Chimeneas are a great addition to your patio and come in many possible sizes, shapes and materials right from the cast Iron to copper. They are essentially a fire place for your patio, and should be only used for the outdoors. However if you are planning to use them on a covered patio, make sure that there is enough clearance to the ceiling. Most chimeneas are coated with a weather sealer; however it is advised to keep it indoors, during the winter or use a chimenea cover. If it isn’t possible to shift it indoors, keep it fully covered or with at least a plate to keep rain water from building it up inside the bowl.
If you are using your Chimenea for the first time, make sure to place it on a stand or pad and not on the ground. Placing the Chimenea on the ground only causes it to absorb water. You could put around 2-3 inches of sand at the bottom of the Chimenea bowl. Before you begin to use it, you could treat it by heating it up on slow heat by using 3 -4 pieces of log wood.
Remember to install it in a place that’s safe and free from traffic. Cast iron chimeneas are very heavy and choosing a permanent place for the Cast iron chimenea is very important as they can’t be moved. Chimeneas also can get extremely hot, hence be very sure the right place for your it.
There are some chimeneas that come fitted with a grill, to be used for barbecue. When doing so, make sure to use wood that is not treated with chemicals. Pressure treated wood emits toxic gases and should be avoided even when the Chimenea is not being used for cooking. Pinon wood is also generally used as they are believed to be mosquito repellants. Mesquite is a very popular wood, when it comes to cooking wood. It adds a wonderful flavor to your steaks. But Mesquite can burn very hot, so remember to limit the number of wood that is used. If your Chimenea is not to be used for cooking, you could use Red Cedar, as it gives out a pleasant aroma.
Chimeneas are basically designed to be safe, yet the very design causes it to heat up very quickly. Thus immaterial of the fuel used; remember to have a spark arrestor, on the mouth of the Chimenea. These help you to arrest the flame that escape from the Chimenea. Never let children close to a Chimenea as it can be really hot. With proper care and attention, you can make sure that your Chimenea lasts for a lifetime.
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