There are many scenarios where you might want to place a rug close to your propane fire pit. Regardless of what situation may call for placing something within inches of your propane flame, there are precautions you should take to keep yourself and those around safe from harm’s way.
You can put a rug under a propane fire pit as long as you put a barrier between the two. Additionally, you should take a few extra precautions before using a fire pit with a rug underneath it.
Read on to discover how to properly use a rug underneath a propane fire pit and what safety precautions you should be taking. Additionally, we will discuss some of the best materials to place on top of a rug to keep it from catching fire as well as some benefits that propane fire pits have over others.
Can I Put a Rug Under My Propane Firepit?
Propane tanks come equipped with built-in safety features to prevent accidental contact between high levels of propane (for combustion) and combustible surfaces such as rugs or furniture.
You can put a rug under a propane fire pit as long as you put a barrier between the two. Ideally, this is done by placing a metal grate or wire mesh on top of your rug to create an air gap that prevents direct contact with sparks and flame.
How Can I Protect a Rug from a Propane Fire Pit?
Using a non-flammable material between your propane fire pit and rug is essential.
There are a number of non-flammable materials that works well under a propane fire pit.
- Grate
- Stone Paver
- Rubber Tile Mats
- Reflective fire mat
Airflow under the fire pit is probably as important or even more important than the material under the fire pit. As cooling air flowing under the firepit will prevent the decking from becoming too hot.
Resulting in burn marks or fire with a wood deck. Or melting the decking with composite or PVC decking.
The same can happen with a rug under a firepit.
Protect Your Rug with Grates
Using grates between your fire pit and rug will help prevent the propane flame from damaging your rug. Grates can be found in many home improvement stores and online. Alternatively, you could use grills from a propane smoker to protect your rug under the fire pit.
Protect Your Rug with Stone Pavers
Another option is a great way to create a seamless outdoor living space with natural stone pavers. The stones are typically used in patios, and their weight absorbs the heat from propane fire pits.
This allows for less radiant energy, which means you’ll spend less time worrying about watering your rug or putting down some other protective barrier when those propane flames start getting too hot.
Protect Your Rug with Rubber Tile Mats
If cost is one of your concerns, rubber tile mats are an inexpensive solution to prevent burning on contact. They’re also breathable, so they won’t trap all that propane gas in them like carpeting would and allow airflow underneath it.
Put these underneath your rug before you put the propane fire pit on top of it. Rubber tile mats will protect your rug and absorb any heat from propane flames; they’re also inexpensive!
They are made up of a rubber base with tiny little tiles sticking out to create an anti-slip surface.
Word of caution. Rubber mats are fine on many rugs but be careful using a rubber mat directly on decking. Most composite brands
warn that rubber mats can discolour the decking.
Protect Your Rug with a Reflective Fire Mat
This is my favourite solution for protecting your decking or rug under a fire table.
So much so that I wrote an entire article about the best recommendations for protecting decking under a fire pit.
But just a few quick highlights.
- High Level of Heat Reflection
- Requires minimal SPACING between fire pit and rug
- High temperature of Fire Resistant
The high level of heat reflection is key to protecting your rugs. Fire pits do generate a lot of heat but most of it is reflected away form the rug it will not damage the rug.
Additionally is a high heat resistant. The higher the better. If the reflective won’t burn. Your rug won’t either.
Precautions To Take When Using a Propane Fire Pit Near a Rug
When using a propane fire pit near a rug, there are several precautions that you should take in addition to placing a barrier between your rug and fire pit.
Precautions to take before using propane fire pits near rugs:
- Make sure all vents are clear from debris to let the gas out safely.
- Keep your propane tank as far away from any flammable items or structures.
- Ensure propane tanks are at least 18 inches (45 cm) off the ground when filled up.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way around these problems. Propane units come equipped with built-in safety features to prevent accidental contact between gas levels high enough for combustion and potentially combustible surfaces. All you need is propane gas that’s at least 20% propylene, and you can enjoy the warmth of your fire without any worries.
Are Propane Fire Pits Better Than Traditional Ones?
Propane fires burn cleaner and have less ash than a wood fire, which means there’s no sooty residue on your rug from ashes falling through it. And propane is odourless compared with burning wood logs.
Propane fire pit has many benefits:
- Propane is odorless.
- Propane fire pits burn cleaner than other types of fires and produce less ash
- An outdoor propane unit can be used at any temperature outside (-25°F or lower), whereas natural gas logs may only work in colder temperatures (below 25 degrees Fahrenheit).
- They’re easier to light than a wood or coal fire.
- Lower operating costs than an electric fireplace.
A propane fire pit is also not as messy to clean up as a wood fireplace when you need to vacuum out the ashes.
Propane produces a more controlled heat. Allowing you to adjust the heat as needed. As it cools down out on your deck you can increase the intensity of the heat. Keeping you toasty. The opposite is also true. If it gets too hot by the fire you can easily lower the flame and heat. Allowing you to continue to enjoy your place on the deck without being cooked as you wait for the fire to burn down.
Which is also handy for protecting your rug. If the rug is heating up a little too much you can quickly turn down the temperature. Saving your rug.
Making a propane fire pit an excellent choice for your deck. Including centred on your beautiful deck rug.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are safety features built into propane tanks to prevent accidental contact with high levels of propane. However, if you have a rug underneath your fire pit and an air gap does not protect it, the rug’s fibers will catch on fire when they come into direct contact with sparks or flame from the combustion process.
Ensure that your fuel tank is installed properly so that no combustible materials such as furniture or carpeting come in contact with any part of the gas supply system. Put a metal grate or something non-combustible to raise the fire pit on top of your rug. Creating an air gap between the propane fire and combustible surfaces to prevent direct contact with sparks and flame.
