Lava Rock

Lava Rock for Gas Fire Pits

Whether you're building a new fire pit, upgrading an old wood pit to gas or refreshing an existing gas fire pit, once you've selected the burner and other functional elements, you've also got to decide what you want it to look like. While powerful flames and convenient tech features are great, you also want to ensure your fire pit offers an attractive addition to your outdoor space. This is where decorative fire media like lava rock comes in.

Fire pit lava rock, also known as fireplace rock, provides a handsome visual upgrade to your fire feature. It also serves a practical purpose by breaking up the flames as they come out of the burner, providing a more realistic-looking fire. Firepits Direct carries gas fire pit lava rocks from the best manufacturers in the industry, in a variety of sizes, style and colors, so there's sure to be something in our collection that will suit your tastes.

Why Buy Lava Rock

Fire pits need some kind of media to cover and enhance the burner, and there are a number of choices to fill that role. Fire lava rock is one of the most popular options, as these rocks have a number of strengths and provide a number of benefits for fire pit owners. Customers who choose to buy lava rocks for fireplaces or fire pits tell us they pick them for these reasons:

• Durability - Outside of something catastrophic, there's rarely any reason that lava rock can't last essentially forever. While it will require cleaning with soap and water from time to time to remove soot, lava rock will only very rarely need to be outright replaced, so you can be confident you're investing for the life of your fire feature.
• Appearance - With the array of options available, it's almost certain you can find a lava rock set that will suit your tastes and existing design scheme. Adding lava stones to a fire pit provides it with a more polished, put-together look that is sure to elevate any outdoor relaxation space.
• Versatility - Because of its time tested style, lava rock is the media type of choice for homeowners everywhere. This means it can be used effectively and easily in almost any kind of fire feature: fire pits, fire tables, outdoor fireplaces and even fire and water bowls. You can even use lava rock for wood-burning fire pits.

What to Consider When Buying Lava Rock

You may think that once you've seen one lava rock, you've seen them all, but there is a surprising amount of variety in the market of lava rocks for fire pits. Firepits Direct carries fire media products from dozens of brands, with a wide array of qualities. While shopping our selection of fire pit rocks, keep the following in mind:

• Amount - This may seem obvious, but you'll want to make sure you buy enough lava rock to fill your fire pit properly. We recommend approximately 10 pounds of lava rock for each square foot of area you're trying to fill. This will give you about 3 inches of depth across the area, providing full coverage.
• Size - Fire pit lava rock is available in sizes from 1/8" cinder-style granules up to large 6" stones. Your choice in this area is purely a matter of taste. Decide which will look best with your fire pit and go from there. Keep in mind that smaller stones will pack together more tightly, so you may need to buy more to fill an equal area effectively.
• Color - Another choice that's primarily aesthetic, you can find fire pit stones in a wide variety of colors to suit your preference. It's important to note that lighter-colored stones will tend to show soot discoloration more quickly, so they will need to be cleaned more often.
• Texture - The traditional design of lava rock features a rough texture, but that's not the only option anymore. Many brands are offering tumbled rock as well, which is smoother and more rounded. You can also choose to go with river rock, a smoother and more polished design that offers a more modern look.
• Accessories - A few of the lava rock sets we sell here at Firepits Direct take things to another level by including accessory items like cinder beds and ember stones. If you're looking for a more complex finished appearance, keep an eye out for accessory items like these.

Lava Rock FAQs

• How much lava rock do I need for my fire pit? We recommend 10 pounds of lava rock per square foot of area. If you're buying fine-grained granule-style lava rock, you may need to increase that to 15 pounds per square foot as the smaller stones will pack together more tightly.
• Can I use lava rock in a wood-burning fire pit? Yes. In fact, lava rock can improve a wood-burning fire pit by protecting the enclosure from heat and increasing airflow underneath the fire to increase efficiency and reduce smoke.
• Do I have to use lava rock in my gas fire pit? Technically no, but we do recommend using some kind of fire media. An uncovered burner will create an artificial-looking flame, but adding lava rock or some other type of media will make the fire look more natural and inviting.
• Do lava rocks hold heat from the fire? Yes, they are great at retaining heat, so you'll want to be sure to give them time to cool after turning off the flame if you need to handle them for any reason.
• How do I clean fire pit lava rock? Simple remove the lava rock from the enclosure, rinse it with water, immerse in soapy water, scrub, rinse again and allow to dry completely before using the fire pit again. This will remove dirt and soot build-up quickly and easily.