DIY Fire Pit - How to Build a Fire Pit _ The Home Depot

A fire pit makes for a wonderful gathering place .

And installing one is an easy afternoon project before beginning .

Choose your fire pit location , a safe distance from any structures or low hanging trees and check your local building codes for any restrictions .

The style and shape of your fire pit will determine the type of wall blocks you'll need to purchase for a round fire pit .

You'll want trapezoidal blocks which are smaller on one side .

This allows the edges to fit snugly together without creating any gaps .

A square fire pit uses rectangular blocks and can be constructed in a variety of patterns with blocks of different dimensions at the Home Depot .

We have all the materials you need to build a fire pit and complete kits with detailed instructions are available online .

If you're installing in your yard , drive a stake down the middle of what will be the center of your pit use , marking , paint tied to a string to draw a circle around the stake .

The circle should be slightly larger than the outside dimensions of the fire pit .

You're planning to build , dig out the entire area for your fire pit .

You'll want to take it down to a depth of about seven inches below grade .

Using a hand tamper pack the dirt solidly all the way around , pour a generous amount of crushed gravel into the hole .

So your finished base will be approximately five inches thick , wet the gravel thoroughly with a garden hose and then use the hand tamper to compact it into a hard layer .

A couple of inches below the surface .

We're building this fire pit as part of a new patio construction where the crushed gravel base has already been laid .

Once you've decided on the location , lay out your first course of blocks snugging them together and using a level to make sure the height stays consistent if necessary .

Add leveling sand or tap down blocks to even things out .

After finishing out the first row , check the base layer in several places with a long level to be sure the structure is even then assemble the second level of wall blocks , making sure to stagger the joints between rows , bowls and insert rings come in standard sizes .

So you'll need to choose the right one for the fire pit you're planning to build after you've completed the second row test , fit the fire pit bowl to make sure the lip rests fully on the edge and adjust the positioning of the blocks if needed .

If everything's fitting properly , remove the second row of blocks and add beads of construction adhesive to the bottom layer to bond everything in place , then refit the blocks and continue the process for the next row .

A fire pit typically only has three or four rows of blocks .

The bowl sits on top and can be removed for easy cleaning .

If you decide to build your fire pit in the middle of an existing patio , this can be done , but you'll need to cement your bottom layer to the patio to keep it from shifting with your new pit finished .

It's time to build a roaring fire and invite the neighbors over to enjoy some outdoor entertainment .