Have you noticed how unpredictable the weather has become? Temperatures fluctuate more than they used to, with higher highs and lower lows, and more volatility within any given season. That means that Canadians can experience more cool nights throughout Spring, Summer and Fall. In spite of that, we love being outdoors and enjoying our backyards, patios, and porches. The key to being consistently comfortable outside is having an outdoor fireplace that can adjust to the changing weather. We need heat when it’s cold, and ambience without heat when Mother Nature turns up the temperature. That’s where electric outdoor fireplaces have an edge over their wood-burning and gas counterparts. When a wood or gas fire is burning, heat is automatically being produced; if you don’t want heat, you can’t have a fire. With an electric outdoor fireplace, you can operate the flames with or without the heater, because the flames are not the source of heat. You can truly use an electric fireplace year-round.
There are many different styles of electric outdoor fireplaces, from traditional to contemporary, and they come in a range of sizes up to 100 inches. What they have in common is the need to install them under an overhang in order to prevent water from running directly onto them. Electric outdoor fireplaces also have heating vents that are tucked up above the glass so that water and dust can’t easily get inside the fireplace. They often have front glass that tilts back to allow for this. An electric fireplace that has been approved for outdoor use will stand up to the weather if properly installed. Other electric fireplaces will not. If your electric fireplace is going to be exposed to moisture or temperature fluctuations, it must be an outdoor-rated fireplace. We’ve divided our electric outdoor fireplaces into 3 different categories, for your ultimate guide to the best outdoor fireplaces.
Traditional Outdoor Fireplaces
Traditional outdoor fireplaces are designed to mimic wood-burning fires, with logs sitting in a square opening. Traditional fireplaces tend to be a little deeper than linear fireplaces, ranging in depth from 12 to 14.5 inches. These days, the logs are less likely to be sitting in a grate, and there is a wide range of log styles, allowing us to personalize the appearance. You can even make the fireplace look more contemporary with crystal media kits. Amantii’s TRD series of traditional electric fireplaces has sizes ranging from 26-inches wide to 48-inches wide. Flame colours are yellow, orange and red, so you can adjust the intensity to counter the amount of bright sunshine that reaches the fireplace. The TRD Bespoke series has all the great features of the regular TRD fireplaces, plus crackling fire sound effects and upgraded components with a 5-year warranty.
Linear Outdoor Fireplaces
Linear outdoor fireplaces are elongated rectangles, and are much wider than they are tall. Viewing heights range from 12-inches to 17.5-inches. Widths range from 30-inches to 100-inches. Depths range from 6-inches to 14.5-inches. Linear electric fireplaces continue to be the most popular styles, so there are many more options in this shape than in the more traditional styles. Both Amantii and Modern Flames make linear outdoor fireplaces.
Amantii’s linear outdoor fireplaces come in both slide-in and built-in models, in depths ranging from 6-inches to 12-inches. Amantii Panorama series fireplaces are built-in and have removable trims, for a frameless viewing window that ranges from extra-slim to extra-tall. Amantii Symmetry series fireplaces are slide-in, and the trims are not removable. Symmetry fireplaces have both regular height and extra-tall viewing areas. All Amantii linear outdoor fireplaces have flames of yellow, orange and red, as well as a huge range of media options. Bespoke models have all the same features, plus crackling sounds and a 5-year warranty. Modern Flames’ Landscape Pro Slim (LPS) linear electric fireplaces are outdoor-rated. They feature Modern Flames’ full spectrum colour, which means that the flames, the ember lights and the top lights may all be set to any colour on the colour wheel. All lights and flames are also on a dimmer, so brightness may be adjusted to suit the lighting conditions around the fireplace. There is a very slim flange around the viewing area, which may be removed for frameless installations. These are 6-inches deep. The standard warranty on Landscape Pro Slim is 5-years.
Multi-sided Outdoor Fireplaces
Both Amantii and Modern Flames make multi-sided outdoor fireplaces, ranging in depth from 11.5 inches to 14.5 inches. These fireplaces may be installed with glass on the front and both sides, like a bay window, or like an L, with glass on the front and one end only. A multi-sided electric fireplace is always frameless, and for that reason, some clients will choose to block the glass on both ends and install these fireplaces as single-sided models. This gives them an outdoor fireplace with extra depth and a frameless viewing area. Amantii’s multi-sided outdoor fireplaces are called Tru-View, and come in 4 variations. Modern Flames’ multi-sided outdoor fireplaces are called Landscape Pro Multi.
Summary
Not every electric fireplace may be used outdoors. However, those companies that do make electric outdoor fireplaces make a wide variety of sizes and styles, and all of them will help to make your outdoor spaces more enjoyable and more comfortable year-round.