Building a Fire Pit
6:00:00 AMHere is how we built a DIY fire pit in a weekend.
Sometimes the job doesn't seem as enormous as it is until you're in the middle of it!
The muddy corner where nothing grew because it was all shade and our two dogs ran through it all day.
Meet the culprits:
Kirby & Kody
Here is what we did about it...
Step #1:
Mark off the space and lay a border.
Step #2:
Decide where you want to put the fire pit.
We used Nicolock Pavers.
A circle will require 15 stones.
We started with the first layer, working diligently to make it level.
We added the next 3 levels on top of the first.
You can use cement or a non combustable adhesive if you wish.
You can use cement or a non combustable adhesive if you wish.
These blocks are heavy and don't move easily!
Step #3:
Spray weed killer and cover the ground with a black weed barrier.
Step #4:
Start hauling wheelbarrow-full after wheelbarrow-full of pea gravel from the front driveway to the back yard.
Somewhere about half way through, we were thinking about calling in some help.
I've gotta hand it to my husband, he did not quit!
As you can see I was totally about the decorating.
I was putting out the pots as fast as Jim could get down the gravel.
The yard was turning out great!
This is the back gate to our friends house...
The old fence badly needs to be replaced!
The old fence badly needs to be replaced!
Step #5:
Sit down and relax!
Check out the cool ladder I made for the corner!
Ready for the cover?
I also built a stylish cover for the fire pit that made it double as a coffee table when not in use!
I also built a stylish cover for the fire pit that made it double as a coffee table when not in use!
Soon after we replaced the fence and the yard took on a whole new look!
A while later we added a small removable metal fire pit (found on the side of the road) to the inside of the brick fire pit for days when a smaller fire is all you need.
And though it wasn't an easy job by any means, together we got it done!
(and then we went out to dinner because we were too tired to cook!)
Notice the sweaty heart on his shirt?
He worked really hard to make my idea come true!
Here is another updated photo of our fire pit with a new fence which made all the difference in our yard!
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87 comments
WOW! What a great guy your have there. I love the sweat-heart. Your idea paid off. Your yard looks so inviting. All it's missing is the roasted marshmallows. :-)
ReplyDeleteDee
So that's how you do it. I love it. And it only took you a day... you two are very hard workers. Enjoy your new fire pit.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I luv this so much, it is your duty to help your virtual friends by sending your husband over to my house, I have the perfect spot as well lol...
ReplyDeleteWould luv for our readers to discover this.
please add it to our linking party here
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/2011/06/beautiful-furniture-redo-pop-up-cards.html
Have a great week,
Maggie
http://passionatelyartistic.com
Looks great, have you used it yet?
ReplyDeleteI love it! We tried to do something similar before, but didn't do any research. We just created a border with paving stones and started filling it with rocks . . . not a good idea! They were spilling through the cracks. Yours looks fantastic, though! I'm sure your dogs will enjoy it, too.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great. What a wonderful place to be able to sit and relax. Thanks for linking to the party.
ReplyDeleteHi! Following from a Glimpse Inside. What an awesome hubby! Love how it turned out. Would love to have you link this up at my link party going on over on my blog right now. :)
ReplyDeleteGinger
gingersnapcrafts.blogspot.com
I love it!! We have an area where grass won't grow due to rocks in the ground - love this idea!! That ladder is adorable too!
ReplyDeleteMy mom had us build her something like that and then the city zoning dept. shut her down because her neighbors complained about the smell of smoke.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great project! I hope you have many wonderful times around it!
ReplyDeleteHi, Besides a weekly anything goes link party, I have a new ongoing free give away link party now too. Share your give aways or enter to win.
ReplyDeleteHope to see you soon at http://bacontimewiththehungryhypo.blogspot.com/
Come strut your stuff!
This is fantastic. Got to love a man who will put his sweat and tears into make a cozy spot for your home!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see this linked up to our weekly Throwback Thursday party
www.luxeboulevard.blogspot.com
I love a good fire pit especially in the fall!
ReplyDeletehttp://sweetteaserendipity.blogspot.com
Well you and him did a wonderful job looks so nice great job I bet ur like me no pics of me sweating while I work! LOL
ReplyDeleteLooks wonderful, a great place to sit and relax! You two did a wonderful job. Thanks for sharing at Beach Cottage Good Life Wednesdays.
ReplyDeleteLOVE it!! I need one in my backyard
ReplyDeletehttp://ashtonscraftycreations.blogspot.com/
Dang!! Great job, I have a similar spot in my backyard( and two similar culprits..lol)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.
Haha, a jack russell needing ritalin, that is funny. I have a little low rider who is about 6 or 7 now and still barks, jumps and runs like a little puppy.
ReplyDeleteI love your fire pit! I have a "pit" in my yard, it is just one of those metal dish pits surrounded with pavers. In the past I have been known to sink an old wheelbarrow into the ground and make fire in it. Your space looks very inviting.
So cool! I love it. I want to come roast marshmallows at your house. Can I bring all my kids, too? Heh!
ReplyDeleteSusan it is wonderful. You will certainly enjoy that space. What a sweet post (the sweat heart) I have a sweet husband that brings my ideas to life also. True labors of love.
ReplyDeleteOh I'd love one of these in my back yard , I bet you will enjoy it every time you use it xx Ava
ReplyDeleteLove your new firepit corner! Nice job on this by both of you. I built a firepit too, but didn't do the pea gravel part, still debating whether I want to add pavers around it. Only problem is that I hate to dig and almost every job like this requires some digging.....sigh
ReplyDeleteHi, I love you fire pit area, we have a lovely firepit but grass all around and it's become a pain to mow around, love the pea gravel around yours! What did you use for the border around the pea gravel? Do you have a lot of pea gravel get into the grass area? My hubby thinks this will be a lot of work, but we already have the stone fire pit so I am thinking it would not be too bad..any help with that boarder idea would be great. Lovely site, found you through a linky party! :>
ReplyDeleteHi Travel Mom... I can't get back to you any other way. Your settings are on "no reply".... The edging was a plastic edging that you snip to make it turn corners. The pea gravel is staying inside of it very nicely, it has about a 2" lip on it. Thanks for your kind words... Susan
ReplyDeleteWow! That looks incredible (and I don't think I have ever met a Jack Russel that DIDN'T need Ritalin ;))
ReplyDeleteI would love if you would share it at our Weekly Playdate~ a kid and family themed link party... http://beneaththerowantree.blogspot.com/2011/06/playdate-link-party-blog-hop-14-all.html
Cheers!
Lori
Come & Play :: Playdate
www.beneaththerowantree.com
Lots of hard work, but it looks great! I think I'll suggest this to my other half (I won't tell him how hard it was though :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THIS! I want one! I am your newest follower and I would love it if you would follow me back. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYour hard work really paid off...it looks great! Found you through DIY!
ReplyDeleteAwesome. We have a firepit but I'd love an area around it. It's one of our favorite teen kid hangouts.
ReplyDeleteIt's love gifts like this that you get from your man that makes everything worth while. Now, start planning your parties. (I expect to see a artisan oven over in the corner by next year.)
ReplyDeletesuper job! lots of work, but well worth it.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing @ catch as catch can,
gail
I LOVE this!! I want to go build one right now but I'm going to hold back on the impulsiveness right now, lol. And I love the sweat heart on his shirt too!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your fire pit!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Well worth the hard work! Time to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteRoeshel
Thanks Anonymous.. my mistake. It is 15 in each row x 4 rows = 60 Pavers. Thanks for letting me know!
ReplyDeleteSaw you on pinterest... actually, it was mislinked, but have it pointed correctly now.
ReplyDeletehttp://flic.kr/p/aedwKw and http://flic.kr/p/aedwH9
These are two versions of our firepit. Ours came as a kit though at a local building place (not big box). Easy peasy! Love your yard and will be visiting again.
Much peace,
Meadow
Love your fire pit, Great idea!!! We did a pit and added an underground metal pipe and blower attached to a switch in the house so I could turn on and off if the fire needed air, built against ground the fire will need air at times to burn better.
ReplyDeletethis DOES look awesome! & what an amazing husband to jump on board & do lots of work to make your dream come true! Love that!!
ReplyDeleteLove the idea, I'm planning on doing it myself and surprising my husband with it when he comes home from Kuwait in a few weeks. But I want to make his into a grill optional fire pit. I found a grate that is 2 ft. wide that is meant for park campfires and firepits. Can you tell me how wide the diameter of the inside of your firepit is? I'm trying to estimate how many pavers I will need before i go to the store to make it around that 2 ft mark. Sorry if this is too much to ask. But thank you for the great tutorial!
ReplyDeletemusejuice
ReplyDeleteIf you can, consider a grill which hangs from a tripod so you can keep the grill as far away from the fire pit as needed and you can put this away so it isn't always part of the fire pit structure and you don't have to design for the exact size of the grill. Coleman makes one that is 17" in diameter. Google: tripod grill coleman. And you will see it.
Found a grill at the thrift store and it fits perfectly! Great idea!
DeleteI built your firepit a few weeks ago and even though it doesn't look quite as good as yours, i was so please. Thank you for posting instructions!
ReplyDeleteMay I ask what the budget range was for this project for all of the materials you listed?
ReplyDeletehaving built a couple of these myself, I'd suggest that in the bottom row, you use maybe 3-4 less blocks than in the row above it, such that there's a few good holes to get air in from the bottom - you'll find that it burns much hotter on those chilly nights!
ReplyDeleteAbout how big around is the inside? I'm looking at some different blocks to try this myself but I'm not sure how big the circle needs to be..
ReplyDeleteThat turned out great!!!!!! Thanks for showing it as a work in progress! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteLooks really great! Looks like your hard work was worth it!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what adhesive you used between the layers of brick. I'm unsure what to buy.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you would mind telling me where you purchased your pavers?? I have looked on severel local stores websites and don't see any like the ones you used... Thanks!! Great idea, can't wait to try it in the spring!!
ReplyDeleteYour hubby looks like a trooper! Great team work!
ReplyDeleteMight be a stupid question, but after you are done you can just put firewood in the hole and start burning?
ReplyDeleteAnd also, how much did this run you, total?
Thanks for stopping by, the firewood is sitting on a metal grate inside... like inside a fireplace. The "firepit" part of this yard project cost between $500-$600. Hope that helps!
DeleteSusan
Found this on Pinterest. I love this firepit area. Great job. Are you saying the entire project, pit, pea gravel, weed barrier, etc cost $500-600? How much did you spend on the brick alone? We have priced them where we live and they are only .99 cents each and we plan to go only 3 levels. Can you tell me the dimensions of the graveled area? Did you use a firepit insert? We have an old portable fire pit and will use the bowl from that as well, to save a few bucks.
DeleteThank you,
Leanne
Hi Leanne
DeleteWe used paving stones that were more than .99, it was about $200 for the pavers. The graveled area is about 150 sq. feet and we pea graveled it all. I don't remember the price but it was about $500-$600 in total. We did not use an insert, the wood sits on iron wood holders like the ones in a fireplace.
HAHA! Fantastic blog. I really liked the personal take on the whole project. Got a big smile reading this..and I only came for the fire pit idea. Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteThat is a great idea our dogs have also relun down part of the yard I believe your plan will fix the unsightly damage they have done. Thank you. Wendy
ReplyDeletelove love love the firepit yard idea im so going to try to make this happen this summer thanks for the pics and details
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job on the pit and very inviting area!!!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea of a fire pit! it reminds me of camping unlike the metal fire pits. its very inviting! I hope to do this one day!
ReplyDeleteHow well did it survive the winter's use? I wondered if the heat might have been too intense for those kind of blocks without a steel ring or refractory brick as a liner. Currently planning my own for this summer.
ReplyDeleteNo problem during the winter, the pavers work great!
DeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this idea! My husband and I are going to try it in our yard. How long do you have to wait to make a fire in the pit?
We used it just a couple days later! I hate waiting :) Have fun!
DeleteI like your idea and it looks great. But, not to be a negative nelly, shouldn't the inside of the pit be fire proof? Such as lined with fire treated bricks. I'm not sure if pavers are, but if they're not and you get your fire too hot (which isn't that hard to do) your pavers could break.
ReplyDeleteDear Nelly,
DeleteThe pavers are also sold in a kit for just this purpose. They do work. If you are concerned then I would fire treat your bricks. We've had blazing hot fires in it and so far so good! Thanks for your concern.
Susan
Love it!
ReplyDeleteThis is AWESOME!! I sent it to my hubby so we can try to make one ourselves! :) I can't wait to roast marshmallows on a cool crisp Florida evening with my kids! Thank you for the tutorial and for posting!
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me a bit more about the weed block edging? I've never seen that style before and this is exactly what I've been looking for to contain pea gravel under my playset. Do you recall where you purchased it?
Thanks!
Kristie
We bought it at the stone store where we ordered the gravel. Honestly, it does the job but my dogs are destroying it!
DeleteHi Susan, Your Adirondack chairs look distressed......are they wood or plastic. I am so using your plan to create this in my backyard. It is the easiest one I have found!! Thanks, Brandie
ReplyDeletePlastic Adirondack chairs :)
DeleteThank you for sharing, you were such a big inspiration that I ran and did the same. Now I had a great place to chill out with my 2 teens. I added a water fountain made of a pot so I have fire and water in my yard. Thanks again!
ReplyDeletePS: Lucky you have a nice husband that supports you and wills to do the hard parts.
So glad it worked out for you! Enjoy!
DeleteWhat about when it rains? How do you get the water out of the pit?
ReplyDeleteWe live on the East Coast... all sand, it drains right through!
DeleteI'm curious how much this project cost. Could you give a ball park figure.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
SO COOL!!!!! I'm a detailed person... I LOVE THE PILLOWS! HEEHEE!
ReplyDeleteI love this fire pit and it's such a lovely seating area around it. :) I'm sure it's gotten a lot of use over the years.
ReplyDeleteLove it! Pinned:) Great job, that was a big!
ReplyDeleteWow, it looks great, good job! I have a corner similar to this that I'll be working on this weekend. I have the same plan as you... fire pit!!
ReplyDeleteTania
So glad I came across this. Your corner looks identical to a corner in my yard. I tried putting a bed there a putting plants in but it just didn't work. I'd rather use the space than look at it and this would be perfect. Will be recruiting the workers here soon. Thanks for the great idea!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great project, Susan, and a great hubby! I bet you have gotten great use of of that area and the kids probably love it, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim! :)
DeleteHow is the weed barrier holding up? I've been told by a local landscaper not to put it down because it ends up becoming an eyesore if weeds to push through. Beautiful project!
ReplyDeleteHi Matt! Actually it is holding up great and it was done 7 years ago now. We have added more pea gravel but no weeds. The plastic barrier piece we used however, has not held up, it is broken in several places so we are currently thinking of replacing it when we find something better. Thanks for visiting!
DeleteDo you know how much gravel you actually used? I am looking to build something similar soon. Just need to know how much gravel to get. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi! We used between 2 and 3 yards of gravel. You can read about how to calculate how much you need here..... https://www.hunker.com/13424498/how-to-calculate-how-far-pea-gravel-spreads
DeleteHope it helps!
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Have a nice day.
Susan