Help me warm my deck (and not burn it down) this winter!
September 24, 2020 6:13 PM Subscribe
I have a covered wood deck that's 14' x 14' and I'm trying to figure out the best way to add a way to warm it up when we go outside. There's a 3 foot knee-wall coming up from the floor and screens around the rest of it but is otherwise open to the elements.
From what I've read, propane heaters are not a good idea in this situation both for fumes and for potentially setting the wood on fire. The last thread here recommended infrared. I'm looking for specific product or brand recommendations, please and thank you!
I think a bus shelter heater might be a good way to go, particularly some of the ones designed for use inside umbrellas and canopies. If you have any kind of peaked ceiling or empty space above the bottom edges of the roof, you can get a lot of comfort out of radiant heat given off by hot air trapped below the ceiling.
posted by jamjam at 10:37 PM on September 24, 2020
posted by jamjam at 10:37 PM on September 24, 2020
There are also heated tables, chairs, and that kind of thing -- which might be nicer as they heat you more directly. Most are Japanese (called kotatsu, they include blankets you may not want to mess with outside), and therefore electric, but I have seen propane variants in the US occasionally.
The Japanese table models tend to be low to the ground even if they don't have blankets attached, but here are more US-traditional side-table models as well as taller bar-height ones available as well.
posted by aramaic at 7:42 AM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
The Japanese table models tend to be low to the ground even if they don't have blankets attached, but here are more US-traditional side-table models as well as taller bar-height ones available as well.
posted by aramaic at 7:42 AM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: @weed donkey I'd just read stuff about gases having nowhere to go with a covered space. That looks lovely but sadly there isn't enough room for it (with furniture and such).
I'm ideally looking for either something on a stand or something that can be mounted to the joist around the edge of the space.
posted by softlord at 10:27 AM on September 25, 2020
I'm ideally looking for either something on a stand or something that can be mounted to the joist around the edge of the space.
posted by softlord at 10:27 AM on September 25, 2020
FYI, The Wirecutter is going to be doing a roundup of a few patio heaters -- they're not done yet, but they've got a writeup of the candidates online.
posted by aramaic at 9:19 AM on September 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by aramaic at 9:19 AM on September 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
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My mom has a similar situation and did a propane fire pit. It's quite lovely. The ceilings are high - probably 10-12 feet, but it's an all wood deck with a second story wood deck above the fire pit.
Propane fire pits are not the most energy efficient, but they are very cozy and warm.
posted by weed donkey at 8:56 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]