of cast iron or ceramic?
i would probably.use it if we had company over and were outside when it was chilly or when i had buddies over to watch football and light it up during halftime to smoke cigars by it. i have 2 young kids, so safety is a factor too.
I believe that some insurance companies will not cover damage is a Chimenea has been used on a deck and a fire results. My recommendation would be to contact your local fire department and ask them the question, as the rules for open fires vary quite a bit from one municipality to another. I used to burn wood in an old 45 gallon drum, for many years. They brought in a fire permit law, and for a couple of years, I bought a permit. Then I found out that even if I had a permit; and I called every time before I started to burn; and called back when the burn was over; that if someone reported a fire; I would be charged $500. per vehicle that the fire department sent, and they send a minimum of three. I would consider getting a propane heater for a back yard.
The fire bowl or “fogons” are a bit smoky to be near. I have one because I prefer the “campfire” look. I live in the northeast and knew of the ceramic chimeas for years in the southwest. I was told that the northeast climate being wet and sub-freezing in winter isn’t great for ceramic chimeas. None of the above units are to be put on a wooden deck directly. BTW, please don’t burn treated wood in it either, that stuff isn’t healthy to breathe the smoke.
Either will work. Just don’t buy a copper one. It will rust and look like crap in a month….like mine.
Cast iron or cast aluminum chiminea is your best bet. I have had a cast aluminum chiminea on a wooden deck for 8 years and never had any problems. Use common sense and get the best fireplace you can. If your kids are safe around a gas grill they will be fine around a chiminea. Also, the chiminea lights quickly, if you try to light a fire pit at halftime, halftime will be over before you get a fire going. Don’t buy clay, you would be better off getting a clay planter and burning your money in it. A good cast iron or cast aluminum chiminea will outlast 1000 of those clay chimineas. Look at the FAQ’s on this website.