Is a Fire Pit on a Deck Actually Safe?
I have measured the distance between my fire pit and my deck railing four separate times this summer, with an actual tape measure, standing there in my socks like a…
Composite Decking and Fire Pits: Melting Is the Worry
I own eleven offcuts of composite decking board right now, sitting in a milk crate in my garage, and every single one of them has some kind of scorch mark,…
Covered Outdoor Furniture With the Cushions Still On
I own seven outdoor furniture covers right now, which is a number I only actually counted while writing this, and counting it made me feel a specific kind of shame.…
Outdoor Rugs in the Rain: Does It Really Not Matter?
I keep a rain gauge on my back porch that I never look at, but I will tell you exactly what I do look at every single time a storm…
One Night Out or a Whole Summer? Patio Cushions and Bad Habits
Okay so picture this. It’s a Tuesday, not even a nice occasion, just a random Tuesday where my roommate Casey decided we were “doing a little grill situation” on the…
Fire Pits on Porcelain Tiles: Tough, but Not Invincible
I torched a two hundred dollar paver with a forty dollar fire bowl, and the worst part is I stood there and watched it happen like it was somebody else’s…
Outdoor Rugs Out in the Weather All Year?
I was out on the back steps hanging a load of towels on the line, the cheap collapsible one from the corner store that always tips over if you clip…
Actually Using a Fire Pit on a Deck, Not Just Owning One
Ask ten people whether you can actually put a fire pit on a deck and you’ll get two answers, both delivered with total confidence, both slightly wrong. Half of them…
A Portable Fire Pit and a Wood Deck: Easy to Move, Easy to Get Careless
Portable fire pits have a reputation as the responsible choice for a wood deck. The story goes something like this: an in-ground fire pit or a heavy stone ring is…
Electric Patio Heaters Indoors: A Different Kind of Risk
I own five electric patio heaters. Five. I said the number out loud to myself while writing this and had to sit with it for a second, because that is…