As you go to choose a fire pit for your landscape, many decisions need to be made. One is whether or not you will buy fire glass for your new fire pit. Many choose to do so as the broken pieces of tempered glass adds color and vibrancy to the pit. The original glass has been polished and can withstand the high temperatures seen with fire without problems, leaving the broken pieces with the same qualities. There is no smoke, soot, ash or toxic fumes when fire pit glass is used. Many choose fireplace glass as the glass transforms a functional fire pit, one that is pretty, to a work of art in the backyard.
Buy Fire Glass In a Variety of Types
Fire glass comes in many sizes. The smallest size, 1/4″ fire glass, is the most popular as it is vibrant and offers a large selection along with rich colors. These pieces of glass produce a very dramatic effect, and many choose this for the modern, clean look. Next is 1/2″ fire glass which is a chunky glass for use in a fire. The color tends to be less vibrant, and users find this fire glass is more efficient when used with propane fire pits as the propane has fewer problems burning around the bigger pieces. Often, this type of glass is selected in colors such as blue, green and gray and used in a fire pit near a water feature so the two architectural features complement each other.
Other options you’ll find when you buy fire glass include eco glass and liquid fire beads and fire glass. Eco glass is the preferred choice of many as it is environmentally friendly, as the name suggests. New tempered sheets, when dropped, used to be sent to the landfill, but manufacturers realized there was a use for these pieces. They are now melted down, using various oxides, to produce jelly bean shaped pieces of fire glass with rich colors. Buy fire glass of this type for the lower cost, as the materials are recycled. Some use these pieces on top of other types of fire glass to reflect and magnify the colors, while others prefer to use them alone.
Explore Your Options
Liquid fire beads and fire glass offer an artistic and dramatic look to any fire pit or fireplace. Round pieces which look like smashed marbles, these items appear wet when you burn them and some compare them to little windows to the heart of the fire. You may choose to experiment with various sizes and colors until you find the right combination and the appearance you like.
Many question if they can use glass lying around the house in their fire pit. Although it may be tempting to take broken bottles and other items one would normally throw away or recycle and put them in the fire pit, this can be very dangerous as conventional glass tends to pop and shoot shards all over the place, and if you use laminated glass from a broken windshield you could actually release a poisonous gas into the air. Buy fire glass that is safe for fire feature use for great results every time.
