Firepit outdoors is just an amazing place for gathering, chatting and giggling. To spend good times and share great pleasure with family and friends.
Stone fire pits are familiar as outdoor fire for a long time. This stone-made fire pit creates an ancient and attractive look. Stone fire pits are strong, firm, and extensively durable. The building process is also simple and cost-effective.
Now we are going to share with you the most convenient way of building a stone fire pit. In 6 easy steps, you can craft an excellent stone fire pit in your yard.
Let’s get started with the supplies list you will need.
Material and Tools
- Stone pavers
- Fire brick/ Fire ring
- Concrete
- Masonry adhesive
- Sand
- Gravel
- Lava rocks
- Spray stain
- Measurement tape
- Shovel
- Spade
- Rebar
- String
DIY Stone Fire Pit (Step by Step Instructions)
Step 1: Preparing the Place
The first and crucial step of building an outdoor fire pit is selecting the right place and preparing the place for building a structure. Choose a place that is even or at least nearly even. Also, make sure there are no trees or branches around and over the place.
Remove all the obstacles, if any. Clean the place thoroughly. The diameter of the area should be at least 5 feet. Start to dig the ground with a spade. Dig at least 5 to 6-inch deep. Level the ground with the help of a shovel.
Step 2: Marking Different Section
Now measure the diameter and mark the middle point. Place rebar on the point and tie the string with it. This string will help you to mark out different sections accurately. Firstly mark out the outer corner. Then mark liner for fire brick. And then mark the main fire area that should be 2-inch inside from the fire brick line. With spray paint, mark the inner section.
Step 3: Pouring the Base
Prepare a concrete mixture as per the given instruction on the package. Now pour the mixture on the outer space of the structure base. Start by placing a fire brick on the inner side. Make a baseline. Keep a regular gap between the bricks. That will create a way of air circulation. Besides fire bricks, you can use a fire ring. This additional layer will protect your stone structure and enable a smokeless fire pit feature on your stone fire pit. If you want to know how a smokeless fire pit works, you can check our article.
Step 4: Started Layering
Start to build the layer of brick. Follow the lead and start to put your stones one by one. This step is fun to do, but you have to be careful also. Stone paver’s shapes can be even or irregular. So while building the stone wall, you may have to use both mortar and adhesive. Use where you think it needs to be to acquire a better finish.
Step 5: Finish Making The Wall
Following step 4, complete making the whole structure. After the wall is done, level the upper surface. Choose closely even stone for this step. Use a concrete mixture to fill up the gaps. Give a proper finishing. Let the structure dry for at least 48 hours.
Step 6: Improving the Base
After the stone fire pit structure is completely dried off, start to make the firing bed. Pour 1 to 2-inch layer of sand. Then add lava rocks of your choice. It will enhance your fire pit look to the next level. The lava rocks as an insert will also work as natural drainage for your fire pit. You can check more rack-inserts for fire pits in this article of the best rock inserts for your fire pit.
Final touch
Swipe out the fire pit with a brush or broom. If you want, you can paint the inner side of the fire pit. Use black spray paint. It will protect the brick wall and also give a no-mess look. You can create a walkway around the fire pit with sand and pebbles. Moreover, you can build a fire pit bench or fire pit swing set up around this stone fire pit. If you don’t want to build, you can get the best fire pit chairs. That will enable another sphere of comfort and enjoyment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you put in the bottom of a stone fire pit?
You can put a layer of sand or gravel and then lava rock on the bottom of a stone fire pit. If you want, you can skip the lava rocks. But it would be better if you give a proper base set up to the fire pit.
Does a stone fire pit need a liner?
Yes, a liner of brick or metal insert would be great for your stone fire pit. Knowing the heat rating of stones is not easy. So protecting them from direct heat exposure giving them an extra layer is safest.
How many stones do I need to make a fire pit?
You can’t exactly say how many stones you need for a fire pit. That entirely depends on your fire pit diameter and the size of stone you are using. However, if you select a uniform stone, you may need fewer stones than the non-uniform shape.
What stone is best for a fire pit?
Any hard and dense stones would be best for making a fire pit. For example, basalt, marble, granite, masonry stone and slate are great for building a structure with them.
N.B. All the images are taken from HGTV.
