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How should I prepare my site for a fire feature & what is required for installation?

For all fire pits you will need a clear, level location, access to your firepit’s type of fuel source and people to help to lift the fire feature into place.
If you plan to use ethanol or propane tanks you will need to unpack your fire pit and assemble the parts.

Specific requirements of firepits with different fuel or burner types:

Ethanol burners assemble quickly and require no tools.

Propane that will be fed from a tank will require a propane hose with a regulator attached to connect the tank to the burner. You can purchase a commercial grade 15′ hose from us when you purchase your fire feature or you can source your own.

For hard piped gas line you will require a certified gas fitter to create the gas connection.

Auto start models also require a certified electrician to connect the burner electronics. Your electrician will need to supply you with a wall timer or switch from which to control the auto start mechanism.

You can find specification documents, manuals, instructional docs & videos, as well as our warranties on our installations and support page

We ship worldwide from one of our 3 locations (Canada, UK, and Spain) and have not found a location yet that we could not deliver to. You may be surprised by how reasonable the shipping charges are. Please contact our sales staff to find out how we can get our products to your location.

Products that are in stock generally ship within 2 – 4 weeks.

Products poured to order (not currently in stock) require 6 – 8 weeks and custom pieces vary from 6 -14 weeks.

Shipping times may also vary depending on the season due to demand. 

Shipping costs vary depending on your location and the size of your order. We have three warehouses worldwide (Canada, UK, and Spain) that we ship from.

You may be surprised by how reasonable the shipping charges are. Please contact us to get a shipping quote for your location.

Orders within the Metro Vancouver/Fraser Valley area will arrive individually packed and wrapped on pallets. Unless otherwise specified they will be delivered to the curbside in front of your project location.

To unpack pallets you will require a box cutter (to be used with great care!). Outside of this area all orders are individually wrapped, foamed in place and packed in museum quality crates. The top and sides of the crates can be removed using a cordless drill fitted with a #2 Robertson driver bit.

Once unwrapped from the pallet or crate your individually wrapped pieces can be carried to the installation location. Please note that for our largest pieces you may need up to 6 people for moving into place. All of our fire pits, water features, tiles and surrounds require some assembly.

Please see our product specific user guides for detailed information.

All Solus products should be installed by experienced professionals such as a stonemason or tile setter.

Installation methods will vary depending on the building type, local codes and the particular site requirements. An experienced professional should be able to determine what is appropriate for your site.

We are always happy to talk directly with your builder or installer about the technical requirements of our products. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

Installation cost and duration will vary depending on the scope of work involved and the prep required on site. Talking with your contractor, stone mason, or tile setter is the best way to determine an estimated cost for installation.

Planning the layout of your tile is key to a successful installation. Here are a few things you should consider:
1. Is your surface square and level or will you need to make accommodations?
2. What will your layout pattern be and can you use our standard pieces to cover the required area?
3. Where will factory and cut edges will be located?
4. If you have corners how will you create the return? Butt joint, mitre or quark?
5. What size will your grout lines be?
6. How many tiles/panels do you need to cover the area? Always add extra tile to allow for cutting errors, colour variation and unforeseen circumstances.
7. Once you receive your pieces you will need to lay them out and arrange them based on colour and size variation.

Our concrete tiles are beautiful and durable but they are not intended for surfaces where they will be in contact with high alkali or acidic substances. This includes bathrooms and kitchens.

Solus panels and tiles are individually hand cast and have inherent colour and dimensional variation. Purchasing 5% extra ensures that you will have enough to allow for cutting errors and give you options when doing the aesthetic and dimensional layout.

Are Solus fire features certified and safe?

All Solus fire pits are fully CSA, ANSI, UKCA, & CE certified and safe. As with all gas appliances, children and pets should be monitored when your Solus fire pit is active and they should never be left burning unattended.

The concrete vessel will get warm to the touch but not hot. Please note that the metal burner plates on our ethanol models do get very hot and should not be touched until they are allowed to fully cool. Please see our user manuals for model specific safety instructions.

The concrete vessel will get warm to the touch but not hot. Please note that the metal burner plates on our ethanol models do get very hot and should not be touched until they are allowed to fully cool. As with all gas appliances, children and pets should be monitored when your Solus fire pit is active and they should never be left burning unattended. Please see our user manuals for model specific safety instructions.

You can certainly roast the odd marshmallow over our fire pits!

Generally, concrete fire features and tile require only a light dusting and an occasional wipe with a clean damp cloth. A small amount of neutral cleanser can be used for heavily soiled areas. We also recommend a yearly reseal with a concrete specific penetrating sealer to maintain the sheen and stain resistance.

For floor tile installations, we recommend mopping with a clean damp mop and a very small amount of neutral cleanser to keep the tiles free of dust and dirt. Resealing high traffic areas should be done as needed – as often as once per month and a yearly resealing is recommended for all areas.

Please visit our downloads page for care and maintenance guides.

Concrete is similar to limestone or marble and will stain if exposed to highly acidic or alkali substances, when left in prolonged contact with moisture, and if oil or wax is allowed to soak into the surface. Regular resealing, using trays under plants, and wiping up food spills right away should keep your concrete free of stains.

What makes Solus fire features unique in terms of appearance and quality?

One of the most frequently asked questions we get asked is why and what makes Solus fire pits unique? Is it just appearance, functionality, or the warranty? The short answer – all of them.

All Solus fire pits are designed, individually made, and hand-finished with care in Vancouver, Canada. Each of our vessels is individually cast from high performance, fibre-reinforced concrete and hand finished. Our brass cross-jet burners are designed and built in-house and each one is individually tested before it ships. We focus on sourcing the highest quality parts and craftsmanship and we stand behind the quality of our products with the best warranties in the business.

All of our natural gas and propane fire pits have gone through rigorous certification testing to meet or exceed North American and UK/European quality and safety standards. We design our fire pits to be elegant, sculptural pieces that will stand the test of time and make commercial and residential spaces better places to be.

With proper care our fire pits should last a life time. We use simple, high-quality materials such as high-performance, fibre-reinforced concrete, non-corrosive metals (brass, aluminum, stainless steel) and high strength plastic. 

Please visit our warranty page for details on our warranty.

Yes, all Solus natural gas and propane fire pits are fully certified as ‘Outdoor Decorative Gas Appliances’ to Canadian CSA 2.41-2014 and American ANSI Z21.97-2014 standards. We also have full CE certification as EN 509:2000 – Decorative Fuel Effects Gas Appliances and EN 60335-1:2001 Household and Similar Electrical Appliances.

What difference does it make to you? Certification means that our fire pits have gone through extensive third party testing to ensure that they are safe and meet or exceed the quality and performance standards of the governing bodies. Our fire pits are suitable for commercial locations where the actual appliance must be certified – especially fire pits. It is no longer acceptable to many jurisdictions to simply have a “certified burner” it must be the whole unit including the surround. The days of throwing a certified burner into any “non-certified” receptacle are quickly coming to a close. As a producer of certified fire pits, we are required to test each burner and to maintain the highest quality control standards. Our production facility is regularly inspected by the certification body to ensure the continued high quality of our craftsmanship, parts and testing practices.

We think our clients do a better job answering this than we can…

Great product and quality of product – expensive but glad I got this compared to a cheaper type of product. These guys make a fantastic fire bowl. The design and craftmanship are really well done and it’s easy to enjoy the product. It also gets a lot of compliments.  (Dennis Boyle British Columbia, 2014)

We live in Canmore, Alberta, Canada in the beautiful Bow Valley high up in the Rocky Mountains. We wanted a fire pit on our deck that would provide heat, ambience, and decor. We looked for two eyars before we count the perfect product for us – Solus Decor, Vancouer BC’s hand polished concrete fire pits. Sunning design, craftsmanship and quality. The fire pit has extended our deck season by several months. Solus crated and shipped the firepit, then we used a zoom boom to life the fire pit to our upper deck. Assembly and in installation took 30 minutes. Easy. We use the fire pit almost every evening. The fire pit is worth the money – about $4500 installed.  (Leslie McGeough Canmore, Rocky Mountains, Alberta, Canada, 2013)

Excellent customer service and well worth the reasonable wait. We’re very happy with our experience with Solus and the installation. They supply a premium product that is well worth paying a bit more for. The customer service from the first “drop by” the studio, to the design and installation of the final product was stress free. These people love their product and it’s contagious! Huge thank you to both Kris and Elton.  (Jill and Justin 2015)

 

Why are Solus fire pits and water features the best suited products for restaurants, hotel, etc.?

Solus provides quality commercial grade firepits for hotels, restaurants, resorts and other commercial locations. We regularly assist architects, designers and developers in specifying a Solus firepit for  commercial projects.  Contact us to discuss your project.

Solus’ proprietary Ultra-High Performance Concrete has been developed to withstand the harshest of environments. Unlike normal glass-reinforced concrete (commonly used by other manufacturers), Solus firepits and water features are extremely resistant to cracking, flaking and pitting, creating an extremely smooth and polished finish. 

Are fire stones, all-weather covers and burners sold separately?

If you have purchased a Solus product and require additional stones or a cover we are happy to make them available to you. We do not sell burners, covers or fire stones without the purchase of one of our fire pits or water features.

We do not sell fireplace inserts, only the decorative surrounds and panels that go around them. For fireplace inserts please visit a fireplace shop in your area as they will have the expertise and experience to find the right product for your project.

What our architect and designer clients say about specifying a Solus firepit
Elevated halo firepit at Hyatt Pittsburg South Side

Both your fire table and service are of excellent quality and surpass our client’s exacting expectations. As Landscape Architects, we are quite impressed with the quality of the material we received form Solus. The concrete work on the HALO fire table we received was excellent, the product arrived timely and in perfect shape. We are confident specifying Solus’ product and will continue to do so for many projects in the future (Nick Hamad, Landscape Architect Land Expressions LLC, 2014).

As a designer I frequently get asked for fire bowls/pits within landscapes. I find the Solus products to be beautiful, functional and of superb quality (Carina Cassidy, Designer Toronto, Canada).

Customer service and quality are unsurpassed. Working with Kris and Brad is so easy – they find the right product, walk our customers through all of their options, and , when there is a deficiency they work to fix any items immediately (Jeremy Miller, Landscape Designer Houston Landscapes, Vancouver BC 2014).

Again we think our clients do a better job answering this than we can…

Solus were recommended to us for the best open fire pits. Though expensive, they certainly are [the best] and we totally love it. The finish on the concrete is like looking at an Apple product…fine finish, exacting tolerances and well made. The packing was perfect to preserve the integrity of the product, the unpacking was easy and the install went without problems. The service and quotation process was smooth and professional and very helpful. All staff at sit and the manager were polite and professional and very helpful. I totally recommend this product and firm to deal with (Chris Overall).

Love our new firepit. Once I saw our firepit online I was pretty obsessed. We got the elevated halo 36. It’s just so pretty. Solus was lovely to deal with as well. It was easy to order and the rep spent a lot of time on the phone with me helping to pick out the color. The firepit shipped out on time and got here in perfect shape. We are very happy with our purchase (Jennie Frisbie).

Great product, well made, love it. Packing was the best I have seen for any product I have every received, it’s nice to deal with people who love quality and pay attention to detail (David Wadors).

What is the difference between fuel types?

Natural Gas: There is an immediate cost to set up a natural gas line to the firepit but the running costs are the least expensive. Natural gas also burns cleanly. It is the most convenient option as it is always available (no tanks to replace)

Liquid Propane: Like natural gas it can be hard-piped or run a hose (there is very little setup cost for a hose). Typically LPG is available in a variety of tank sizes that need to be refilled and hidden from view. 

Ethanol: There is no setup cost. Typically this is the most expensive fuel type. There is less flame control with ethanol (no regulation) and it is the option chosen when either NG or LP are not an option. Ethanol burns with no off-gas or particulates. 

Wood: Wood can take up significant storage and require a lot of clean up. Costs of wood really depends on where you live. Wet wood, ignition issues, wood smoke, stinky clothes and neighbour complaints are the most frequent negatives one hears of wood fires. Wood sparks as it is burning and is therefore a potential fire risk. Many regions have bans on wood fires due to
forest fires or clean air requirements. 

Certification (ANSI in the USA, CSA in Canada, and CE in Europe) means in Canada the manufacturer (in this case Solus Decor) has paid an independent lab to test our products and certify them as safe according to the industry agreed standards. Part of the certification process is ongoing random audits to make sure that manufacturing standards remain at or above the certification standard. Alaways ask for certification documents and the product listing. Be wary of counterfeits or “built to the standard of CE, CSA or ANSI”

When a product is “built to certification standard,” or “built to UL standard,” it is not actually certified. The product has not undergone the initial testing, nor does it undergo the random testing to ensure the manufacturing quality. The product must be certified and not just to the
standard.
ii) Combining a certified burner with a non-certified vessel or brick assembly may actually void the certification if installed incorrectly and the safety of the fire pit.

Certification also provides a measure of liability insurance for both home owner and commercial installations.

Manual: A standard ignition that is frequently referred to as a “match-lit burner” in the industry. This burner has an adjustable key valve on the side of the firepit that is used to regulate the gas flow from off to maximum. This burner does not require electricity, just a fuel source (LP, NG or ETH).

Manual with flame supervision: This is the same as the manual ignition, but it has an additional feature that monitors the flames. If the fire pit is blown out, the flame supervision device shuts off the gas flow. With this ignition you light a pilot light that will then warm a sensor. Once that sensor is hot enough the flame supervision system will open the gas flow and ignite the fire pit. This is required in the UK, Europe and some parts of North America. This burner does not require electricity. (only NG or LP).

Electronic/Auto: requires 110 volts (NA) or 220-240 volts (EU) to be run to the firepit along with a light switch or timer. It is strictly an on/off burner and is ideal for commercial, common use, or public spaces. Flame supervision is included in all Solus Decor’s electronic ignitions.

Electro/Auto with adjustable valve: This burner is the same as the electronic burner but it has an adjustable valve on the side of the firepit that allows our customers to regulate the gas flow. This means if the fire is a little too warm you are able to turn it down to a more comfortable temperature The extra valve also doubles up as an emergency shut off valve – often a requirement of commercial installations (particularly in California, New York and the UK). 

Ethanol: Ethanol burners are a basin into which the ethanol is poured. Once it is filled to the desired level (based upon desired burn time) a long wand is used to ignite the ethanol. When finished the flames can be snuffed out with the lid. This burner does not require electricity and may be placed almost anywhere. 

Fuel type/electricity: This is the first factor that should be assessed. Where the firepit can be placed and where it will have access to fuel or perhaps more accurately “Where can I run a pipe or hose for the firepit.” is most important for Natural Gas and Liquid Propane burners

The material (substratum) the firepit will be placed upon: Many firepits (especially burners without structures around them) cannot be placed on wood decks, composite materials, or grass. However, Solus Decor’s firepits are rated to be placed on all outdoor materials (wood, composite, grass, stone, pavers, or concrete). This is because the burners are designed to throw heat up and out to those seated around the firepit.

Safety clearances and accessibility: Safety clearances are the minimum required distance a firepit needs to be from combustible materials such as overhang or furniture. This is part of the certification process and in the CSA / CE documentation.  The ADA  website also provides guidelines for making your outdoor design accessible to disabled individuals and suggests how to arrange seating, adjust control heights and what surfaces to use.

ii) NG and LP are “controlled flames” unlike wood which is uncontrolled and often require less clearance room around the firepit.

iii) Solus Decor’s safety clearances for our firepits are: 16” or 400 mm from the side of the concrete vessel and  6’5” or 1.9m from the FLOOR (not the top of the vessel)

  1. Just in case. You cannot control the weather. These are outdoor products and sometimes things happen. Warranties matter! Ask about the warranty and how long it is. 
  2. What is the duration of the warranty? Most warranties are 6 – 12 months – basically one season. Solus warranties are the best in the business (3, 5 and 25 years).
  3. What is the quality of the product and who deals with your warranty? The depth or breadth of what the warranty covers is also important.
    i) Solus certifies and build in-house and is therefore able to properly
    troubleshoot any issues.
    ii) Concrete: We cast all concrete vessels in-house so providing a
    warranty replacement can be done in a timely fashion if
    necessary.
    iii) Burners: We assemble all of our burners in-house and we are
    therefore able to troubleshoot issues as well as being able to
    provide replacement parts if necessary.

BTUs or kWs are units of the units of heat produced by a burner/grill/stovetop/bbq etc. BTUs or kWs can be used to generalize how hot a firepit is, however it is not completely accurate.

A better way of saying it might be that the BTU or kW indicates how much fuel a firepit can consume. How much heat you feel around the firepit can be influenced by the following:
1. Wind: Strong winds can blow the heat away/cause it to dissipate faster.
2. Efficiency of the burner: Is it directing heat everywhere or is it projecting heat up and out to those around the firepit.
3. Height of the burner: Heat radiates up and out from its source. The lower the firepit the more heat you will feel on your body.
4. Fuel type: For example, propane burns a little hotter and brighter than natural gas.

It is also important to note that many jurisdictions limit how many btu’s or kw’s the burner is allowed to produce (you can often find this info on your local gov/council website):
1. Having a 300,000 BTU burner may or may not be acceptable to your jurisdiction and ergo your insurance company. (Even if it is certified).
2. Is a 300,000 BTU burner necessary and how much would it cost to run?
3. What other functions can the fire pit perform? Will it be needed to place drinks on the side while on? Can it be used as a table when not on? Will it have a sculptural presence in the garden? Will it complement the design / furniture / planting scheme and colour?

1. What style works best for your space?: Round? Square? Rectangular? Short? Tall?
2. What fuel type are you going to use?: NG? LP? Ethanol?
3. What kind of burner / ignition would you like?: Manual? Manual with Flame Supervision? Electronic (auto)? Adjustable
Electronic (Auto Adj)?
4. What colour would work best in your space?: There are 12 to choose from!
5. Are there any accessories that would make your firepit more useful? Table tops, drinks rings, glass windshields. We provide many high-quality accessories to make your firepit beautiful and funcitonal.

Contact Solus Decor at any point for answers to questions etc.
www.solusdecor.com | www.solusdecor.co.uk | solusdecor.com.es

The Solus Blog - for even more detail

Why certain fire pits cost more than others
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Why Certain Fire Pits Cost More Than Others

The cost of a modern gas or propane fire pit is variable for several reasons. Therefore, it’s essential to consider ...
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