D.I.Y. Saturday #12 – Installing a Fire Pit

Entry #237, August 7, 2010

A few DIY Saturday’s ago I showed you how to install a water feature for your backyard.  What backyard would be complete without a fire pit?! They can be used in the summer for evening s’mores and lighting up the backyard for your guests to gather around.  In the winter they can provide warmth and ambiance for those nippy days that you still want to entertain outside.

This gorgeous fire pit is surrounded by a water feature

Here are the easy steps on how to install a fire pit for your yard. HGTV has a good how-to section on building a fire pit:

Tools and Materials:

cast concrete wall stones
cap stones
sand
shovel
tape measure
level
tamper
steel rake

This fire pit has uses beautiful flagstone!

Steps:

Before building a fire pit, check the building codes in your area to get the proper specs and regulations. Choose a spot that is away from your house and away from any low-hanging trees or other structures. Take precautions when digging holes, so that you don’t hit utility lines.

1. Lay out your pavers in a circle in the approximate size and shape of your fire pit. Fire pits should be about 36 to 44 inches in diameter. Our surrounding patio is made from recycled rubber pavers. We laid the fire pit stones out to the correct dimension then pulled the pavers out of and away from the pit.

2. When you have your circle roughed out, dig a 12-inch-deep hole in that location.

3. Pour sand into the bottom of the hole and tamp the sand level.

4. Begin to lay your wall stones around the perimeter of the hole. Continue stacking the stones so that they are 12 inches above the surrounding ground.

5. Pour a layer of sand into the ring of stones so that it covers the first layer, approximately 4 inches deep.

Beautiful southwestern rendition of a fire pit

Fire Pit You Tube video:

See how simple the installation can be!

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.