Okay, so I wanted a fire pit in my backyard, you know, for those chilly evenings and roasting marshmallows. But I didn’t want to just dig a hole and call it a day. I wanted something that looked decent and wouldn’t fall apart after a few fires. So, I decided to use bricks to build it.
First, I started looking into what kind of bricks to use. Regular bricks? Nope, those can crack under high heat. I found out that fire bricks, also called refractory bricks, are the way to go. These suckers are denser and can handle the heat. Plus, they’re bigger and thicker than your average brick.
Next, I sketched out a rough plan. Nothing fancy, just a simple circle design. I measured out the area in my backyard and marked it with some string. Then came the fun part—digging. I dug out a shallow circle, a few inches deep, to create a base for the fire pit.
With the hole ready, I started laying the fire bricks. I put down a layer of gravel at the bottom for drainage, then started placing the bricks around the edge, fitting them tightly together. It was like a big, round puzzle. I kept adding rows of bricks, making sure each row was level. I didn’t use any mortar or anything, just stacked them carefully.
It took a while, but I built it up to about knee-high. It was looking pretty good! I made sure there were a few small gaps between some bricks on the bottom row for airflow. Gotta have that airflow for a good fire, you know?
- Choose fire bricks for durability and heat resistance.
- Plan your design and measure the area for the fire pit.
- Dig a shallow hole and create a gravel base for drainage.
- Lay the fire bricks in rows, fitting them tightly together.
- Build up the walls to the desired height, ensuring airflow gaps.
Finally, I stepped back and admired my work. It wasn’t perfect, but it was my own DIY fire pit. That first fire was awesome. It was a good feeling, sitting around the fire pit I built myself. It was so fun!
