You can roast marshmallows over a gas powered fire pit. The gooey sugar that drops into the pit will eventually burn to dust or it can carmalize on the top stones or glass. I've never had one clog a flame ring or bar. Interesting that you mention the 'good smell'. When I smell smoke I cringe in disgust and try to get as far away as possible. I know if you can smell it then there is carcinogenic particulate matter in the air and that's the tiny stuff that gets into your lungs and causes all kinds of health issues ranging from asthma, lung disease and heart disease. Interestingly, from a design perspective, most people who ask for a fire pit want one that is easy to operate ( a turn of a handle ) and they don't want to smell like a camp fire when they turn the thing off. - I put a wood burning fire pit in for a family with 5 kids and a year later they asked to have it converted to gas because she had to bathe the kids to get the smell of smoke out before going to bed . Woody, I think the fire pit thing is popular in certain locations due to climate and probably even affluence has an impact. Here in Cal. we have pleasantly cool evening temperatures and few mosquitoes which makes sipping a bottle of Napa Chard around a fire an enjoyable event so they have been pretty common around here for ages. * Google what is happening in Southern Cal regarding their beloved beach fires. A current HOT topic ... the mayor of one beach town is saying " that fire pits are a part of our California heritage". photo - a gas fired pit with metal sculpture - Squaw Valley Lake Tahoe CA. Here is a link that might be useful: http://burningissues.org/car-www/index.html

I think you help raise some questions about usage that can cause us to stop and think about the interesting phenomenon of us homeowners trying to "own" so many possible experiences in our personal places of residence--the cocooning phenomenon and the idea of having a spa-like envrionment at home. Sitting by a firepit seems, or is, nice on an occasion when we have experienced it, so maybe we should have access all the time. Sitting in a hot tub is nice, so get one of those. Watching koi in a pond is nice, so maybe have that. And so on. I'm not at all trying to say that you are on the wrong track--instead, am agreeing that you're doing a good thing to think, how much will I use this; will I end up forcing the "let's sit out by the firepit 'cause we have it and need to make use of it" when you'd rather curl up with a book in the house; as you note with the question of wood vs. gas, do you anticipate having several hours of continuous use of the pit once you've got the wood going, or are you more likely to say, well, my hour is up, got other things to do. Weather and climate are huge issues too, since I can clearly see some climates where it is cool and delightful (with no mosquitoes) and firepits or outdoor fireplaces really could get a lot of use; you'll need to decide if it's for "show" when weather is really mild (and will it bother you to burn wood), or if weather is kinda nippy, will you really want to huddle round the pit; will everyone smell like woodsmoke, and will they like that; do you have kids like teenagers who might in fact "hang out" at your house if they can burn something, and that could be a good thing. The conversion to table or usable floorspace is a neat idea and might sway you, since it'd be there if you want, but not the gaping pit; OTOH, that pit, raised or flat, still won't be as flexible for as many uses covered as would plain patio, if you're limited on your total space and "floorplan". One of the things I realized was that I just didn't currently live the life of the firepit or some other similar creations, and I ought to instead take trips a few times a year to experience some of these things in a vacation mode, but not try to own them for infrequent in-home experiences. But still it makes perfect sense to try to identify those things that you will really use, and more conveniently and less expensively, by having them at home.

The service where all the pictures are hosted for this thread is shutting down. I have reposted all the pictures at a different site, but GardenWeb does not allow me to edit my posts to change all the links. Here's a page with all the pictures on it. Don't miss the tiny "page 2" link at the top of the page. Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures for this thread

Its 18 inches on the outside from floor to top but thats only because there will be a flagstone floor that comes up about 3 inches. In the inside its 14 inches from the floor because there are 4 inch fire bricks on the bottom. There is a wood rack that sits on top of that, which brings the wood "off" the floor which is why most people have trouble because they try and stack the wood on the floor. This allow air to get "underneath" and around the sides of the wood. The wood rack elevates the wood another 3-4 inches, giving it a final height to the top of only about 10-12 inches. The wood rack was also "very hard" to find....and this is probably why most people are not using them. There are 4 mortar breather holes around the sides and there are 3 "drainage" aluminum tubes for water drainage and cleaning as well as air. I paid a ransom fee for the mortar. I contacted the vendor who just happen to tell me a landscaper bought a pallet of it because his mason was having the same problem. I called the guy and he started laughing at me. I said I'm looking for refactory mortar. His answer was "you and everybody else". Anyway, he charged me $80 for a 50lb bag. I forget to put this in my expenses--I guess I'm trying to forget. If he had been built locally they would have used standard mortar. Good for a few years until it all cracks off. Anyway, having talked with every landscaper and brick and mortar store and distributor here in Austin, I was able to get someone to carry it. Didn't help me, but the next person will be helped. Custom Stone Supply here in Round Rock now carries it and its closer to the $40-$50 price it normally goes for. She called me a few weeks ago after I was done to ask me if I wanted to buy it. They carry the indoor premix refactory mortar in a couple places but this is water soluable outside....so after a few rains, everything will come crumbling down.