How to Build a Stone Fire Pit

Sitting around a warm fire on a cool, clear evening is something many of us dream about. It reminds us of camping with our families and friends. Nowadays, you don’t have to head off into the mountains to get that warm campfire feeling. A backyard fire pit is becoming a common trend in backyards all across the Pacific Northwest. It brings families and friends closer together as they sit around the fire, telling stories, mulling over life or enjoying the open air. A fire pit makes the fire a little safer and more manageable as well as keeps things neat and tidy in the backyard. You will find what you need to make your own backyard fire pit at Greenwood Hardware.

Follow these simple directions to make your own stone fire pit.

1. Put a pole or stake in the center of the area you want the fire pit. If you want a fire pit that is six feet around, cut a piece of rope to three feet and use some duct tape to hold it to the bottom of the pole where it meets the ground. Extend the rope and turn it to create a circle around the center pole.
2. Use a shovel to flatten the area or remove any grass or weeds. You should have a fairly perfect circle in the ground at a depth of about 6 inches.
3. With the pole in the same place, cut the rope to a length that accounts for the width of the stones that will be used to create the fire pit wall. If the stones are 6 inches wide, your string should be 30 inches long. Use marking paint to draw a circle inside the ring.
4. Pour a layer of cement in the outer circle, making sure to use a trowel to create a flat surface. If you are using a steel ring, now is the time to put it in the center. The steel ring will help keep the heat off the stone, as the stone may crack under the heat of a fire over time.
5. Add a layer of stones into the wet cement, creating a circle. Use mortar to add several layers of stone to create the walls. You can skip the cement foundation and mortar and dry stack the stones if you like. They won’t be as stable, but some of the stones you find are designed to stack on top of one another and will hold fairly steady.

Building a fire pit is a fairly simple task that you can get done within a couple of hours. Head out back and decide where you want your fire pit and how big you want it and then head to Greenwood Hardware to pick up what you need to get started. Come on in, or contact us today

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