Are big-box store propane fire tables any good compared to showroom or dealer-quality fire pits?
Brevard is one of the tougher spots in WNC for a cheap fire table — the Transylvania plateau gets 80-plus inches of rain a year, wettest March through June, and that constant moisture chews through thin painted steel fast. A budget table works for casual use, but a heavy-gauge dealer pit is what actually survives here.
Rain finds every weak seam
The same weather that cracks chimney crowns and rusts dampers all over Transylvania County goes straight after a bargain fire table's thin pan and plain-steel burner. Coatings blister and the metal weeps rust within a season or two of that rainfall and freeze-thaw. A dealer-quality pit built from heavier metal with a stainless or brass burner is designed to shed weather and keep working, which is exactly what an 80-inch-a-year climate demands.
Propane country, done permanently
Brevard is propane country — the cabins around Connestee Falls and Sherwood Forest run LP, not a gas main. That doesn't mean a cylinder rattling inside a table's base, though. As a licensed gas contractor we can bury a permanent, outdoor-rated line from your existing propane tank straight to the pit, so you're never dragging a cylinder across a wet patio. We pull the Transylvania County permit and pressure-test the line.
The Brevard verdict
Occasional and movable, a big-box table is fine and you don't need us. But in this much rain, if the pit is meant to last and anchor the patio, the quality unit earns every dollar. We're about 40 minutes southwest; units are displayed at our Asheville showroom and professionally installed. Call (828) 545-0525 or request a free assessment.
Fireplace help in Brevard
We install and service fireplaces throughout Brevard and the rest of Transylvania County — just 40 minutes southwest from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- What fire pit materials hold up best outdoors — aluminum, steel, concrete, or stone?
- Should I get a built-in fire pit or a portable one?
- Do gas fire pits put out enough heat to actually keep you warm?
- Will my steel fire pit rust and how do I prevent it?
- Should my fire pit burner be stainless steel or brass?