I just got a portable fire pit and some new furniture for my back porch. The fire pit is 3' in diameter, and the porch is 10'×10', with a 9' ceiling.
It would be nice to be able to have a small fire with the fire pit sitting at the far edge of the patio without having to move it to the yard every time I'd like to use it. My only concern would be that the heat from it might cause damage to the paint on the ceiling of the patio. Certainly, after time, I might be able to see some residue from the smoke, but as long as it's not causing damage, I'm okay with that.
Would this cause damage to the paint, or should this setup be fine?
Additional details
- The patio ceiling is painted with the same exterior paint as the rest of the house.
- The house was built earlier this year.
- The area I live in almost always has at least a slight breeze.
- There are no obstructions near the patio that would block wind.
- I'm not interested in creating any gigantic bonfires in this fire pit—just a few logs at a time.
Best Answer
Unless you limit usage to tiny kindling fires, this is a bad plan. Sparks are common when burning wood, and a slight breeze can put them almost anywhere. Logs burn at 600-1000 degrees F or more and hold a lot of heat in case of a tipover, etc.
You will see smoke deposits almost immediately, not "over time". Wood smoke is very dirty. It's also likely that the ceiling will get hot enough to sustain physical damage, especially on calm days.
Then, the notion that wood smoke is somehow less dangerous from a health perspective is simply wrong. It contains many carcinogenic chemicals and other irritants. Having an unvented fire in a confined space and that near your house is simply unwise.
It's almost certainly illegal as well.