How to protect a chiminea in winter

As the autumn gives way to winter, it’s time to think about keeping your chiminea in good nick. This is our guide to how to protect a chiminea in winter. Do this and your wonderful chiminea will stay looking good for longer – and it won’t crack in the frost.

Protect a clay chiminea in winter

Clay chimineas are usually made from the same kind of red clay used to make terra cotta plant pots. Some are plain, others have a painted finish. Because clay is absorbent, it sucks up water when it rains or snows. If the water freezes, the clay can crack – and even break apart completely if it’s sodden and the weather is very cold, or it’s freezing cold for a long spell.

How to protect your clay chiminea through winter? Even the smaller versions are heavy, and the XL chimineas we sell are huge. While you can move them somewhere dry over winter, you might not have the space in your shed or garage – and you probably don’t want it indoors cluttering up your house for the season! You might prefer to leave yours where it is, and buy a chiminea cover instead.

A clay chim requires a special insulated cover to keep everything frost-free and dry. We sell a cover for every size of clay chiminea, and they’re the best quality. This is exactly what you need to protect a chiminea made from clay.

Take a look at this good-looking Insulated Cover for the Asteria Chimalin Chiminea. It will also fit our other XL and jumbo versions nice and snugly.

As you can see it’s a good-looking cover that fits the shape of the chim perfectly, so won’t blow off or flap in the wind. Straps underneath also help to keep it firmly in place. It has three layers, a cosy sandwich made up of an outer layer of polyester / PVC, an inner layer of polyester, plus a layer of cotton insulation in between. It won’t look ugly in your garden, just discreet and smart.

Protect a metal chiminea in winter

A metal chiminea won’t suffer in the cold however much it freezes out there. But it’s still worth protecting the surface from the ravages of muck, dust, dirt, mud and bird poo – then you won’t have to clean it when spring rolls back around. Just give it a wipe and you’re ready to rock ‘n’ roll.

We sell metal chiminea covers in green PVC and also this large transparent PVC chiminea cover in see-through plastic, great when you like to admire your steel or cast iron chim all year round.

If you’ll be storing your clay chiminea away indoors for the winter, you can use this transparent cover for your clay chiminea, or alternatively one of the non-insulated green PVC ones. They’ll both do an excellent job of keeping things clean and good-looking while you’re not using it.

Grab a chiminea accessory bundle including a chim cover

Our chiminea accessory bundles come with a cover, as well as more cool bits and bobs to make your chim life easier and more fun. The ultimate chiminea accessory bundle, for example, includes a green PCV cover.

Now you can make your chiminea winter-ready with confidence. Even if you keep on using it through the cold weather, it’ll stay looking good and stay in good nick.

PS. Can you mend a broken clay chiminea? Possibly… take a look at how to do it here.