hardscape
Enjoy your outdoor space year-round by installing a fireplace or firepit. These natural gathering spots will serve as a space for entertaining, relaxing with family or just unwinding at the end of the day–even in the cooler weather.
At Merrifield Garden Center, we offer outdoor fireplace or firepit installation, customized to fit the size and design of your outdoor space. These fire features can be placed throughout your landscape as long as they clear the zoning requirements for your location. Our team of landscape designers and construction managers is familiar with local zoning regulations and will recommend a solution for your yard that meets these requirements.
Outdoor fireplaces have a vertical chimney component while outdoor fire pits do not. Fire pits can be round, square, rectangular or organically shaped and can exist above ground or be recessed into the ground as a flush pit. They are typically placed on hard patio surfaces, gravel or decorative stone to accommodate lounge furniture like chairs or sofas.
To get started adding a fireplace or firepit to your yard, schedule a Full Service landscape design appointment today.
Techo-Bloc is an engineered concrete production company that supplies everything from cultured patio slabs to steps, pavers, edging stones and wall caps in a wide range of colors that will fit your design needs.
Techo-Bloc designs and manufactures a set of prefabricated, ready to install firepits made from elegant, durable and high-quality concrete. These options are generally more cost effective than custom firepits and come in a series of design styles and sizes.
Our team of landscape fabricators can also design and install a custom firepit for your space using Techo-Blocs fire-rated paver options. This is a great solution for homeowners seeking specific sizes, shapes and materials.
Our landscape design team works daily to innovatively combine products to create unique landscape spaces. If you’re interested in exploring the product offering, browse their options online or pick up a free Techo-Bloc magazine in our stores.
Mortared stone veneer fireplaces and firepits are custom built by our landscaping team and have a natural stone finish, adding timeless beauty and character to your yard. These fireplaces and firepits are built using concrete masonry units (also known as cinder blocks) for structural support. The outer layer of the fireplace or firepit, also called the veneer, is a layer of natural stone surrounding the cinder blocks that gives it a beautiful finish. When we have a consultation with you, we will go over your options, based on the size and shape of your fire feature. If you’d like a stone that we do not have already in stock, we can always source your favorite.
A mortared stone veneer fire feature requires that we pour a concrete footing to support the weight of the stone finished feature.
Mortared brick veneer fireplaces and firepits are classic and sophisticated, perfect for a traditional aesthetic. If your house is brick, it would be beautiful to continue with this aesthetic for your backyard fireplace or firepit. Like the mortared stone option, we construct a base support layer using cinder blocks and then dress that in the brick veneer on the exterior surface. The result is a veneered brick finish that will be attractive and durable for years to come.
A mortared brick veneer fire feature requires that we pour a concrete footing to support the weight of the stone finished feature.
A wood burning fireplace or firepit is a wonderful choice for those who enjoy the ambiance and crackle of a natural wood fire. A wood burning fuel and ignition option is also the most cost-effective choice as it does not require us to run a natural gas line or propane tank line to the fire source. For this reason, it is often the most popular choice with homeowners. Wood burning fire features also require the presence of firewood to enjoy the fire. Our Merrifield Kiln Dried Firewood is the perfect choice for fire features.
The alternative to wood burning fireplaces and firepits is a fire feature powered by natural gas or propane. This fuel and ignition option is convenient as it makes it effortless to start a fire. It is a lower-maintenance option, turning on and off with ease and requiring no cleanup of ashes or wood embers. This option is more expensive than wood-burning fireplaces and firepits as the installation is more complex. County or city permits are often required for a gas burning outdoor fire source. It would also require us to dig trenches to run a gas or propane line to the fire feature. Despite the complexity and cost, many homeowners like the simplicity of starting or extinguishing a fire as they wish, without having to stock firewood.
A mortared stone veneer fire feature requires that we pour a concrete footing to support the weight of the stone finished feature.
For those who love the crackling of a wood burning fire but want the ease of starting it by way of gas, a fire starter gas line is the perfect solution. A fire starter gas line will help to ignite the fire, rather than starting it by way of kindling. Once the logs light, the gas can be easily shut off with the turn of a valve, allowing you to enjoy the traditional ambiance of a wood burning fire. Since this solution requires the use of gas, often county or city permits are required. We will also need to dig trenches to hook a line up to your fireplace and firepit.
If you are interested in a firepit/fireplace consultation, schedule a Full Service landscape design appointment.
At your scheduled appointment, one of our skilled landscape designers will meet with you to understand your project goals, design preferences and vision. The designer will collect measurements and photos of the space and take stock of all related aspects, including available space and any structural, drainage or planting considerations.
After gaining a thorough understanding of your vision, your designer will dream up a direction to accomplish your goals. After consulting with the construction manager, your designer will share a recommended approach and proposal for the project. A formal landscape design drawing can be provided for an additional fee.
Once the proposal is approved and a deposit is in place, we will schedule the job. Your designer will work hand in hand with our construction manager to source the appropriate materials to bring the fireplace or firepit to life. Your designer will remain with you throughout this process, and your team will come to work every day from the moment we break ground until the project is complete (barring any extreme weather scenarios).
We will select or create a stable, level location for your fireplace or fire pit. Then, we will excavate the area to create a compacted base and prepare the foundation with gravel or concrete depending on the design of your fire feature and/or patio. If we are adding a natural gas or propane line to your fire feature, this will be done during the site preparation phase.
If we’re installing a custom or prefabricated Techo Bloc solution, we will begin laying the Techo-Bloc wall block and secure them with heat-resistant adhesive and add 57 gravel into the cavity, if needed.
If we’re installing a custom mortared fire feature, we will set the base layer using mortared cinder blocks on the prepared base. Once this is set, we will apply the stone or brick veneer.
The final step in the installation process is to add the decorative caps to finish off the horizontal surfaces and place a steel insert for wood burning fire features.
