Property Management Blog

Summer is finally here which means plenty of nights spent enjoying the outdoors. While the days may be warmer than usual, some nights are still a little chilly. If you have been thinking of ways to still be outside while also being warm and cozy, a fire pit could be the right choice for you. Here is the way to make your own backyard fire pit for this summer!

PREPARE

First, make sure building your own fire pit doesn't break your local fire code. Check for suggestions or guidelines on how far the pit needs to be away from your home or other structures for safety purposes.

Now that you know you can build, it is time to pick up supplies! You may already have some of these items at home, but you can find whatever you don't have at your local hardware store. This is what you'll need:

Bricks for the wall
Gravel
Twine
Tape Measure
Stake
Shovel
Trowel
Level

BUILD

The first step you'll make is creating a circle where you want your fire pit. Take your stake and place it in the center of where you want your circle. Next, you'll want to cut your twine to half of the length of your goal size. If you want a pit 5 feet in diameter, make your twine 2.5 feet long. Tie one end of your twine to your stake and the other end to your trowel. Drag the trowel with the twine fully extended around the stake, using the sharp part of the trowel to create a clear circle in the grass.

The second step requires your shovel. You will shovel out all of the grass inside of the circle you have created, and tamp down the dirt remaining in the circle with the bottom of your shovel. Make sure your circle is level, and make adjustments by adding or removing dirt to do so.

Next, you will add several inches of gravel. Make sure you spread the gravel evenly, covering your entire circle.

Now is time to add your bricks. Create a circle with your bricks, leaving a few inches of gravel around the outer rim as a safety buffer. You will want to stack your bricks until the wall of your fire pit is at least a foot tall.

ENJOY

Now you can use your brand new fire pit. If you're still looking for a home where you can build a fire pit, give me a call!