Are you considering purchasing a metal fire pit?  Here are some tips to help you make your decision a bit easier.  Eventually, over time everything made out of metal will rust.  No matter if it is protected from the elements or left out in them.  There are a few things you can do to slow down the process and add years to the life of your pet.  

Some pits come painted on the outside by the manufacturer with a high-heat paint coating.  Over time this coating will begin to break down and flake off.  Once a year you should repaint the surface after scraping with a wire brush.  You should pay close attention to the area where the support legs are welded to the main body.  Even though these don't take the brunt of the heat put out by the fire pit, it is a spot that can sometimes retain water and moisture.  This will keep your pit looking nice and give you more years of use.  

Another thing to check is if you have a drain hole in the bottom.  Not having one will allow water to lay at the bottom which will bring on Mr. Rust quickly.  There may be designs or cutouts on the side to bring oxygen in to help feed the fire but it won't help drain the rainwater.  If you need to drill a drain hole, make it about the size of a quarter.  The downside is that you will have some ash leak out the bottom, but that is easy to clean up.  Be sure that the fire pit is on a non-flammable surface as well.  

A cover...yes boring...a cover

If you have a cover it will reduce rust.  I'm not talking about a fire pit spark guard to keep sparks from flying out of control, but a full cover to keep the water out.  Some models do not have covers manufactured for them, but if you plan to keep the pit in a permanent location, exposed to the elements, even using a simple tarp and some bricks will keep moisture and rust from creeping in.  If you have a smaller portable model, you should try to bring your pit under cover when not using it. 

Are you tired of having your cover fall apart a year after you buy it? Sound familiar? Just take a look at these new ones on the market.....n i c e. 

Thickness Matters

By purchasing a fire pit with a thicker gauge of steel.  Many models have a steel thickness of 1/8 inch or less.  It has been found that if you have a thickness of 1/4 inch of mild carbon steel or more that rust will become your friend and form a coating of what is called "Patina".  Now the rust will be eating at the metal, but when you have 1/4 inch thick of metal to work through, this is a big chuck to go through before you would get a "rust through". The patina coloring will also add a unique look to your pit over time and you should not scrape or disturb this finish.  Now the costs for a thicker metal fire pit will be more, but you will also have it around working for many many years.  The short and tall of it is, the thicker the metal, the longer it will last, and the heavier it will be and the price will reflect that.  One of the brands we carry that fit that criteria are the Fire Pit Art brand.

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