Taking the Chill Off: Outdoor Heaters for Covered Spaces

There is a moment on most British evenings, somewhere around half past eight, when someone says they might just go and get a jumper. Ten minutes later everyone is indoors. The roof was never the problem. The temperature was.

Heating is what closes that gap, and we now offer a full range of outdoor heaters to go with the structures we build.

Why Infrared Works Outdoors

Heating the air outside is a losing battle, because the first breeze carries it away. Infrared heaters work differently. They warm people and surfaces directly, in the way the sun does, so you feel the heat even when the air around you is cool. That makes them by far the most effective choice for a space with open sides.

Heaters Fixed to the Structure

For a veranda or pergola, a heater fixed to the frame is the neatest answer. It is out of the way, it cannot be knocked over, and it is aimed permanently at the seating. Our pergola-mounted infrared heaters are designed for exactly this.

A step up, the Bromic range offers electric radiant heaters in several styles. The Platinum Smart-Heat Electric is slim and architectural, and all but disappears against a dark frame. There is even a model, the Eclipse Smart-Heat Electric, that combines a heater and a light in a single pendant fitting.

Heaters That Move

If your seating moves around, or you want heat on an open patio, a freestanding heater goes where the people are. A pedestal heater is the simple option. Bromic also make the Tungsten Smart-Heat Portable, which does the job of the old mushroom-style patio heater with considerably more thought given to how it looks and where the heat goes.

Electric or Gas?

Electric heaters are clean, quiet and instant, and they are the natural choice under a roof. They do need a suitable power supply, which should be planned for and installed by a qualified electrician.

Gas heaters put out a great deal of heat and suit larger, more open areas. They need good ventilation and proper clearance above and around them, so they are for open or very well ventilated spaces. Always follow the manufacturer's clearances.

How Much Heat Do You Need?

Less than you might think, if it is in the right place. One well-aimed heater over the seating does more than three scattered around the edges. Think about where people will actually sit, and heat that zone.

Side elements make a large difference too. Glass sliding doors or a motorised screen on the windward side stop the breeze stripping the warmth away, and can halve the heating you need.

Plan It From the Start

It is far easier to run a cable for a heater while a structure is going up than to add one afterwards. If you think you may want heating, even if not straight away, tell us at the design stage. We can allow for the supply and the fixing position, and you can add the heater itself whenever you are ready.

A roof gives you the wet days. A heater gives you the cool evenings, and in this country there are a great many of those.