How to Safely Set up a Fire Pit on Deck & Our Top Picks

It’s a common misconception that fire pits should never go on a back deck. That’s because most people don’t know how to set up a fire pit on their back deck properly, so they avoid it altogether. What if we told you there is a safe way to put a fire pit on your back deck?

Well, there is! And that’s why we’re here today. We’re going to tell you how to safely set up a fire pit on your deck so that you can enjoy your fire pit safely on your deck. 

Step One: Pick Your Location

This step is the most important in safely setting up a fire pit on your back deck. You will need to place your fire pit far away from flammable items like tree branches, overhangs, and furniture.

Don't forget about things unique to a back porch that you don't have to worry about when setting up your outdoor fire pit anywhere else in your yard, like wall decor or hanging plants. Your fire pit should be at least 10 feet away from your house and any other flammable objects to be safely set up on your deck.

Step Two: Use a Fire Pit Pad

Place a fire pit pad on the deck surface before using your fire pit. A fire pit pad protects your deck from all of the elements of the fire pit.

If you’re using a wood burning fire pit, a fire pit pad will keep your deck protected from the flying embers and ash of the wood burning fire pit. If using a gas fire pit, a fire pit pad will protect your wood deck from the leaking propane or fuel as well as any radiant heat.

A fire pit pad is imperative for safely setting up a fire pit on a wooden deck or composite deck.

Step Three: Assemble the Fire Pit Correctly

You will need to use all of the pieces included with your fire pit. One of the most important pieces of a wood burning fire pit is the stand. The stand keeps the bowl in place and prevents it from directly contacting the deck below. If you place the bowl directly onto your deck without the stand, the bowl can become hot enough to catch your deck on fire, even if there is a protective pad underneath. This is why it is so important to assemble the fire pit correctly.

Step Four: Pour Sand in the Bottom of the Fire Pit Bowl

Pouring sand in the bottom of your fire bowl will provide an additional layer of protection between the open fire and the fire pit bowl. Doing so keeps the bottom of the fire bowl cool so that it doesn’t damage the decking underneath.

Step Five: Use a Spark Screen

A spark screen is a screen dome that fits over your fire pit and keeps the sparks, ash, and flying embers from the open flame from reaching the deck surface. Always use a spark screen when you set up a fire pit on your deck. It will keep your house and deck protected from any sparks coming from your fire pit.

Our Top Picks for Fire Pits

Now that you know how to safely set up a fire pit on your back deck, it’s time for the fun part! It’s time to pick out which fire pit you should put on your back deck.

We’ve comprised a list of our top picks for fire pits that we’re sure you will love too!

1. Outdoor Slate Top Wood-Burning Fire Pit

The Outdoor Slate Top Wood-Burning Fire Pit made by AZ Patio Heaters is one of our favorite fire pits because you can choose between a round fire pit and a square fire pit.

The round fire pit is 40” in diameter and the square fire pit is 36” x 36”. The fire bowl is 26.5” x 26.5” which is plenty of space for several pieces of firewood.

We like this fire pit because it includes everything you’ll need to safely use your fire pit on your back deck. It includes an 18” fire poker and a spark screen. The only thing you’ll need to buy is a fire pit pad and sand!

2. 30” Wood-Burning Fire Pit with Scroll Design

We like this 30” wood-burning fire pit with scroll design by AZ Patio Heaters because of how elegant it looks. It has a fire pit stand with intricate scroll designs that take it to the next level. The diameter of the fire pit is 30” with a fire pit bowl that measures 23” deep x 23” wide x 5” high. The total height of the fire pit is 18” tall.

Included with the fire pit is an 18” fire poker and a protective spark screen with a built-in handle for easy covering.

3. 30-inch Square Slate Tile Wood-Burning Fire Pit

This 30-inch square slate tile wood-burning fire pit is another option by AZ Patio Heaters that we like because of the quality and design of the fire pit. It has a 30” by 30” surface area with a fire pit bowl that measures 24” by 24”. It sits 19.5” off the ground, a perfect height for a wood-burning fire pit.

It also includes a cherry wood fire poker and a protective spark screen with a built-in handle for easy covering.

4. Outdoor Wood-Burning Fire Pit with Cooking Grate

As we’ve mentioned before in past articles, we love furniture pieces that have more than one function, so it’s no surprise that we added this wood-burning fire pit with a cooking grate made by AZ Patio Heaters to our list.

You can use this fire pit as a heater or as a grill with the cooking grate included with the fire pit. The fire pit measures 30” in diameter and 14” tall. When the lid is on the fire pit, it measures 18” tall.

The fire pit includes an 18” wood fire poker and a protective mesh spark screen.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to safely set up a fire pit on your wooden deck, it’s time to add one! We hope this list has helped you decide which fire pit you should use for your back deck. And if you didn’t see one on our list that you liked, take a look at the many other fire pits we have on our website!