Masonry Fireplaces Are Becoming More Popular In Houston

A masonry fireplace is an outdoor fireplace constructed from brick

, natural stones, or blocks of some type that are meant to emulate a stone edifice. Masonry fireplaces are becoming more popular in Houston, because so many of our older homes were not built with indoor fireplaces.

Residents are now beginning to see the value of adding an outdoor fireplace to their property to lend amenity and comfort to luxury Houston outdoor living.

A masonry fireplace can be a simple addition to an entry garden or a towering edifice that looms majestically in the night sky. It can burn wood logs, or it can be designed to burn natural gas or propane so the homeowner does not have to deal with smoke, sparks, ashes, or the cost of buying firewood.

There are many reasons why a Houston family would want to have a masonry fireplace built in their yard. Even though Houston winters are technically mild, there is nothing mild about our humidity. Once the outdoor temperature drops below 65 degrees on a very humid night, the chill can go right through the skin to the bones. Having a warm fire dispels the humidity and brings the temperature back up to what we are used to for most of year here in Southeast Texas.

In warmer months the fireplace can be fitted without interior lights that emulate firelight so that the aesthetic value of the structure can still be appreciated even though its functional value is not needed at that particular moment. In fact, the sheer aesthetic alone of a masonry fireplace can completely upgrade one's entire yard by adding vertical impact to the otherwise flat Houston landscape.

It will also add a distinctively classic touch to any garden or swimming pool, and it becomes the immediate focal point of any patio or outdoor courtyard.

One of the advantages that a masonry fireplace offers over an indoor fireplace is a true freedom in structural design options. Without the constraints of a home interior wall, the flu and chimney can take any form that is stable and aesthetically apropos to the surrounding environment.

All types of materials can be used to build masonry fireplaces. Brick is a very common material, and it does not have to be plain brick, either. There are a multitude of brick sizes, types, and colors that are used in masonry work. Any number of decorative effects can be achieved with special brick work that will compliment a wide range of home and garden designs.

Some fireplaces are built of stone or cement blocks that are made to emulate a stone facade. Bluestone (a type of sandstone) is a very popular material in some Houston landscaping themes. Stones are always hand-fitted and fixed together in a manner that makes the flue and chimney remarkably strong and stable.

Landscape designers can make use stones that are uniform in size and shape, or they can deliberately blend asymmetrical shapes and sizes to create a more avant garde or ostentatious presentation.

The cost of having a masonry fireplace added to your backyard landscape depends on its location and size. Adding a small, simple fireplace to a pre-existing entry garden or courtyard is obviously not going to cost nearly as much as building a towering edifice surrounded by a custom patio designed to seat fifty people or more.

The good thing about working with a professional landscaping company is that you have a choice in how much you want to invest in an outdoor fireplace within the context of a carefully designed landscape master plan.

by: Jeff Halper

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