When entertaining outdoors, it can get cool after the sun goes down.
The party doesn't have to end or move indoors just because of the chill.
With the variety of options that exist, you and your guests can stay
warm even on cold winter nights.
One common misconception about outdoor heating is that all the heat
drifts away; raising the question 'what is the point in trying to heat
an outdoor area?'. It is true that hot air, convected heat, drifts
away. Convected heat is the type of heat produced
by your home's furnace. But the heat used for outdoors is radiant heat.
We've all stood in the shade and then moved into the sunlight to get
warm. You didn't get warm because the air was warmer, you were warmed
by the radiant heat of the sun's rays. Like basking in the sun's rays,
standing in the radiant heat zone of a fire or heater provides you with
warmth. As long as you are close enough to the heat source, you can
be comfortably warm.
There are many products available for outdoor heating and they all work
using the same principal, thermal radiation. Therefore, your selection
will be influenced primarily by style, ease of use and cost. Style isn't
just the look of the equipment it is also whether you want the visual
impact of open flame or the simplicity of unobtrusive warmth. As to ease
of use, some units simply require the turn of a dial and a push of a
button, while a fireplace requires much more effort to get started. Finally,
cost is not just the initial cash outlay for the equipment but the ongoing
cost to operate - the cost of propane, natural gas, electricity or wood.
Learn more about the options
in outdoor heating in these articles listed below.
