Popular Mechanics - USA (2019-12)

A stone fire pit isn’t just a practical gathering point for your yard, it’s

more attractive than a temporary pit and less labor-intensive than a

masonry construction. Stone is affordable, too. We found this pit at

a local home center for about $650, and it took two people only four

hours to construct. Here’s our advice for building your own.

THE SITE

Steer clear of low-hanging limbs and
power lines, and don’t put the pit
over or near a septic tank, leaching
field, well head, or property line.
Check your local laws and permit
requirements to ensure your site
will be far enough from both your
neighbor’s land and your own home.
Drive a stake in the center of your
prospective site and loop a mason’s
line around it. Tie the other end of
the line to a can of landscaping paint
so you can trace the circumference
of your pit. Ours was 102 inches in
diameter, which accommodated a
66-inch pit with an 18-inch band of
gravel around it.

THE BASE

Dig a hole 4 inches deep bordered

by the painted circle. Fill it with

crushed stone (we used a few

wheelbarrows’ worth of 2A Mod-

ified, a common road-building

material) to a depth of about 2

inches, and compact it with a hand

tamper. It’s important to build the

pit’s walls on a level surface, so to

make sure the blocks align prop-

erly and that the surface is flat,

use a mason’s level before adjust-

ing the crushed stone as needed.

Level the stone where the pit will

be situated, but you don’t have to

be as fussy about the outer band

of gravel.

THE WALL

This pit’s wall consists of two layers

of wedge-shaped concrete blocks,

each with a clearly marked top and

bottom. Position the inside edge of

each block 24 inches from the center

of the pit and slot each block along-

side the next to form a circle. The

blocks should fit just like a puzzle,

with the last fitting snug between

the previous block and the first

block. After the first tier is com-

plete, use a straight piece of lumber

and a level to ensure it’s even before

building the second tier. If you

stagger the second tier so the

seams don’t line up with the tier

below, you’ll have a more stable wall.

THE FIRE RING

Bolt together the steel fire ring

(ours came in two pieces), place it

inside the concrete wall of the pit,

and use a rubber mallet to settle it

into the crushed stone. Use more

stone to fill the gap between the

ring and the concrete wall. Add the

capstones atop your wall. Lay the

pieces in position first to make sure

they’ll all align properly, and then

use a quarter-size glob of masonry

adhesive to glue them into place.

Finally, ring the pit with gravel and

bring out some chairs. The pit will

safely contain a bonfire, and you

won’t have any ugly charred circles

on your lawn later.

HOW TO

B U I LD A

BACKYARD

FIRE PIT

ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGE REFSTECK December 2019 75