Take a look at the municipal regulations before building
However, it is Construction of a fireplace not always allowed. In particular, before setting up a permanent, e.g. brick-built fireplace, you should first take a look at the municipal regulations or Check with the responsible building authority - especially if you have neighbors in the immediate vicinity. If you own an allotment garden, you should first sign the lease or take a close look at the allotment garden regulations of your association: Many allotment garden associations forbid the construction of a fireplace, mostly due to the close proximity to the neighbors. They could feel disturbed by the smoke development.
also read
- What to look for when paving a fire pit
- Build a fireplace in the garden yourself - you have to pay attention to this
- Is it allowed to create a fireplace in your own garden?
What to look for when burning wood in the garden
In addition, there are certain rules to be followed when burning wood in the garden. These serve your own safety - after all, an open fire, however romantic it may be, always represents a safety risk - as well as the preservation of neighborly peace.
What not to do when burning wood in the fireplace
Under no circumstances should you burn wet and / or fresh wood. This generates a lot of smoke, which in turn annoys the neighbors and can also cause you a lot of trouble with the local fire department. In most municipal ordinances, burning such wood is therefore forbidden or to certain months in the course of the year (for example from 01. until 31. March). Other rules for burning wood in your own garden are:
- no fire in strong winds: Sparks can be blown away here and set the houses nearby on fire.
- No burning of plywood or other treated wood (for example varnished, painted or tar-treated wood): formation of toxic gases
- no use of petrol or other fire accelerators: risk of injury!
- Wood from the forest may only be felled or removed with the permission of the forester or the municipality. to be collected
How to do it right
- only well seasoned, dried and untreated Burn wood
- Suitable types of wood: logs, briquettes, dry twigs and brushwood, dry cones, dry branches or even individual tree trunks (so-called Swedish fire)
- Always pile wood directly before lighting: Hedgehogs and other small animals like to hide in it, which you would then burn with.
- Pay attention to a safe location: make the surface fire-proof with sand and stones
- no flammable materials, trees or wooden huts / houses within 50 meters
- an equally large safety distance to the neighbors must also be maintained
- Never leave a fire burning unattended!
- Have an extinguishing agent (e.g. a bucket of water or a box of sand) ready.
- Completely extinguish fire when leaving - do not leave embers!
What types of fire pits are suitable for the garden?
When it comes to the fireplace, there are many different design options: small or large, bricked or more mobile Fire basket, made of ceramic, used bricks or other stones, made of metal, glass or as an upcycling project with materials such as old car tires or rims. We have summarized a few ideas for you in the following table:
| Permanently installed / mobile | Type of fireplace | Suitable materials | advantages | What needs to be considered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| permanently installed | bricked up | different stones: quarry stones, fireclay, bricks, paving stones, granite, clinker ... | Free design of the fireplace, matching the garden design | only use refractory stones: otherwise they will burst in the heat |
| permanently installed | Garden oven, brick grill with fireplace | different stones | Multi-purpose use possible, available in stores as a kit | Observe building regulations, pay attention to fireproof materials when building your own |
| permanently installed | open campfire | Sheltered, open area in large gardens | Campfire romance, set up quickly | Prepare the subsurface in a fire-proof manner, erect the stone boundary |
| mobile | Swedish fire | slotted Tree trunk or block of wood, at least 50 centimeters in diameter | natural variant of a fire bowl | Use softwood, cool leftovers in the Organic waste dispose |
| mobile | Fire bowls or baskets | Metal, ceramic, sometimes glass | can be set up individually, usually no approval required | Only set up on suitable, fire-proof surfaces, never on lawn |
| permanently installed / mobile | Gas fireplace | Metal or glass | Fire at the push of a button, without wood | Table fireplaces are not suitable for grilling |
Fixed fire pits
Brick fireplaces in the garden can be designed in very different ways: for example, from fine natural stones or refractory old bricks. You can either plan such a place on the floor and set up seating around it or let the fireplace in a recess in the floor. In this case, steps can be built around the fire, which can also serve as seating.
Mobile fire pits
Fire baskets or bowls usually do not require official approval, but like fixed fire pits they must be set up on a safe surface. This is especially true if they are open on the sides or at the bottom and so embers can escape. Stone substrates are best.
Tips
Many commercially available fire baskets or bowls can also be converted into a grill by simply placing a suitable grate on top.
