Okay, here is my blog post about how I built a fire pit with bricks:
It all started when my wife said she wanted a fire pit in our backyard. I’m always up for a good DIY project, so I thought, “Sure, why not?” I did some quick research online, just to get a general idea of what I was getting myself into. Turns out, it’s not rocket science.
First Steps
First things first, I picked a spot in the yard. I made sure it was far enough from the house and trees, you know, for safety. I marked the area with some string and stakes, just to get a feel for the size. I decided on a circular shape because it seemed the easiest.
Digging
Then came the fun part – digging. I dug a shallow pit, maybe about 8 inches deep. It didn’t need to be super deep, just enough to get a good base going. I leveled the bottom of the pit as best as I could, using a leveler and some elbow grease.
Gravel Base
Once the pit was ready, I filled it with a layer of gravel. I think I used a few bags from the local hardware store. This was for drainage, which I read was important. I spread the gravel evenly and tamped it down to make a solid base.
Laying Bricks
Next up, the bricks. I picked up some fire-resistant bricks. I started laying them in a circle along the edge of the pit. I didn’t use any mortar or anything. I just placed them snugly against each other. I went around and around, building up the walls of the fire pit. It was like a giant, circular puzzle.
Finishing
I kept stacking bricks until the fire pit was the height I wanted, maybe about three or four layers high. I made sure the top layer was level and looked nice. The last thing I did was put some larger stones around the outside of the fire pit, just for decoration, but the fire pit looks pretty already.
And that’s it! We used the fire pit that very night. It was awesome. We roasted marshmallows and just enjoyed the warmth. It’s not perfect, but it’s ours, and it works great. It’s pretty cool to sit around a fire pit that you built yourself.
