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This inground custom round masonry outdoor fire pit ring is constructed with bricks and concrete. Build this fire pit design and add value to your backyard or outside patio spaces. Our fire pit construction plan will explain how to build and make your own outdoor patio or backyard fire pit. This outdoor fire pit design is 19 inches tall and 7 feet 2 inches in diameter. The inside diameter of the pit is 5 feet .
Fire pits are permanent or portable containers for bonfires, barbecues, and outdoor heat. Different fire pit designs can incorporate different fuel sources, sizes, styles, and accessories. Some fire pits burn wood or natural gas, others are equipped to roast marshmallows or accompany you on a camping trip.
One of the most attractive fire pit designs is the chimenea. This squat, circular tub sits above the ground on three stout feet. Traditionally made out of ceramic, this outdoor stove was meant to cook food and provide heat by burning wood logs when indoor stores weren't available. Now, the chimenea's recognizable shape, with its rounded body and cylindrical, flaring stovepipe, appeals to many homeowners. You can find a chimenea made of cast iron or other metal, as well. You feed the fire with wood through a small space on the side of the bowl.
Another possible choice among the different fire pit designs is an in-ground, permanent space. These pits start as holes dug into the ground, and then are lined with small walls of stone that extend above the ground. The bricks or rocks insulate the fire from the soil and block the wind. This simple design allows you to build a basic campfire in the backyard, but also gives you a place to set a grill for a few skewers of roasted peppers. Sunken fire pits can't be moved, and offer safety improvements over an open ground fire.
There are other fire pit designs for basic wood fire pits. They can be designed as portable, above ground units. Copper bowls, for instance, are glittering containers that sit on metal supports and provide a dish in which to build an open bonfire. Large round, square, or rectangular boxes can also hold a fire, and integrated spark screens cover the flames. These coverings let in fresh air but keep flames and sparks from escaping.
A popular choice, these portable fire pit designs work in the desert, beach, woods, or backyard, so your investment goes a long way. Some enclosed fire pits have the option of a rotisserie bar if you want to roast chicken, an ash pan to easily remove debris, or a flat grill to cook hamburgers. They will accept both logs and coals.
More complicated fire pit designs run off of gas instead of wood. These fire pits are usually permanent, as they need to be hooked to your home's natural gas lines. Designs that use propane are attached to a semi-portable tank and can be carefully relocated. Just like indoor gas fireplaces, a gas fire pit creates flames above concrete or ceramic logs. The unit may be shaped like a bowl or box, but it doesn't need spark screens. Use this design in neighborhoods where wood fires have been outlawed as a fire hazard, but you still want to sit around leaping, orange flames on a crisp, autumn evening.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Insert a wooden rod where you want the center of the fire pit. Connect the rod to a can of spray paint with a 10-1/2-inch-long string, hold string taut, and paint a circle. Attach a 22-1/2-inch-long string to the spray paint can; repeat the procedure. Following the outline, dig a trench 10 inches deep and 12 inches wide.
2. Line the trench with 2 inches of gravel, then tamp it firm. Cover the gravel with concrete up to ground level. Use a shovel to remove air pockets, level with a scrap of 2x4, then smooth the surface with a trowel. After the concrete is hard to the touch, cover it with plastic for several days, then let it cure in the open air for a week.
3. After the concrete has cured, mist it with water and spread it with refractory mortar. Press a 6-inch manhole block into the mortar, then place another flush against the first, using a scrap of 2x4 to keep the tops of the blocks even. Leave three equidistant 3/4-inch gaps in this first course to serve as air vents.
4. Dry-lay a second course of 6-inch manhole blocks over the first (do not use mortar). Position the blocks so they are flush with each other. The internal edges of the blocks in the second course should line up with those in the first course. This will result in a slight lip along the outer edge.
5. Mist the blocks of both the first and second course with water, then apply surface-bonding cement to the exterior. Smooth the surface with a wet trowel. Keep the top edge clear of cement to ensure that the cap will bond with the wall, and do not cover the air vents.
6. Cut fireproof brick capstones into wedges using a circular saw with an abrasive masonry blade and chisel (wear goggles). After surface-bonding cement has cured, mist the fire pit with water. Fill in the block hollows then add a coating of mortar to the top edge. Top mortar with brick wedges. Let the fire pit cure for 30 days.