<p>I’m thinking of getting DH an outdoor fire pit for Fathers Day and have some questions that some of you might be able to answer. I’m only considering the wood burning, not propane. Copper or stainless? Deep or shallow? Mesh cover or not? Do I have to put something under it if we place it on our wood deck (in case of sparks)? Some have no ledge around them, others have a slate or marble surround - useful for drinks or just wasted space? I have only sat around one once and don’t remember much about it (we usually have our fires camping) but our DSs love the idea! Any suggestions/tips most welcome - thanks!</p>
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<p>Our village actually has an ordinance against putting fire pits on wooden decks. If it were me, I wouldn’t do it.</p>
<p>Ours has a granite surround around it, so yes, we can put drinks, whatever on it. However, we’ve learned you need to keep them at the edge, otherwise, they get warm from the fire. I’ve really enjoyed it.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t put it on the deck, either. We use ours on our driveway or on the lawn. Ours is copper and shallow. There is nothing to set things on, but I think it would get too hot, anyway. It has a wire mesh cover, but we seldom use it. The only thing that we don’t like is the fact that the mesh cover, even though it’s a tight mesh, doesn’t keep the rain out. You may have to store it in the garage or dump it out after it rains. My teenagers love it!</p>
<p>I would NOT put it on a wooden deck. Not only sparks, but the fire pit itself gets extremely hot. </p>
<p>The people I know who have them put them on the driveway, or on a stone/cement patio. We have a small one that we put on flat stones in the lawn. </p>
<p>They come in a variety of sizes, from simple (ours is small) to large. I personally like the granite/tile ledge around the edge, I wish ours had one!</p>
<p>We always keep the mesh on ours by the pool. Save lint to use as a firestarter for it.</p>
<p>My H loves those things. In the summertime, we gather around it at night. Very peaceful.</p>
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<p>Now I have a use for all of that dryer lint I’ve collected in the garage!</p>