DeckProtect.com
Protect your deck or patio from the heat of a fire pit.
How NOT to use a Fire Pit on a Deck
If you Google "using a fire pit on a deck" or "fire pits for decks," you may come across web sites that are not very good sources of information. Some just show you fire pits as if any of them could be used on a deck with no problem. Some sites caution against using a fire pit on a deck but offer no good solution. Some offer solutions that will not be effective. Some sites recommend our product, and some show ways to build a deck around the fire pit, not under it.
Two Solutions that Didn't Work
Using a fire proof mat under a fire pit
Emily Hopkins of Madison, Alabama sent us the photos at left of her deck with a fire pit before and after she discovered the problem. She had purchased a fire pit mat on Amazon that was described as fireproof."The mat we had was actually worse than no mat at all in my opinion because we didn't see the fire start. The mat is fireproof but does not reflect radiant heat so the fire started under the mat and the only sign we saw was smoke that appeared to be coming from under that mat. I have attached the before and after photos. This mat was purchased from Amazon with advertising that showed use on a wooden deck but as you can see it was quite the bad experience."
While, as we all know, heat rises, a wood fire in a fire pit can burn hot enough to radiate up to 450° F downward. That heat alone can cause a problem, but the problem becomes much worse if the heat is somehow trapped and not allowed to escape.
Granite under a fire pit
Eric Ferguson of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts purchased a 24" DeckProtect for his Breeo fire pit because his first solution for using the Breeo on his deck ended badly:"Recently, I purchased a Breeo 19” Phoenix firepit, with the intent of using it on my composite deck. In an effort to protect the surface of the deck, I purchased a 24” x 24” piece of granite that was approximately 1”-1.5” in thickness. My thought was that the granite would protect the deck surface from the heat of the firepit. Unfortunately, during my first fire I realized that the deck was melting under the granite. The following morning I learned that the granite was actually stuck to the deck. I chipped away at the granite with a hammer and learned that the deck was burned in the exact shape and circumference of the firepit, to the extent that the granite was actually fused into the deck. The heat had radiated through the granite and not provided any protection at all. I incurred several hundred dollars in repair costs."
The granite had actually functioned as a "heat sink." To be fair, the Breeo burns hotter than most other fire pits. Since the deck had been built before Eric purchased the home, he did not know the make of the composite decking. The only way the contractor who made the repairs could match the burned boards was to take boards from the steps.
