Lava Rock in a Fire Pit
Lava rock has a reputation problem, and it is entirely the fault of every 1970s gas grill photograph ever taken. Say the words “lava rock” to most people and they…
Outdoor String Lights in the Living Room
My mom walked into my living room in February, took one look at the ceiling, and said, “Are those the lights from the porch?” Not a question, really. More like…
City Backyard, Fire Pit: Squeezing One In
My mom stood in my backyard with a tape measure hanging out of her coat pocket, looked at the eight feet between my back door and the fence, then looked…
Indoor Fire Pits: Love the Idea, Not the Reality
I have typed “can you have a fire pit indoors” into a search bar four separate times over the past two years, always in November, always on the first night…
Artificial Grass and Fire Pits: A Meltdown Waiting?
Okay so I currently own four fire pits. FOUR. One of those little tabletop propane ones that looks like a marshmallow toaster, one cheap steel bowl thing from a big…
Patio Heaters and Canopies: Heat Rises Right Into the Fabric
The reputation here is that this is a nothing question. Ask anyone with a covered patio and they’ll wave a hand and say “of course you can put a heater…
Gas Patio Heaters Indoors: I Would Not
I was standing on my back porch steps last November, in two coats and the fingerless gloves my mother thinks are ridiculous, dragging our propane patio heater six feet closer…
A Patio Heater on a Wood Deck: Base and Heat
Okay so I counted this because I am that person who counts things: nineteen times last month. That is how many nights between October and now I have dragged my…
An Outdoor Rug Straight on Dirt
Everyone acts like “outdoor rug” is basically synonymous with “throw it wherever, it’s outdoor, it can take it.” That’s the whole marketing pitch, right there in the name. Outdoor. As…
Charcoal in a Fire Pit: Not What It Was Built For?
I’ll tell you the honest version of this story, not the version where I look competent, because that one’s a lie. Two summers ago I bought a fire pit off…