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After dinner is done and
the conversation ebbs,
there’s one element sure to
captivate and delight your
guests – a bit of fl ickering fi re
22
By JULIA HASKINS
CTW Features
Extend the entertaining season
into a chillier month or simply
enjoy the outdoors a little later
into the night. An outside fire
fixture will set the scene. Here are five
smart ways to light up the night.
Outdoor fi replaces
An outdoor fireplace is one of the
simplest ways mimic the warmth of an
indoor setting.
“It provides a very realistic aesthetic,
almost like it’s a real wood fire,” says
Becky Scribner of Hearth & Home
Technologies, a Lakeville, Minn., producer
of hearth products.
Fireplaces also allow for a variety of
personalization. “Consumers can choose
whatever finish they want around the
fireplace,” Scribner says. “Any sort of
material, as long as it’s not combustible.
River rock, stone, cement – the possibilities
are really endless.”
Consumers might opt for the traditional
brick style, but Scribner recommends
a high-grade stainless steel model
for homeowners whose homes are near
salt water and other damaging natural
forces.
Pizza ovens
Pizza made in a traditional oven can
never quite match the chewy pies and
thin crispy crust that the heat from a
pizza oven creates.
A simple pizza-oven kit delivers
pizza-making fun to the backyard. These
kits typically include everything you
need to assemble your own custom pizza
oven, including oven chamber and vent,
dome and floor insulation, mortar, chimney,
door and thermometer. Stand and
enclosures must be built on the site.
Freestanding pizza ovens designed
for outdoor use are another option. The
See FIRE, pg. 24