Fire pits are easily becoming widely popular. Many people are eager to learn how to build a fire pit. They are very easy to install which is why you can easily build it yourself. Once you have built your own fire pit, you can enjoy using it all year round. It can even make your backyard a popular place for gathering especially on cool evenings.

Choose a location

Before installing the fire pit, you must choose an empty place. If you will place the fire pit close to plants and shrubs, you might damage and even kill them. Also, don’t place them too close to your pool, fence, or home. The ash and soot from the fire pit can be damaging.

Check local building codes

You may also want to check the local building codes for any restrictions or rules & regulations. Although in small communities, to have something small like a fire pit doesn’t require approval. It’s only important to check your local utilities so you will not end up building a fire pit above a gas line or water line. Before you start any fire pit construction, make sure that everything is going to be legal.

Prepare the chosen location & Fire Pit Safety

After choosing a location, mark an outline where you would be placing the fire pit. You can use flour to mark the area. You can also use a stick to dig out a small trench to mark the spot. Bear in mind that the chosen area should be large enough. It must accommodate the fireplace grate. It must also provide at least one to two feet of space on each side. But the perimeter should not be too large, just enough for you to enjoy the heat from the fire. Remove completely any plant life in the area such as grass and flowers. If you remove the grass in layers, just set it aside. Use it to fill in any bare spots around the pit later. The only hard part in this project is removing the dirt. You will need to dig down and remove around six inches of soil from the entire area.

After removing the soil, smoothen and flatten the ground. The perimeter must be lined with some fire proof landscaping material. This will serve as safety precaution and protection. You can add pieces of rock or fire bricks. Once you finish the entire edge, prepare to create a decorative floor. It can be decorated with gravel, sand or even heat resistant lava rocks. Maintain at least two to three inch layer on the entire bottom. This will make the fire pit look nicer. This will also prevent an unsightly mud hole from forming around the pit when it rains. Then, install a drain pipe into the floor to serve as your drainage.

Begin building the fire pit

Now you can set your fireplace grate in the center of your pit. Fire wood to be used can be any kind as long as it’s not prohibited by your local authorities. You should be aware that there are certain types of wood that will create noxious vapors.

So do you think you can carry out these simple instructions of how to build a fire pit? It’s much better if you will experience the whole process. But if you don’t have enough time you may still opt to ask somebody else and build it for you. Maybe you have a friend or family member who is a pro in building a fire pit. He might want to do it for you.