Fire Stone debuts Outdoor Great Room

Staff -- Casual Living, 2/1/2005

Keeping up with the Joneses just got a little easier through the introduction of Fire Stone Home Products' Outdoor GreatRoom, which includes an outdoor gas convection range, island, choice of fireplace or firepit, and a pergola to pull the room together.

"We kept running into people who wanted to create an outdoor room, but didn't know where to begin," said Dan Shimek, Fire Stone Home Products president and CEO. "Our GreatRoom takes the guesswork out of adding a complete outdoor room. It's our version of one-stop shopping."

The outdoor room craze that increasingly has homeowners searching for landscape architects and glued to home makeover television shows is taking a whole new turn. Now consumers can purchase a complete outdoor room in one simple package.

Fire Stone's Outdoor GreatRoom is designed to allow consumers to select the style of featured components, and then put them together as one unit. All of the GreatRoom pieces were designed to complement one another and be used interchangeably.

In addition to providing a comfortable entertainment area, a Fire Stone Outdoor GreatRoom adds livable space to the home at a fraction of the cost of adding interior space. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the cost of adding interior living space is approximately $150 per square foot. But, adding exterior living space averages only about $25 per square foot.

Also, outdoor living upgrades are considered a permanent part of a home and can increase property value. Costs can be added to mortgage programs.

To create the Outdoor GreatRoom, consumers first choose the style of Fire Stone Pergola. From there, a grill island with a 24- or 36-inch Legacy Outdoor Range as well as a sink, refrigerator and other kitchen-type amenities can be added. To complete the room, the consumer can choose a Fire Stone Campfire, an outdoor wood- or gas-burning fireplace.

According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, in 2003 consumers spent about $40 billion on landscaping and gardening upgrades, $3.2 billion on outdoor furniture and $5 billion on grills and outdoor cooking equipment.

Fire Stone Home Products offers a variety of outdoor hearth products to provide warmth, ambience and an elegant focal point for its Outdoor GreatRoom.

Outdoor Fireplaces

With sleek, durable stainless steel construction, the outdoor Fire Stone Gas Fireplace creates a cozy centerpiece in any outdoor living space. Equipped with Fire Stone's state-of-the-art Intellifire ignition system, this fireplace creates instant heat with the flick of a switch. Generating approximately 52,000 Btus per hour when burning LP gas, and as much as 61,000 Btus when burning natural gas, the 42-inch wide fireplace maximizes heat for outdoor activity.

Fire Stone's outdoor gas fireplace is chimney and smoke free, venting through a decorative front grille. This patented design lets warm air radiate forward to warm the space and extend the enjoyment of outdoor living. Other features include realistic fire logs and a glass door to provide added control in windy conditions.

Fire Stone's Wood Fire Fireplace offers realistic brick refractory, optional bi-fold glass doors for fire controllability and stainless steel weather shield that protects the unit when it is not in use. The fireplace comes with a stainless-steel grate and mesh firescreen, and is available in 36- and 42-inch models.

The Fire Stone Wood Fire Fireplace, complete with weather-resistant stainless steel construction, enables consumers to warm their outdoor room with a real wood burning fire.

Gas-fueled Campfire

Fire Stone's gas-fueled Campfire brings the look and feel of the wilderness into any outdoor living space. With refractory logs, the Campfire creates an open air campfire without danger of sparks or messy debris. The Campfire has a Btu output of 75,000 per hour when burning natural gas, and 60,000 Btus per hour when using LP gas.

The Campfire is smoke free and available with a variety of Fire Stone's Custom Islands.

Legacy Convection Range

Fire Stone's flagship product, the gas-fueled Legacy Convection Range, anchors the Minneapolis-based company's collection of outdoor convection ranges and makes gourmet cooking a cinch.

"The look and feel of the traditional barbecue has changed dramatically with the innovative design and warm-edge technology showcased in the Legacy Collection of Fire Stone Home Products," Shimek said. "The Legacy Collection was named in honor of my late brother, Ron Shimek. This was the last product he and I developed together and I believe it will forever change the way people enjoy the Outdoor GreatRoom."

The unique convection design, patented movable burner system, built-in searing plates and electronic monitoring system provide state-of-the-culinary-art outdoor cooking.

Legacy's Grill Tech electronic monitoring system monitors the cooking process and signals users when food is perfectly done.

Fire Stone's exclusive Even-Flow convection plate technology creates air turbulence under the hood to eliminate hot and cold spots on the grill and surrounds food with intense, even heat. This convection technology, when combined with Legacy's electronic monitoring system, eliminates the need for a rotisserie or to lift the hood and check the food.

An adjustable burner system — the Legacy HeatXchange — allows a cook to choose between searing, grilling and roasting by simply adjusting the patented, moveable burners with the control panel-mounted shift lever. The result is an easy transition between 1,000-degree searing temperatures and temperatures low and steady enough to bake a cake.

Legacy Electric Range

The Fire Stone Legacy Range Collection comes in two models: the Legacy 24i and 36i. Both models are available on Legacy Deluxe stainless steel cabinets with concealed wheels or for installation in one of Fire Stone's Custom Islands.

The Fire Stone Home Products 20i/e Legacy Electric Range is designed specifically to get hot fast. Shimek described it as Fire Stone's most innovative product to date.

Powered by a standard 110-volt outlet, the range performs just like the larger gas-fueled members of the Legacy Collection. The exclusive design combines conventional grilling capability with a searing plate and electronic monitoring system that provide state-of-the-culinary-art outdoor cooking.

A patent pending burner system, the Legacy HeatXchange, allows a chef to toggle between searing and grilling. The result is an easy transition between searing heat and temperatures low and steady enough to bake a cake.

For more information, call 866-303-4028 or by visit www.FireStoneHP.com.