Weatherproofing Your Outdoor Fire Pit

Rust is a serious problem with metallic outdoor fire pits, although no one ever thinks it will happen to theirs. I’m here to tell you that if you’re not careful, you’ll have an unsightly (or even broken) hunk of rusted metal on your patio or deck. No one wants to deal with something like that! However, you don’t have to immediately start worrying. Taking some simple precautions can improve the life of your outdoor fire pit and ensure that it stays rust-proof for years to come.

Rusty Chains

Is Your Metal Fire Pit Material Rust-Proof?

First, determine what kind of construction material your outdoor fire pit is made from. Many materials are resistant to rust and will not succumb to the elements. Others aren’t so durable and can start rusting before your very eyes. Although no metal can last forever, the following materials score highly on our durability check:

Aluminum fire pits strike a healthy balance between cost and durability, although any of the above options will provide you with a fire pit that can last for years. They can even last for decades with the correct care and maintenance. But what if your fire pit is made of iron (or you simply want to take precautions to extend the life of your fire pit)? Fear not, we’re not out of options yet.

Rusty Tin

Can I Weather-Proof My Metal Fire Pit?

So you have an iron fire pit outdoors and you want to weather-proof it to prevent damage. Well, I have good news and I also have bad news. We’ll start with the bad news:

You Can’t Prevent Metal From Rusting!

But I said above that we weren’t out of options, didn’t I? That’s where the good news comes in. Are you ready?

It’s Really Easy To Weather-Proof Your Metal Fire Pit

Now we’re getting somewhere, and it’s almost time for the big reveal. You can’t physically stop wet metal from rusting, but you can stop the metal from getting wet in the first place. The solution we’re all looking for comes in the form of weatherproof fire pit covers.

Sunnydaze Fire Pit Cover

What Are Weatherproof Fire Pit Covers?

Weatherproof fire pit covers are a great way to rust-proof your fire pit and protect it from the elements. You’ll prevent any unwanted moisture from landing on your fire pit, and thusly will drastically slow down the rusting process.

Can I Find Cheap Weatherproof Fire Pit Covers?

Yes! A million times, yes. Weatherproof fire pit covers a very cost effective way to protect your fire pit (especially when considering what you paid for the pit to begin with!). Most fire pit covers can be found for less than $40 and many are far less than that. In a pinch, you could even use a standard tarp to cover your fire pit. Although we  cannot recommend doing that, for both aesthetic and practical reasons.

Which Fire Pit Cover Should I Buy?

This question depends on the answers to two important questions:

  1. How large is your fire pit?
  2. Do you have a round fire pit, a square fire pit, or some other shape?

Most manufacturers sell varying sizes of fire pits, so regardless of your answer to #1 you should be covered. But the answer to #2 changes what we’re going to recommend.

For Round Fire Pits

Duck Covers Elite Round Fire Pit Cover

For Square Fire Pits

Classic Accessories Veranda Full Coverage Square Fire Pit Cover

There really aren’t any other tricks when trying to rust-proof your outdoor fire pit. It’s an unfortunate truth of nature that metal rusts when put in contact with water. The best thing that you can do is prevent the water from ever reaching your valuable fire pit to begin with. I’d urge you to take our advice and protect your investment!


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