Standalone Washing Machine Barrel Fire Pit
Lets go all the way back to the beginning. Simple might not equal the highest of aesthetic quality, but it certainly can translate to uniqueness. Anchor a washing machine barrel to the ground and you can have a chic, hip fire pit with no effort and little cost. No need to build around it with brick or stone, either, which makes it possible to put up and use this pit inside of a single day.
Fancy Brick Firepit With Benches
No one said that fire pits have to be dull and unappealing. If done right, you can make a fire pit look more detailed, with just a few concrete blocks, and a little bit of creativity. The way the blocks are stacked in this one is an example of an innovative way to make your fire pit and to place your blocks.
Backyard Fire Pit Ideas: Stay Warm While Entertaining
The best backyard fire pit ideas can create a stylish outdoor space.
‘With a little flair and imagination, your garden, patio or backyard ideas can be a real extension to your home another room if you will,’ says Claire Hornby, head of creative at Barker and Stonehouse . ‘And theres no reason to wait until warm days to enjoy your outdoor space. Just like cushions and throws that add an extra layer of warmth, fire pits are a great transitional piece that not only look impressive but also make life alfresco a little cozier.
You May Like: How To Hang Shades On Alumawood Patio
Step : Neatly Line Your Edgers Around The Diy Fire Pit Seating Area
When putting in the edgers for the walkway and DIY fire pit seating area, I didnt use a level, but instead, gauged by eyesight and my hands to see if one was significantly higher or lower than the one before it.
These Pavestone edgers actually locked together nicely because the edges were rounded out with a crescent shape.
They sit on top of the weed block fabric, holding it in place. You can also use weed block pins/metal stakes to hold everything in place. As I mentioned before, some folks said I should have used paver sand under these, but I honestly didnt feel I needed it. My soil is very clayish and compact and in the past, I have had success with edgers staying in place without paver sand, so I felt I didnt need it.
Heres an important tip: Make sure that you measure the size of the edgers youre using when planning your DIY fire pit seating area because you want to make sure you have an exact number of edgers for the space youre completing. It is possible to cut bricks to trim them to fit, but honestly, who wants to do that? If you know the length of the bricks, you can determine how many bricks youll need so that each junction fits perfectly.
Here is what the fire pit seating area looked like when the edgers were all laid out!
The Anatomy Of A Fire Pit
A fire pit can range in size from a simple hole excavated in the ground to sophisticated metal or brick structures that burn gas. The common characteristic of fire pits is that they are intended to confine and inhibit the spread of fire.
Because there are many materials that can make up a fire pit, its anatomy will differ from one type to another.
For example, a fire pit kit that has concrete paver blocks usually comes with a metal liner, construction adhesive which is used to fix the paver blocks in place, and capstones located at the top.
Don’t Miss: How To Weigh Down A Patio Umbrella
Go For A Simple Diy Build
This small fire pit was built from leftover bricks by DIY blogger Kezzabeth
Even with the tightest of budgets you can create a nifty fire pit that will work perfectly with your small garden ideas. Stacking bricks four or five courses high, in a circle, square or rectangular is enough to safely contain a wood burning fire. Add in a grill or wire mesh grate and you have a functional stove.
This project by DIY blogger Kezzabeth shows that with a few basic skills you can build your own fire pit for less than £25 . ‘I created this little DIY fire pit with some leftover bricks, simply rendering the outside to give it a modern finish. It’s perfect for this little spot at the back of our garden, providing a bit of heat on a cool summer’s night and it’s somewhere to toast marshmallows when the suns gone down too. It creates a lovely atmosphere and weve even used it for BBQs in the daytime, which is an added bonus when theres not enough room for a full-sized BBQ.’
We love how this simple but stylish design has been combined with DIY bench seating to create such a cozy spot. If you want to create a similar vibe in your backyard, our pallet furniture ideas will get you inspired.
How Deep Should An Inground Fire Pit Be
Generally, about 12 inches of depth is considered a standard for normal fire pits. But if youre looking to use the fire pit as a make-shift grill as well, you can adjust the depth accordingly.
Again, the wood or logs you burn in the fire pit plays an important role in choosing the depth. The length of the logs should never exceed the depth of the fire pit. If that happens, the fire sparks will start to fly all over the place.
Recommended Reading: How To Make A Wooden Patio Swing
A Fire Pit With A Metal Frame Made Of Steel
This fire pit has a metal frame made of steel stripes. Theres stone in between and the overall design is a nice mix of modern, rustic, and industrial.
You can make your own version which you can customize according to your own needs and preferences. To learn the basics and a few tips that might help along the way, check out this video tutorial on .
Make A Statement With An Industrial
Keep it rustic with industrial materials
Stripped back materials and functional design have been hugely influential both inside and outside our homes recently, and they are the perfect solution if you’re a fan of more rustic garden ideas.
The sheer strength and simple structures of many construction materials can make dramatic standout garden features. Along with hollow dense building blocks, concrete manhole rings and sections of corrugated steel pipe can all make substantial and stylish DIY fire pit ideas.
Often available from construction and reclamation yards they will safely contain a log fire, and thanks to their height guide much of the flying ash and sparks straight up and away from neighbors and any of your smart garden fence ideas.
Recommended Reading: How To Replace Webbing On Patio Chairs
Retaining Wall Fire Pit
Retaining walls are quite popular in backyard landscaping. It has a clean, smooth aesthetic that works well with straight lines and sharp cuts. So, it only makes sense to reason that you can create a retaining wall fire pit, too. Retaining walls not only have the smooth aesthetic that is quite popular, but it can also be a great way to keep moisture out of your fire pit as well.
Upcycled Truck Wheel And Stone Firepit
If you have a spare truck tire at home, you can use the inner portion as a base for your firepit. You, of course, need to remove the outer rubber part of the tire. Otherwise, you will get burnt tire fumes. Stack concrete slabs around the fire pit to make it look a little better and to cover the inner portion.
Don’t Miss: How To Make A Patio
How Much Does An Average Diy Fire Pit Cost
A fire pit costs on average $700 to build. The cost of the project might range from $300 to $1,400. Labor is charged at a cost of $55 per hour, or approximately $340 per task, while supplies are charged at a rate of around $400.
Naturally, this will vary depending on the materials you use, whether you hire a contractor or decide to do this yourself, what type of fuel the fire pit is going to use, or what type of material you want surrounding the pit, if any.
If you live in a location where spring and summer bring forth swarms of flying pests, you may want to consider an enclosure.
One of the decisions youll need to make before determining the materials and supplies youll require, and the cost of your project is the type of fuel youll use in the fire pit.
Certain materials are not suitable for all fuel types, the maintenance requirements may vary, and some will require the assistance of an electrician or plumber.
Landscape Wall Stone Fire Pit
This fire pit option is quite similar to the retaining wall option, though it doesnt have some of the practicality that a retaining wall fire pit has. A landscape wall stone fire pit can give you the visual aesthetic of a retaining wall fire pit but without the practicality . It wont keep moisture out of the fire pit, but it will look just as good as a retaining wall fire pit.
Also Check: What Size Umbrella For Rectangle Patio Table
Diy Smokeless Fire Pit
Assuming you have all the proper materials at your disposal, building a smokeless fire pit is fairly easy. The first step involves preparing the fire pit itself before any kind of fuel is even introduced.
A simple smokeless fire pit that works almost as well as expensive fire pits purchased at the store is known as the cabin, method. This can be done by laying two pieces of wood parallel to each other and then stacking two more on top to create a square, and continuing to stack wood in this fashion. This raised design allows for air to flow beneath the firewood and fuel your fire from the bottom, resulting in a fire that burns hotter, more steadily and free of smoke. This can also be achieved using the common teepee campfire method but can become difficult if rocks or a metal campfire ring make airflow difficult.
When it comes to building the fire, ensuring that your fire has enough airflow is one of the most important aspects. However, no matter how good the airflow is on your fire, wet wood will still cause enough smoke to make the experience unpleasant for anybody sitting too close.
Lay And Level The First Course
- Place the first block in the ring. Using a 2-foot level, check that it sits level both side to side and front to back. Where the block is too high, tap it down with a rubber mallet. Where it’s too low, shim it slightly with a handful of patio base. Make sure this first block is perfectly level and positioned correctly in the trench before moving on.
- Lay another block next to the first one. Butt the sides together tightly and line up the front and back edges. Using the first block as a reference, level the second block side to side and front to back.
- Lay the rest of the blocks in the trench in this manner until the ring is complete and all the blocks you counted earlier are used. Make sure each block is perfectly leveled and lined up tight with its neighbor before moving on to the next one. Using a 4-foot level, occasionally check level across the ring.
- A small hit with a mallet can make a big adjustment work slowly and carefully, block by block.
You May Like: How To Install Patio Sails
Select Location And Fire Pit Shape
Whether you are building a fire pit out of stone or concrete pavers or using a fire pit kit, you must select a location that is a safe distance from any structures and low hanging trees.
- Consult local building code and homeowner association for any restrictions.
- Disclosing your backyard fire pit could be a requirement of your homeowner’s insurance policy. Check with your agent to learn if having a fire pit may affect your coverage.
The style and shape of your fire pit will determine the type of blocks youll need to purchase. Fire pits typically measure 3 to 4 feet across.
- For a fire pit ring, you need trapezoidal blocks, which are narrower on one side. This allows the edges to fit snugly together for a circle without creating any gaps.
- A square fire pit uses rectangular blocks and can be constructed in a variety of patterns with blocks of different shapes and sizes.
Inset Square Brick Fire Pit
Very much similar to the last one but with a little difference. Rectangular can offer the appearance of much more fire pit space and be a much-needed change from all of the rounded fire pits that are out there. A square fire pit is also easier to lay as there are no radiuses or angles to cut, which can be tricky for those who dont have experience cutting brick or stone.
Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Mold On Patio Pavers
Create A Sunken Fire Pit
A sunken design works when you dont want your fire pit always on show.
This Chelsea Flower Show garden, designed by Adam Frost , features a below-ground-level fire that could be covered up when not in use. You could even swap in a solar-powered water feature or standalone sculpture if you wanted to give this area of the garden a new look.
Think about matching your hard landscaping materials, so that the firepit area and surrounding walls share similar tones, adding to the conceal-reveal surprise.
Creating A Low Cost Diy Fire Pit
One thing is for sure, the fire pit always made an evening seem more than magical. And that is exactly why when we moved to the new farm this year, building one became a top priority. In fact, it was one of the very first projects we completed.
Building a fire pit really can be both simple and inexpensive. The secret to success starts by employing a few basic fire pit building techniques that make it both strong, beautiful and functional. Then, by using natural and locally available materials, you can give it an incredible look that also happens to be quite economical.
Our new fire pit at our new farm. The entireire pit was built for just under $50, thanks to using stone we found at the farm.
Both of our fire pits were constructed for under $175 using the same process. In fact, our newest fire pit was actually built for under $50! Here is a step by step look at how we created our fire pit, along with a few tips on the best way to keep your project affordable.
Using The Earth As Your Friend How To Build A DIY Fire Pit
The first key to building a functional fire pit is to keep it slightly below the soil line. Burying the pit a bit under the ground has several big advantages when creating and maintaining a fire.
First, it helps to keep your fire pit safe by preventing the embers of a burning fire from jumping out. It also helps keep the wind from becoming too much of an issue. Both when starting, and for keeping smoke out eyes.
The Cooking Bar Install
Building The Stone Wall
Also Check: How Much Is A Gazebo Tent
How To Make A Smokeless Fire The Correct Way
Being able to make a smokeless fire is something that all survivalists and outdoor enthusiasts should know how to do.
Making a smokeless fire can be done by using properly seasoned firewood and building the fire in a way that allows for as much oxygen as possible while the wood is burning. Smokeless fires are only achieved by maximizing airflow and using the driest possible wood.
The use of proper firewood and the way the fire itself is built are the two main things you should focus on to reduce the amount of smoke your fire produces. Although not always possible, using firewood that has been properly dried over several months will make a huge difference. Moisture is often the biggest culprit in overly-smoky fires as it causes particulates to be released into the air as the wood burns.
There are plenty of expensive options available to create a smokeless fire such as investing in a propane fireplace that doesnt require wood at all. However, by following a few basic steps and understanding what causes excessive smoke, achieving a smokeless fire can be done at a minimal cost.
Barbecuing Over A Wood/ Charcoal Fire Pit
You can barbecue over almost any type of fire pit. And it does not really matter which materials you have used.
You will, of course, require a metal grill to place over the heat. Barbecuing differs somewhat from simpler methods of cooking with your open fire.
With barbecuing, you will let the flames from wood or charcoal die down before you place the items you wish to cook on the grill.
Burning charcoal in your fire pit could allow you to get better results, and you can consider making your own charcoal for this purpose. Perhaps you could even do so using wood grown on your property.
However, you can also barbecue over a simple wood fire.
Of course, you do not necessarily have to choose a fire pit for barbecuing. There are also a range of different ways that you could make your own DIY barbecue grill for your property.
For example, you could consider making a barbecue from a 55 gallon drum.
Also Check: Pergola Shade Cover Home Depot