One of the elements I wanted to include in our garden makeover was a focal point to sit round with the family. Here is how to build a fire pit!
I have visions of us using the garden all year round, toasting marshmallows over the fire pit in winter and huddled together keeping warm with the fire. As our children are older now, I didn’t have to worry about the safety aspect of an open flame as I would with a toddler, so when we were designing our garden layout, I researched where to buy a fire pit ‘bowl’ so we could build a stand for it and include it in our garden.
We found the fire pit bowl online and measured the circumference. Once we had this, my husband (a builder) chose a spot for the fire pit and built a radius wall of half a metre high.
To get the radius of the wall to the same size as the bowl, he created a cardboard template of the metal dome, by drawing round it so he had a guide as to where to lay the bricks! Then he began to create the first row of brickwork to start off the fire pit.
You can’t use full bricks for something like this. As you are creating a curved wall, you need half bricks as you couldn’t turn full bricks sharp enough to get that kind of circle. The bricks you use need to be cut in half with a brick hammer before laying.
Keep laying the rows of brick until you reach the half metre height and then allow the mortar to set for a few days. Four days should be long enough to ensure the structure is solid. If the weather is bad whilst the brickwork is setting then you need to cover the fire pit to protect the work. If it’s frosty, cover it with hessian. If it’s raining, cover it with Visqueen (a damp proof membrane). Otherwise, if it is pleasant weather, the brickwork should be ok left uncovered.
Once set, sprinkle some gravel into the bottom of the pit to help drain any elements like water away. After that, lay your metal fire pit bowl on top and you are ready to fill it with logs and burn it!
Since our fire pit has been finished (and the rest of the garden) we have enjoyed many evenings outside – even through the winter! We purchased some outdoor furniture that would compliment the garden and positioned a couple of chairs around the fire pit to create a welcoming seating area.
We have been able to recycle some old wooden furniture from the house that has broken and would have been thrown away into logs for the fire pit! I love being able to light a ‘camp fire’ at any time of year and it has added an extra special element to our garden.
Pingback: Top Five Home Trends For 2015 - JuggleMum
It’s a lovely idea and a real focal point for a social occasion or just family time in the garden.
What a great project if you have the room for it. Looks great finished.
Oh I love this Nadine, what a great idea – and that BBQ looks ace too! Can just imagine sitting there with a glass of savvy toasting mashmallows 🙂
That’s exactly what we had in mind when we built it!!
This looks wonderful. I’d love to have a fire pit in our garden – but my husband’s not a builder so it probably won’t happen!
This is brilliant, how cosy to sit by it and very romantic.
I would love to have a fire pit, what a wonderful addition to the garden.
It’s so lovely in the winter!
Looks fab! We love our firepit (although it’s not built in like yours!)
What a lovely idea and it doesn’t seem to difficult to make either. Unfortunately we don’t have the space for one of these in our garden but I love the idea of toasting marshmallows on it!
That all looks amazing. I have just had quotes for a new patio and was really shocked at the price
Yes, I’m grateful that I am married to a builder!!
My hubby would absolutely love a fire pit x
Love the look at this, when we have a bigger garden this would be an awesome addition! x
What an inviting area you have created, Nadine, I have always loved a good pit fire and your looks cracking awesome, if I may say so :-)!xx
You may Oana – Thanks!!
Ooh that is ace, would love to have one of these in our back garden!
I would love to have room for this. It’s wonderful
How great that your husband was able to build one for you. Mine is not DIY-minded at all!
I’d love one of these for the garden – we would use it in the winter too!
Oh yes! All year round!
I totally love it! You can not beat a cosy firepit x
Pingback: How To Sink A Trampoline - JuggleMum
How great that you built it yourselves! I would love one, but our weather is just so awful most of the time! Kaz x
Pingback: The one where I became an Agony Aunt | JuggleMum
Pingback: Let there be light! | JuggleMum