As nights grow warmer, your fire pit will soon become the main attraction for backyard entertainment. Protecting your pit from the elements is the key to keeping it in great shape so that it is ready to shine in the spotlight; the easiest way to do that is with the help of fire pit covers. Your pit deserves nothing less than the highest quality when it comes to protection, and these tips will help you narrow down which cover is the best fit for your pit.
The Importance of Coverage
First things first: understand why your fire pit needs coverage to begin with. As stationary backyard accessories, uncovered fire pits are subject to both inclement weather and environmental elements such as UV ray damage, which can cause fading. Animal nests and natural debris such as pollen and fallen branches are just a few of the other undesirable side effects that come with calling the backyard home.
Safety is another factor that calls for proper coverage. Keeping young children away from the curiosity of an uncovered, unattended fire pit can be a challenge. You can minimize the chances of scrapes, bruises, or falls by adding a secure cover to your fire friendly accessory. And just as you can customize sectional covers with fun graphics, you can also add a graphic promoting fire safety to your fire pit covers.
Shape Up
If there is one truth about fire pit covers, it’s that they come in a myriad of shapes, sizes, and styles, just like custom made tarps. The sheer variety may seem overwhelming to any prospective buyer, but this wide selection actually works to your advantage. This is especially true if your pit is an unconventional shape, such as a triangle, hexagon, or even a column. Having a cover that fits like a glove is essential for proper protection, so don’t settle for a misshapen cover.
The key to a perfect fit lies with complete customization. Make a point to only consider fire pit covers that have the option to be customized to the exact dimensions of your fire pit. Similar to how your sectional covers are secured on all sides, tailor made pit protectors will ensure that every inch of your fire pit is securely covered.
Measure Up
Plenty of backyard renovations, from adding new outdoor flooring to ordering custom tarps to help get the job done, requires the use of accurate measurements. Taking precise measurements of your backyard fire pit is a simple task that can be achieved with the help of measuring tape, a pen, and a notepad.
- First and foremost, make sure your fire pit is sitting on an even surface prior to measuring. For square or rectangle shaped pits, simply measure and record the height, width, and length.
- If you have a round or bowl-shaped pit, you’ll need to gather the height as well as the diameter. Using a standard measuring tape, measure the height of the bowl first. This will be a straight line from the top edge of the bowl to the ground. Next, measure the diameter of the bowl. This is a straight line across the center of the pit.
- If your fire pit is a unique shape like an octagon or hexagon, you will follow the same basic measurement principles of height and width, but with the added step of measurements for each angle of your unconventional shape.
There’s one other key detail to take into consideration when customizing your new fire pit covers. Many retailers will add an extra 1 to 1.5 inches onto your submitted measurements to allow for easy application and removal, so be sure to avoid adding any additional inches for leeway.
Material Matters
Once the measurements have been taken care of, it’s time to tackle material. Not every outdoor textile is well suited for protecting backyard accessories, which means taking careful consideration when browsing for the perfect cover. There are a number of factors that separate inadequate cover fabrics from high quality protective tarps and textiles, the most important of which being UV resistant as well as waterproof.
The most highly recommended fabric for everything from fire pit covers to hot tub covers is PVC backed polyester. Highly durable and capable of providing both water and UV protection, polyester fares far better in inclement weather than textiles such as cotton or canvas, and can also be customized with graphics and text. Don’t settle for less when it comes to covers, as the integrity of your fire pit lies at stake.
Keep climate in consideration when deciding which weight of PVC polyester to purchase. If your region experiences milder temperatures and a fairly stable climate, a lightweight material will suffice for day-to-day usage. On the other end of the spectrum, heavy duty PVC polyester is necessary for areas that experience heavy storms, extreme weather or high levels of UV exposure.
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