How to Build a Fire Pit
A fire pit is a small ditch enclosed by a low border. It is usually made of bricks and is used to burn logs of wood or coal to provide heat during cold winters. A fire pit can be used to keep the interior of a house warm and also for BBQ or grilling purposes in the backyard or any open space.
Required Materials
- bricks
- gravel
Required Tools
- shovel
- stake
- nail
- string
Instructions
- Digging the Fire Pit Base - For the fire pit base, dig a pit in the ground with a depth of 1 1/2 feet and a diameter of 4 feet. Now cover the floor of the pit with gravel and spread it up to a thickness of 2”. Even out the gravel layer. Insert a stake in the center of the ditch. Tie a piece of string to the stake and attach a stick or nail 1 1/2 to 2 feet away from the stake.
- Preparing the Boundary - Make a mixture of mortar powder and water. Spread it in a circle around the edges of the gravel and even out the surface while it is moist. Now engrave a circle with the nail and string from the inserted stake. Let the mortar mixture dry for a day.
- Building the Fire Pit Enclosure - After the mortar mixture has dried completely, spread another 1” layer over the engraved circle. Set bricks vertically into the spread mortar in a circle. Ensure the bricks are level and fill the gaps between the bricks with a mortar filling as you go around the circle. Continue placing the bricks on top of each other in a circle until they reach ground level. Once the enclosure has dried, use dirt to fill up the remaining gap between the brick circle and the outer pit.
- The Final Step - Lay bricks horizontally towards the inner side of the circle of bricks. Remove 5 bricks at a time and spread mortar 1/2 an inch thick before putting the bricks back in place. Repeat this procedure all around the circle and then put another layer of bricks over the first. Let the layers dry for 24 hours. Cover the fire pit with a big grill. The fire pit is ready for use. Now you can warm up those cold winters or grill those delicious burgers.
Tips and Warnings
- You can decorate your fire pit with irregular stones to give it an impressive look.
- Make sure you don’t place your fire pit near any flammable materials or structures.
- It is recommended that you place a screen in front of your fire pit for child safety and, of course, to protect yourself. It also helps to prevent the ashes from blowing everywhere.