"Smitty Two" wrote in message
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In article , George

wrote:

On 12/10/2011 5:19 PM, Sigmund Freud wrote:

"Smitty Two" wrote in
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Do you ask your wife to take your gas stove, heater,
and clothes dryer
out to the masonry patio? Seems foolish to have fires
in the house.

Most gas appliances are designed to be operated on a
wood floor.

Often they have thermal safety devices that shut off
the supply of gas
if the appliance overheats.


And they are specifically designed and tested for their
typical
operating locations.

Right. That's my philosophy, also. I want to "specifically
design and
test" a device for keeping the heat from the fire from
damaging my deck.

As far as "flying embers" that a few have mentioned, my
embers are
subject to the laws of gravity, as well as being retained
by the domed
screen cover, so they stay in the bowl. I don't use the
firepit in windy
conditions, for a host of reasons not in any way limited
to safety. (And
I don't permit my drunken BIL to throw logs on the fire,
either.)

I really don't understand people with an unwillingness to
understand,
mitigate, and manage risk vs. reward in a conscious way.
Y'all engage in
potentially dangerous activities on a daily basis, but you
don't see me
advising you to desist. For example, the roommate of a
close friend of
mine snapped both legs at the knee while downhill skiing a
few months
back. Would you outlaw skiing?


Why don't you just buy a firepit designed and listed for use
on a wooden deck?
That way, when you burn your house down while using it, the
insurance company might pay the claim.