be sure to check out our article on building your own backyard fire pit <insert link to post> if you need a little inspiration.

We’re Here to Help!

If you have any doubts about getting to achieve your fire pit dreams, feel free to call us at 866-848-3473 or send us an email. Our NFI-certified experts are here to answer any questions or schedule an inspection for your existing fireplace or your covered patio to let you know if it is suitable for a fire pit. Browse our section or check out our other Learning Center articles to expand your fireplace knowledge.