As we continue to hurtle forward through 2020 at what feels like breath-taking speed – we just passed through Labor Day and are within a short distance of the fall – its that time of year again. Even COVID-19 can’t keep us from football, crisp autumn days and sitting around a warm fire enjoying good conversation and other fun times.
Now is the time to get your high quality fire pit or fireplace purchased at Stone Distributors installed so you have time to enjoy it through this fall, winter and long into the future. This article discusses the main two types of fire pits you have to choose from: Masonry fire pits and Pre-Fabricated, or Pre-Fab fire pits.
Here’s our take on these two options of Fire Pits:
Masonry fire pits
- Your pit will have a unique and beautiful look to it. Unlike the Pre-fab pits, no two masonry pits have the same stones. You get to pick the look and color of the stones you use based upon your preference from our inventory.
- You also have many different shapes and designs to choose from for your fire pit. This is a good feature particularly if you don’t want a typical circular look to your pit.
- Can be visually more appealing than the Pre-fab type of fire pit, particularly if you want yours to stand out from all others.
- Masonry fire pits are durable, and the level of quality is higher than that of a Pre-fab kit
- The heat that emanates from them when in use lasts a long time.
A few Cons:
- Do It Yourself (DIY) masonry fire places end up taking more time – in other words you will want a professional to do the installation.
- Pitching and chipping the stones to get circular look takes some skill. Most DIYers are unable to get the shape of the stones in a circular pattern, so they end up with a more square-looking pit.
- Therefore, masonry fire pits are more expensive to install than Pre-fab fire pits, that come in a Kit.
Pre-fab fire pit Kit (you still have to put it together, but they sell you everything you need, and you just have to assemble it)
- The Pre-fab fire pits we stock on our yard are from manufacturer Belgard are known as Weston Stone™ Fire Pits. Their Pre-fab stone bricks come in two colors: Avondale and Carriage House.
- The Weston Fire Pit is more DIY-doable than the Masonry fire pits, while also being of a significantly higher quality than the pre-built and pre-fab fire pits you will normally find at the big box retail stores.
- If you are budget conscious than a Pre-fab kit will be cheaper than a Masonry fire pit. The difference in price will vary, so make that part of your discussion with one of our on-site experts. The difference might not be as big as you think.
- Normally, installation of of Pre-fab fire pit can be done relatively quickly. These Belgard Weston Stone™ Fire Pit Kits do involve more work than other Kits that are fully pre-built like the cheap ones you can get at the big box stores, but usually they can be installed by one to two people.
A few cons:
- Current supply. Do to the pandemic everyone who carries these Pre-Fab fire pit kits is out of stock. As of now, they are taking anywhere between 3 and 12 weeks to be put together by the manufacturer and shipped out to us. If you order one we will get it for you, but you will have to be patient.
- Lack of choices. At this time you have two colors (the aforementioned Avondale and Carriage House) and only one design to choose from.
- The quality of a Pre-fab kit is not quite as good as a custom built fire pit. With that having been said, the quality of the Belgard Weston Stone™ Fire Pit Kits is well above that of the pre-built or pre-fab fire pits that you will find at the big box retail stores.
So, which one do we consider to be the better overall choice? At this time we would give the slight nod to the Masonry fire pits. Why? Two main reasons.
One, you can get the Masonry fire pit installed in time for you to use this fall. As was mentioned, Belgard’s Pre-Fab fire pit kits are out of stock at this time throughout our area and the wait time for us to receive them is anywhere between 3 to 12 weeks after you place your order. The level of importance of your time frame depends on you.
Secondly, a masonry fire pit gives you the advantage of having more choice as to what your finished fire pit is going to look like. You can choose the size, shape, design and even some level of the color of the stones with a masonry fire pit. You can not do that with the Pre-Fab fire pits.
** ONE LAST IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING FOLLOWING LOCAL BUILDING CODES: Both Pre-fab and custom Masonry fire pits need to follow your local municipality codes when it comes to the placement of the structure. Always remember that any fire element, whether a fire pit, fire place or permanent grill should be placed on a non-flammable surface at least 10 feet away from your home or any other flammable structure.
We look forward to helping you with your next fire pit, fireplace or any other stone or landscaping project. Come on into Stone Distributors today and let’s get started! And soon you will be out in your own backyard having the time of your life around your very own warm, glowing fire.
We are conveniently located for almost anyone in the northern half of the metro Atlanta, Cobb and Fulton County areas at 1675 Bells Ferry Road in Marietta, just east of I-75, between the Canton Road and Piedmont Road exits. Contact us by calling us at (678) 354-0566 or visiting us online at https://www.stonedist.com or on our Stone Distributors Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stonedist/. We are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays (today) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed on Sundays.
*** Some information used in the compilation of this article came from Belgard’s website:
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