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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that a fire pit would be lovely in our garden?

97 replies

KingscoteStaff · 31/12/2020 10:08

Me: Imagining lovely spring/summer/autumn evenings with the family sitting round glowing flames, toasting marshmallows. It would encourage us to use the garden more after 5pm. The teenagers and their friends would love it.

DH: Everyone's clothes would smell of smoke. Your front would be scalding and your back freezing (like at Guy Fawkes bonfires). All the teenagers in the world would collect around it, particularly the smokers. Those teenagers would clomp mud on their enormous feet through our kitchen as they went in and out from the loo. It's probably bad for the environment in some way.

Me: But I want one!!! Look how lovely!!

to think that a fire pit would be lovely in our garden?
OP posts:
Abraxan · 31/12/2020 10:37

We got one and it just wasn't practical.
You had to be really close to it to benefit from the heat.
The smoke lingers for ages and your clothes and hair will smell very strongly afterwards.
We live in a fairly windy place so it was sometimes tricky to position.

I'm just glad we decided to buy a cheaper one first before investing a lot of lonely in a really fancy one.

fruitpastille · 31/12/2020 10:38

It's a bit smoky but still nice! More so in the summer probably. Kids love toasting marshmallows and it makes a change from lounging on the sofa all evening. Why not get a cheap one to try it out and upgrade next year if you like it? We're using ours tonight along with some sparklers. We will probably just be out for an hour or so - doesn't have to be all night. It's on our patio so no mud.

Kumquatsquash · 31/12/2020 10:39

@zzizz

You can toast marshmallows over candles indoors, we do that a lot.
Oh God, that just unlocked a memory of holding up bread next to a gas fire to make toast at my nan's house in the 80s.
Canwecancel2020 · 31/12/2020 10:39

Thanks for the comments on here, I wanted one too, but decided that having an object to stand near to keep warm but to need to constantly prevent anyone getting too close (particularly children or grandma after a few drinks) has put me off too.

I still want an outdoor pizza oven but dh not keen

ProfYaffle · 31/12/2020 10:40

Another terrace dweller here. Our neighbours lit one once in the summer - it was horrific. Loads of smoke, far more than a BBQ. About 3 gardens worth of people fled indoors coughing. And, yes, my clothes stank the next day.

HoxtonBonnet · 31/12/2020 10:41

We love ours! We live in a terraced house but have it up at the end of the garden, away from people's windows.

We buy kiln dried logs from our local garden centre, which apparently burn better and are less smoky - though I'm not sure if that is definitely true!

Put old clothes on and a hat to protect your hair from the smoke smell.

Considering having it on tonight...

to think that a fire pit would be lovely in our garden?
zzizz · 31/12/2020 10:43

Is it a good or bad memory Kumquatsquash?

Alicatz66 · 31/12/2020 10:45

I got one .. never use it .. you absolutely stink after sitting by it .. your clothes ,, your hair .. yuk !

FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack · 31/12/2020 10:46

We had to close the windows when the house a few doors down got one and seemed to burn it even on warm nights.

I am so glad the novelty has worn off it was so annoying. He did watch me lug his large parcel down to him without getting off his arse though so I've written him off as an arse generally.

FedUpAtHomeTroels · 31/12/2020 10:46

Your neighbours will hate you. The smell would go into any open window and stink out the houses. Anyone who left out washing would need to rewash it.
We have one house on our street with one, they use it in the cool summer evenings, all the neighbours hate it.

MaskingForIt · 31/12/2020 10:50

Please don’t buy a patio heater. I don’t know why they haven’t been banned by now. Patio heaters are literally burning fossil fuels and directly heating the atmosphere. It is direct global warming.

bettbattenburg · 31/12/2020 10:51

We have a chiminea and have had for years, I can't remember the last time we used it. I wouldn't have a patio heater though.

Strawberrypancakes · 31/12/2020 10:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
KingscoteStaff · 31/12/2020 11:10

@Strawberrypancakes What about smoke/smell?

OP posts:
PandemicPavolova · 31/12/2020 11:12

I d love one op , but having spent a whole summer unable to open my windows due to neighbors nightly fires I realized I couldn't enjoy it knowing others were having to deny themselves fresh air in summer.

So with large back gardens in remote rural areas yes - in terraces where what you do with smoke affects so many more peoples lives - no.

PandemicPavolova · 31/12/2020 11:14

Hoxton I hope you do not live near me - we have extremely long gardens here and smoke still affects us. Ive been sleeping with the windows open I really notice the difference and gasp for fresh air, your fire pit would deny me that and I am sure other neighbors.
Also dd has a sensitive chest so I would have to close for her too.

Then think of the neighbours who may have covid, gasping for fresh air and to keep their family safe - they too would have to close their windows.

SenorFrog · 31/12/2020 11:16

We have one, lovely but a total ball ache to tidy up and everything stinks. Don't use it as much as we thought, still love it when it's on. Nothing will get my teenagers into the garden, fire pit, hammock, sofa area, nope!

OxfordwillsaveusbyFebruary · 31/12/2020 11:17

Illegal in many areas including many towns

Chocolate1984 · 31/12/2020 11:20

Out neighbour’s have one and I hate it. They light it after BBQs for heat but there is no heat and we stink of smoke for days. Reminds me of the 1990/2000s when your clothes stank after being in a Smokey pub or nightclub.

mrsk247syd · 31/12/2020 11:22

We live in Australia- we have one. We love it. It's fun, all adults and kids get in on the fun, yes it can be a bit Smokey- but like anything do it properly and it's fine.

Turnedouttoes · 31/12/2020 11:23

We have a patio heater and it’s a complete gas guzzler. I’d only buy an electric one in future. A £35 bottle of gas only lasts a couple of evenings so we rarely use it to be honest.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 31/12/2020 11:26

Properly dry wood and not choking it will result in fire with barely any smoke. Problem is that most people can't do bbq eithout smoking out half the estate, let alone fire😐

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 31/12/2020 11:28

If you use properly seasoned wood there is no need for loads of smoke.

I love ours, but we mostly use it when camping.

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 31/12/2020 11:29

A shower and a washing machine should surely stop you smelling of smoke for ‘days’ Confused

Backbee · 31/12/2020 11:31

We used to have one, we gave it away when DS was old enough to crawl and roam around the garden, even though he was obviously always supervised it wasn't worth the stress! As has been said, if the wood is correctly stored prior to use we didn't find it smelt too much, but if your garden is close to your neighbours it would probably annoy them, especially in summer if washing is out. We did spend many happy hours sat around it with friends putting the world to rights, but unless you both really want one I wouldn't bother. They can take up a lot of room as well, which if you won't use it much is a pain.