building a stone fire pit

[bhostasa]

Hi everyone. I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this but I'll start it here. I am planning on building a large fire pit out by the pond this spring and was wondering if anyone has done this recently.

I am figuring on a 18-20" high wall with a 6' ID (so I can throw large limbs in without extra sawing). I was originally planning on using a firebrick inner wall with a more decorative stone on the exterior and top. I just started looking at a paver system (Unilock) also.

With the paver system, you don't have to use any mortar or firebrick. You also don't have to pour a footer. Material costs should be pretty comparable...around $600-700.

Anyone have any thoughts or experiences with either one of these?

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evenin bhostasa,
You might try reading through this thread, some great ideas and pictures !

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/84619-building-backyard-fire-pit.html

Here is mine !

 

[Egon]

I have one just a little smaller out at the lake. It is constructed different with three flat slate rocks sitting on a stone rubble base that is about a foot high.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I don't like pits, I have this wierd fear of either falling in or a little kid falling in. Plus don't they fill with water?

Here is my "pit"...

 

[scott_vt]

I don't like pits, I have this wierd fear of either falling in or a little kid falling in. Plus don't they fill with water?

Here is my "pit"...

Good Evenin Ridgewalker,
Well my little kids are 27 and 25 so Im not too worried about them fallin in ! In reality its not a pit, its just a circle of field stone to help contain the fire ! A child could just as easily fall into your camp fire as mine with the surrounding stone IMO .

Fill with water ? No it just percolates into the ground. If it was dug out slightly it might take a bit longer to empty in a heavy rain.

If I had any grand children, I might have a different opinion, and would probablly have to take extra precausions !

 

[Greenmountain Farmer]

Good Evenin bhostasa,
You might try reading through this thread, some great ideas and pictures !

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/84619-building-backyard-fire-pit.html

Here is mine !

Scott, thanks for the link a lot of great ideas
Tom in Vermont

 

[LBrown59]

This is what I use.

 

[Egon]

Those concrete blocks are gona crack when you get a decent fire built! Maybe even with the first one.

 

[MarkV]

Might consider making it tree sided and wide enough to empty ashes with your FEL.

MarkV

 

[forgeblast]

Diy network's show rock solid showed how to make one. I just used field stone mortored together its holding up great and i burn paper/cardboard in it all year long. One thing i did do was make sure it would fit a fire grate if needed to cook over. I have some perferated stainless steel that works great.

 

[LBrown59]

Those concrete blocks are gona crack when you get a decent fire built! Maybe even with the first one.

Already have but to me it's not a big deal.

*Might consider making it three sided and wide enough to empty ashes with your FEL.
MarkV

I made this one special to do just that.

 

[Thumper & Buttercup]

We'll we cheated when we built ours, we had a building behind the house with a summer kitchen in it. We took out the building and it had a bell cistern in it. We filled the cistern and packed it pretty good, we put 15 bags of mortar in the bottom and gave it a dome effect for drainage. We then put a mortar base around the top and built the layers of brick up.

I don't know about what happened but this pit has the hottest fires I've cooked with. We took a couple 5' iron poles and used water hose clamps and a grill grid to cook on. Works great.

 

[Mickey_Fx]

Here is my fire-pit. Done on the cheap. Have used it for 2 summers. Three ft ID and 2 layers deep. Didn't even use mortar but did use some construction adhesive near the OD. Blocks are sitting on the ground. Ground is free of grass for about 10'-12' circle.

Blocks stay in place, no cracks, suits our need and can be done away with or moved with little trouble.

Sorry for the close up but the only pic I have.

 

[bhostasa]

That looks like a great place to relax Thumper! Is that real stone or some kind of paver?

 

[Thumper & Buttercup]

Morning bhostasa,

Its the regular stones that you build retaining walls with. The shape of the fire makes it hotter than I planned. The first steak dinner we cooked, well we had baked potatos and I laid them at the edge of the fire like I always do.

I did not anticipate the temp being so hot, it must be the shape of the pit, well the potato's were only in there for 1/2 a hour or a little more, we always cook our potato's 45 min before the meat goes on, we'll the wife says is that sparks I see on the potato's, I go to grab it and it burst into flames, the fire was so hot it burned up the aluminum foil also. Had to build a elevated platform that I put off to the side to put the potato's on.

With the winters we have there are a couple hairline cracks in the mortar but it is holding up real good. I have some of the photos of us building the pit if it will help you.
Have a good one.

I'm working on a platform that I can put cast iron kettle's on that will swing over the edge of the fire and then back out to stir and take off the fire.

 

[jimmyj]

With a 6' ID sounds like you're going to have some pretty serious fires. Make sure your "stone material" is one that does not absorb water or moisture much or the stones will break up quickly. Also, make sure you site it where there is no risk of roots or buried wood catching fire underground. Some areas are very "peaty" around where I live and I've seen stumps or roots burn underground for a very long time. If the ground is not suited to safety, dig it out and line it with sand or something that will let the water drain through.

I don't have any pics but we have 3 pits and they are basically a hole in the ground with rocks piled around the edges. A couple of times a year I empty them out and re-lay the rocks so they look nice (they are not mortared into place and get knocked around when we pile a lot of brush on).

Have fun!

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

good thread with some good ideas....thanks!

 

[SPIKER]

I will be replacing my fire pit this year, it was there when I bought the place in 2000, lasted 8 years made of cinder block loose stacked with one or two turned so you can shove sticks into it without moving the lid/grill/syrup pan. it was holding up very well until I started making Syrup in it 4 seasons ago. it lasted 3 seasons on top of being 8+ years of use. It sets in a wet area top course was/is solid 4" thick block which the syrup pan / grill sets on when cooking. it is built 3 full blocks with the 1st course set into ground about 1/2 way probably was orriginally ground level & simply sank. with the top solid course. I have repaired it 3 or 4 times mostly required re-stacking from shuffling and freeze thaw. Just 2 weeks back in the freeze thaw it had one side give away finally. part of the reason I didn't make syrup this year. back and fact the pit I knew would need re-built from ground up this time. it is mostly left over blocks salvaged here 7 there anyway so costs is nodda... NEW one I think I might try the landscape type blocks others are using just need to figure way to fill wood under the syrup pan!

Mark

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Those concrete blocks are gona crack when you get a decent fire built! Maybe even with the first one.

I learned about refractory cement the hard way....
I built a fire on top of an old slab. thing exploded like fireworks, good thing it wasn't near the house.

 

[Egon]

thing exploded like fireworks

Any cement or rock that is porous and is saturated with water has that sort of reaction when heated and the water turns into steam. Sorta like "Steam Grenades". I believe some people might have been hurt by steam propelled rock bits but have no documentation on such sooo!