Whether you want to heat your home, ignite a fire pit, or arrange a barbecue grill for a backyard party, installing a propane tank is a great idea. Propane tanks can be close to or far from the heating equipment. It can be at the corner of the house, on your patio, or in the backyard. Although fire pits and grills come in impressive designs, their propane tanks certainly do not.
No matter the size, a propane tank can be unsightly. So, you must have been wondering how to conceal propane tanks or keep them less visible to your visitors. Fortunately, you can apply fun DIY solutions to hide your propane tank.
Another simple technique to accomplish this is by repainting your propane tank. Use outdoor paint on your propane fire tanks to create beautiful designs or patterns on them. You could transform it into a fun backyard project and involve your children in painting the propane tank. But make sure to maintain all propane tank safety measures.
Planting plants and shrubs that hide your tank is another great way to hide the tank. It not only hides the eyesore, but it also gives you an excuse to add some greenery to your garden.
If you have a large enough grill and a small enough portable propane tank, you can put the tank behind the grill. No one will notice it back there.
The Best Plants To Hide A Propane Tank
Another fun DIY solution is to hide the propane tank behind plants and bushes. Your propane tank might be on the patio, backyard, or in the garden. You can use various house plants to cover them up.
Here are some of the best plants you can consider:
● Evergreen juniper (Juniperus): If you have a propane tank in your yard, you can plant some juniper around it. Junipers grow 6 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide under full and partial sunlight. Put them at least 3 – 4 feet distance from the propane tank but leave a path to reach the tank.
● Butterfly Bush: is a beautiful, fast-growing, deciduous shrub that blooms colourful flowers from summer to autumn.
● Bamboo: Plant some bamboo, leaving space around or screening one side of your propane tank. They can add a dash of green to your yard as well as hide the tank.
● Arborvitae: If you have ample space around the propane tank, plant some dwarf or small-sized arborvitae to cover it.
● Morning Glory: You can put up a structure hiding the propane tank and produce some morning glory. The vines will trail over the frame quickly and bloom flowers.
● Bougainvillea: Another trailing vine flower plant. There are various colours to choose from.
The Top 10 Ways To Camouflage A Propane Tank
Want to know different ways to hide your propane tank in plain sight? Here are 10 ways to camouflage a propane tank:
1. Plant Around It
As I have mentioned above, planting around the propane tank is one of the best ideas to hide any propane tank size. This method is also cheaper than most other methods. You can use the plants mentioned above or similar plants to cover the tank.
2. Build a Frame
You can build a fully enclosed frame for your propane tank. You may have to place your propane tank far from your house for safety reasons. In that case, the tank will look out of place without any covering. So, build a small storage house to cover your propane tank. You should leave some space around and above the gas tank.
3. Use a Propane Tank Cover
There are different propane tanks available at stores and online marketplaces for propane tanks. You will find propane tank covers that look like tables in various shapes, sizes, and colours. In addition, a variety of materials, including alloy metals, aluminium, steel, concrete, polypropylene, resin, etc., go into their construction. Tank covers are available for propane tanks up to 30 lbs.
You can buy a waterproof and water-resistant propane tank storage cover with high-end UV-resistant Oxford fabric. These covers can be available for large-sized propane tanks.
4. Add Trellises or Privacy Screens In front
Another simple way is to cover the propane tank area with trellises and privacy screens. You can put up these trellises on one side or more to screen off the tank from people. These trellises are available at local garden supply stores and online stores. You will find a wide range of designs and colours to choose from.
5. Place potted plants
If you do not have the space or energy to maintain a garden around the propane tank, you can place some potted plants in front of the propane tank. Also, you can remove the pots any time you want.
6. Put an actual Fence
Do you want to go through a lot of trouble? Just put up a fence around your propane tank. Have some distance between the fence and the propane tank. You can buy decorative fences or paint the fences to match the surroundings.
7. Place artificial Rock and Rock Covers
To add a natural feel, you can get artificial rocks to place around the propane tank. There are also propane tank covers that look like rocks. Although they are a bit pricey, they will look very cool in your garden or yard. These rocks look pretty similar to natural stones. But be careful about putting propane tanks on grass. When used, the tank can damage the grass.
8. Bury propane tank underground
Many people bury their propane underground to keep it out of sight. You can also do the same. After digging, it may look obvious that you buried something on the ground. So, you can surround the area with raised garden beds or plants.
9. Paint Your Propane Tank
If you own your propane tank, paint the tank to blend in with the surrounding area. You can either paint a landscape or decorate it with different shades of green, browns, greys, and rusts. You can paint fun and unique patterns to turn your propane tank into art. For a rented propane tank, ask for permission from your propane tank manufacturer.
Most propane tank providers will not allow you to tamper with the tank for safety reasons. Some may even paint the propane tank for you. While you are painting, follow safety measures.
10. Use a camouflage Netting or Covering
Your propane tank manufacturer may not permit you to paint the propane tank. In that case, you can choose the alternative idea of painting. You can buy or DIY a camouflage netting or covering for your large or medium propane tank. Choose a fabric material and colour that blends with the ground or environment.
You can place artificial rocks around the covering to make things look more natural. Keep it accessible for propane refill and repair when you cover the tank.
How To Use A Propane Tank With Fire Pits?
The popularity of propane fire pits is growing every day. These fire pits come with 20lb propane tanks. So, if you do not want a fire pit with a visible propane tank, you can buy fire pits with built-in storage for the propane tank. They have a space to place propane tanks just below the burner. They safely hide the propane tanks.
If the propane fire pit you want does not have any built-in storage, you can ask the propane service technician to set up the propane tank far from the fire pit. Use a long hose to connect the fire pit with the propane tank. Then you can hide the propane tank with propane tank table covers or jackets.
The propane tank covers keep the propane tank secured, and you can use the surface as a regular table. The hose or pipe of the propane fire pit can be covered under a rug. But make sure you or your guests do not stand on the hose.
500-Gallon Camouflage Propane Tank Cover
It is difficult to find covers for 500-gallon propane tanks. So, to camouflage such a large tank, you can buy polyester covers or sheets that are at least 10 feet long.
You can buy grey, brown, black, or white polyesters or DIY your own design. Polyesters are durable fabrics that can protect your tank from harsh outdoor weather.
250-Gallon Propane Tank Cover
The same goes for 250-gallon propane tanks. Because of the size of the tanks, they have to be installed far from the fire pits or grills. Besides, building frames around 500 gallons and 250-gallon propane tanks can be expensive and risky. You can DIY a cover for your 250-gallon propane tank with polyester.
So, for 250 and 500-gallon propane tanks, consider other concealing methods mentioned above. Use privacy screens, fences, trellises, plants, and bushes to hide large propane tanks.
Essential Propane Tank Covers & Apparel
Are you looking for propane tank covers and apparel? It’s possible to acquire them at a nearby shop or online. Here are some options you can explore:
Propane Tank Table Covers: Buy propane table covers to keep your prone tank safe and hidden. These tables can also be used to serve snacks or drinks while you enjoy the warmth of your fire pit.
Propane Tank Covers (Container): RV riders often carry propane gas tanks. They can consider getting the dual propane steel tank covers to hold and hide multiple propane tanks. These covers give easy access to the valve tanks to refill the tanks.
Propane Tank Covers (Fabric): If you want to cover up your propane fire pit tank with something more affordable, you can buy classic propane fabric covers made of water-resistant and UV-proof fabrics.
Propane Tank Fences and Privacy Screens: To conceal large propane tanks, you may consider installing fences and privacy screens. These are available in various sizes and attractive designs for outdoor yards, backyards, and gardens.
Final Thoughts
Large and medium-sized propane tanks are not easy to conceal. But you can camouflage them with different covering products and strategies mentioned in this article. While hiding the propane tank, do not forget about your safety. Avoid placing flammable materials close to the propane tank.
Sources of Information
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Finn, C. (2018, July 31). How To Hide a Propane Tank from a Patio’s Fire Pit. DIY Playbook. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://thediyplaybook.com/how-to-hide-a-propane-tank-fire-pit/
L. (2020a, May 27). How To Hide A Propane Tank From Your Firepit. LG Jordan Oil. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://www.lgjordanoil.com/hide-your-propane-tank/
Editorial Staff. (2021, November 24). Propane Concrete Fire Pits. DreamCast Design and Production. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://dreamcastdesign.com/blog/propane-concrete-fire-pits
Summers, D. (2021, August 20). How to Hide a Propane Tank – 5 Easy Ways. SuggestHow. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://suggesthow.com/how-to-hide-a-propane-tank/
