There’s nothing better than sitting in your backyard and cracking open a cold one next to a fire pit. Imagine the cold breeze of the night against the back of your shoulder while the heat of the fire keeps you warm and cozy. Fire pits are among some of the most popular DIY landscaping features. Fire pits are attractive, functional, and a great place to enjoy time with your friends and family. While some people may see building a fire pit as a daunting task, with the right tools and a little hard work you can be sitting by the fire in your own backyard.
The first step to building your own fire pit is picking the right spot in your backyard. You want to pick an area that is distant from fences, plants, and other flammable objects. Once you have a plan of where it’s going to go and its design, head to your local hardware store or rental dealer to grab some tools. Depending on the size of your fire pit you might need more tools than others. Some common tool rentals for building a fire pit are mini excavators, asphalt plate tamps, concrete mixers, paver saws, shovels, and wheelbarrows. Map out the diameter of your pit using measuring tape and pavers. If you’re going with a more custom job, use a paver saw to cut out the right shapes. Paver saws are also helpful if the fire pit is going somewhere where there is already brick or concrete. The diameter should be at least 36 inches. Using a shovel or mini excavator, dig a hole where your pit is going to go 6-18 inches deep. After the hole is dug, fill it with gravel and sand. Pack it down good with the plate tamp to ensure it’s smoothed over and secure. The next step after the foundation is built is to start laying your wall stones. Wall stones are easy to lay, but are not mandatory. Feel free to get fancy and use slates or a nicer stone such as granite. While laying the wall use a little sand and concrete to secure everything around the pit into place. For larger pits, build an inner firewall and fill the gap between both walls with concrete. This is a great situation where a concrete mixer or wheelbarrow will come in handy. After the wall is complete, fill the pit with another 4 inches of sand as a base and you’re done!
It may or may not be the final result, but you have built a functional fire pit. All in all, fire pits are very affordable. With a few rentals and some money for stones you can build a fire pit in your backyard in less than a weekend. Get moving before its too late. Make a plan and head on down to your local hardware store to get started today.