Adding a fire pit to your backyard can transform your landscaping. By building a hub for family to gather around and spend quality time together, you’re building a source for lots of good memories. And you don’t have to break the bank to do it! With a few easy steps, you’ll be roasting marshmallows over your fire pit in no time!
What you’ll need:
– Concrete wall stones
– Cap stones
– Sand
– Shovel
– Tape measure
– A level
– Tamper
– Steel rake
Step 1: Verify zoning Laws
Before you start putting together your firepit, make sure that your city codes and zoning in your area will allow it. There’s no point in building a beautiful pit if you can’t use it!
Step 2: Choose a spot away from shrubbery or utility lines
Choose a spot in your backyard that is away from the house and away from any trees or shubbery. Make sure that you’re also not digging in an area where there are utility lines.
Step 3: Make an outline
The first thing to do is lay out your paving stones in the area where you think you want the fire pit. It should be 36 to 44 inches across. Using chalk, make an outline of the circle. This is where you will dig.
Step 4: Dig a hole
Remove the stones and continue by digging a one foot deep hole in your circle. Pour your sand into the hole and tamp it to make sure it’s level before you continue.
Step 5: Stack stones around the hole
Place your wall stones around the outside of the hole. Stack these stones until they’re roughly one foot above the surrounding ground. This would be 24 inches from the bottom of the hole to the top of the wall stones.
Step 5: Add sand
Add more sand onto the bottom of the fire pit. You want this layer to cover the first layer and fill in any holes that may have been missed. It should be a 4 inch deep layer of sand.
Step 6: (Optional) Incorporate some decorative rocks
Now, you can add wood to your fire pit! If you’d like to mix it up a little, try adding some decorative rock or boulders around the outside instead of the wall stones. As long as you keep the distances the same, there are endless, creative options!
