Building an outdoor fire pit on private property is fun and a great way to add some excitement to a back yard or to a private campground. If you are thinking about building your own outdoor fire pit, perhaps this guide can help you. If you are considering building, an outdoor fire pit there is no need to hire a contractor, as this is something that can easily be done but anyone. An outdoor fire pit project can be accomplished by a few people in a matter of hours. An outdoor fire pit depending upon the size can cook for multiple people or just provide a relaxing time for several activities. You will need to determine what you will be using this outdoor fire pit for, before you begin building it.
Will this be for entertaining large groups or perhaps just for you and your immediate family to gather around on warm summer night or cool fall nights? Outdoor fire pits can be cozy for little groups and big groups.
A large outdoor fire pit can use for entertaining; in my extended family we often have a bonfire in my sister’s overly large pit. It is perfect for roasting marshmallows for the smores, but we have also gathered around it many times as my brother and brother in-law who has a band led us all in song. This one is large enough for every one of us to gather around.
Down at our private family campground we have a few outdoor fire pits and each serves their own unique purpose. The smaller of the two is a cooking outdoor fire pit so it is smaller and has two grates set among the cinder blocks so that it acts as a stove.
The bigger outdoor fire pit at the campsite is five foot wide by ten foot long, and is primarily for our viewing enjoyment, but we have been known to roast marshmallows in there as we have gathered around it to enjoy watching the fire burn. There is just something very special about sitting around an outdoor fire pit with family that makes the world seem perfect.
Once you have figured out the purpose of this outdoor fire pit you can figure out the location. Your location should be a flat surface in the middle of a clearing, devoid of trees, shrubs and enough room around the outside of it so that people can easily move.
Keeping it away from out buildings, shrubs, and trees is extremely important as one can imagine for safety reasons. However, you must make sure that the area in general is safe. You will need flat land for the outdoor fire pit itself but for the land around it in at least a five-foot clearance for chairs, people, and general safety purposes.
Make sure you clear the land, which will become the outdoor fire pit of small rocks that will become projectiles when heated. You will need to make sure you clear the land around the perimeter of the pit as well for visible obstacles that will become invisible by nightfall. Larger rocks partly sticking out of the ground should be removed so no one trips over them, and exposed tree roots should be chopped down or removed so they are not an obstacle. You could even paint them a bright color this way they are visible at night but most people do not want to add such a bright color and spoil the beauty of this.
The materials you can use to build this outdoor fire pit vary widely and it really depends on your budget. You can choose to use all natural products or go the other more expensive route and build it with cinder blocks or bricks.
If you have access to a creek or a riverbed those big, flat rocks are perfect for use in this pit. You can lay them on the bottom of the pit, or create a ring around your outdoor fire pit to form an all-natural walk way. If you have bigger rounded rocks, you could stack them in a shape on the exterior of your pit to form the wall of it.
Cinder blocks are available in many sizes and shapes which make them useful in many different types of pits. Building your outdoor fire pit out of cinder blocks limits your shape somewhat and can get costly depending on the size. They are more readily available then flat rocks in some areas, because every Lowe’s around the country carries cinder blocks. My son priced them the other day for a project we had here and the cost was $1.49 apiece so having 50 or so of them for a good size outdoor fire pit can get a bit costly. Cinder blocks need some cement sandwiched between them so that do not fall over when bumped for safety purposes.
Bricks can also be used in your outdoor fire pit; these bricks can be found in many places and are usually smaller but more decorative. It is an alternative in case you dislike the cinder blocks or river rocks. Bricks need some cement sandwiched between them so that do not fall over when bumped for safety purposes.
Safety is important in every aspect of this outdoor fire pit from building it to enjoying it.
The right tools are essential, so make sure you have them before starting any home improvement project. Have a partner; do not try to complete any tasks such as this solo. Use a wheelbarrow or even a kid’s metal wagon to move bricks, rocks, cinder blocks, and bags of cement. Keep safety in mind and practice it always. When there is a fire in the outdoor fire pit, make sure a responsible adult is watching over it.
