A brick outdoor fireplace in Broken Arrow Oklahoma is one of the most timeless and durable outdoor features you can add to your home. Brick has been the preferred material for outdoor fireplaces for generations — it handles Oklahoma’s heat cycles, resists weathering, and only improves in character with age. VistaScapes builds brick outdoor fireplaces the right way, using traditional masonry construction that will last 50 years or more.
How We Build Brick Outdoor Fireplaces
A properly built brick outdoor fireplace is a structural masonry project — not a veneer job over a metal frame. Our fireplaces are built from the ground up with authentic masonry construction designed to perform safely and withstand decades of use and Oklahoma weather.
Foundation
Every brick fireplace we build starts with a reinforced concrete footer poured below the frost line. Oklahoma’s clay soil and freeze-thaw cycles can cause significant movement — a proper footer prevents settling, cracking, and structural failure over time.
Firebox Construction
The firebox — the combustion chamber where the fire burns — is built with firebrick (refractory brick) laid in refractory mortar. Standard brick cannot withstand direct flame contact at the temperatures a wood fire produces. Firebrick is rated for continuous high heat and protects the structural integrity of the fireplace. We size the firebox opening to the proper height-to-width ratio for correct draft and flame performance.
Smoke Chamber
Above the firebox opening sits the smoke chamber — a tapered space that compresses rising smoke before it enters the flue. We build smoke chambers from cinderblock (CMU) with a sloped, parged interior surface using refractory cement. A properly built smoke chamber is critical for a fireplace that drafts correctly and doesn’t smoke back into the yard.
Clay Flue Tiles
The chimney flue is lined with terracotta clay flue tiles that channel combustion gases safely from the smoke chamber out the top of the chimney. Clay flue tiles are the correct material for wood-burning outdoor fireplaces — they’re rated for high heat, resist combustion gases, and can be inspected and replaced if damaged. We size flue tiles correctly to the firebox opening area for proper draft.
Spark Arrestor
All wood-burning outdoor fireplaces we build are topped with a spark arrestor — a stainless steel or galvanized screen cap that catches embers before they can escape the chimney and land on your deck, roof, or surrounding vegetation. Spark arrestors are required by fire code in most Oklahoma municipalities and are a critical safety component.
Brick Exterior
The exterior face of the fireplace is finished in full-depth face brick laid in your chosen pattern and mortar color. Common choices for Broken Arrow homes include classic running bond, stacked bond for a modern look, and soldier course accents. We carry a wide selection of brick colors and textures to match or complement your home’s existing brick.
Brick Fireplace + Outdoor Living Integration
Brick outdoor fireplaces integrate beautifully with other outdoor living elements. We frequently build brick fireplaces as the anchor of a covered patio or pergola, flanked by built-in seating walls and adjacent to an outdoor kitchen. The warm, traditional character of brick complements both classic and contemporary Broken Arrow home styles.
Ready to build a classic brick outdoor fireplace in Broken Arrow? Call VistaScapes at 918-779-1317 for a free estimate and design consultation. We build brick fireplaces throughout Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Bixby, Jenks, Owasso, and all of northeast Oklahoma.
