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

[KingscoteStaff]

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!!

Get a tent stove I bloody love mine.

@CutsOffCorners

Why does everyone need "a firepit" all of a sudden? Can't you just light a bloody bonfire and call it what it is?

Bonfire: on the ground, generally for burning garden rubbish so very smoky, can be quite big.

Fire Pit: off the ground so contained and less if a fire risk. Contains the size of the fire to ‘small’. Doesn’t leave an ashy mess on the ground, the ash can be tipped easily away.

I built a huge corner sofa out of free pallets and made enormous shower proof cushions out of old sails. Then eBayed a fab huge low coffee table with a central fire pit . (My lockdown project) whole thing cost me £125 and seats 12..

It was used pretty much every night until end of October. I loved it because it meant we could stick to the rule of six outside and be really snug. A couple of blankets as well made it perfect.

As for teenagers. I love nothing more than a pile of them in my garden. At least I know where they are ..

We have one. We have specific hoodies and stuff for sitting out with it though because they do stink your clothes out.

No neighbours near enough to need to consider.

Our next door neighbour has one. It stinks of accelerant and then we can't sit in our garden

@KingscoteStaff

Terraced house.

I hadn't thought about what a pain it would be for the neighbours.

Are they really smelly, though?

I live in a terraced house. We have a fire pit, so do the neighbours on one side.

We use them regularly. We make sure we burn “clean” wood, nothing painted or varnished. We check no one has washing out in the immediate vicinity before we light it up.

We love it. No one has ever complained.

All my neighbours have wood burning stoves, so I'm sticking with my occasional fire pit habit. Just cooked hotdogs on it. 8 year old can light a very nice fire with minimal supervision. Lovely.

We have one. But it's always bloody raining here.

I love mine. Yes, it can make clothes smell of smoke, but it's no big deal to wash the clothes. The smell comes out in the wash. It's really nice to sit out and roast marshmallows on the fire with a hot chocolate and just watch the flames. Very relaxing! And it's not just for keeping warm in cold weather, I use it in summer too. No complaints from neighbours here.

The pollution in woodsmoke is similar to that in traffic fumes: NO2, particulates etc. Pretty antisocial really (as, sadly, are woodburners). You can't escape the pollution yourself, and neither can any near neighbours.

It’s worse than that - it’s overall the biggest source of PM2.5 nationally which is linked to heart attacks, strokes, cancer and dementia: www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/feb/22/wood-diesel-indoor-stoves-cities-pollution

As with all things in life, the population is divided between the considerates and the selfish.

Oh ours is lovely!

I like the “all the teenagers in the world” comment though

We can smell our neighbours two doors down and have to close the windows. How about a bio ethanol one?

We bought one thinking it would be brilliant - SO MUCH SMOKE!

Even when we used the more expensive kiln dried wood. We tried roasting marshmallows and DD put on safety goggles! Everything (including blankets) had to be washed afterwards.

My NDN has one and a few months back we joined them for a chat and catch up around the fire. Thoroughly enjoyed it at the time, but oh my word, my coat/scarf/hat absolutely stank of smoke....for days....had to air them off outdoors. That's what puts me off.

@RedToothBrush

We have one. Its been awesome during the pandemic.

However it stinks out everything. And its a pain in the arse.

I want a patio heater. As does DH who loves fires. You can't get them for love nor money atm though.

Jesus, I've just looked at the price of them on eBay, there's one for £499.99 that looks suspiciously similar to the one in my shed, it cost me £50ish. Might be missing a trick here!

These look good - but very expensive https://www.morley-stoves.co.uk/stoves/RB73-Quaruba-L-Mobile-p200926564?gclid=CjwKCAiAirbBRBNEiwALHlnDwTlya-TfRVQVEGRBQGOBemGy5IXJC3mqHFOsFFVfpkNUK1siMPXGBoChG4QAvDD_BwE

How about bioethanol as a cleaner greener alternative? I’m looking into them as an alternative to a woodburner inside, but they do outdoor fireplaces too

ecosmartfire.co.uk/outdoor-fireplaces/
www.easyfire.co.uk/outdoor-fires.html

Please don't. We live next door to someone who uses theirs a lot and its breaking me. I cant open windows, can't hang washing and even with the windows and doors closed (vents too) it still seeps in. I'm an asthmatic and a migraineur and smoke triggers both badly. Its so bad that we feel.forced to go out when they light it to get away from the smell. Can't even use our own garden. Hate the things- wish our council would make the area a smoke free zone.

Does anyone have one of the bio-ethanol ones?

We have two internal bio ethanol fires. The bottles are about £1 each and last 2-3hrs

I do agree that they can be. Wry anti social if you have nearby neighbours. Really not suitable in those circumstances.

I love mine. Also love that it can't offend anyone. No neighbours for over half a mile in any direction.