Homemade Fire Pits Using Brick
- 1). Find a suitable location. Look for an area that is clear of anything flammable -- most notably houses and trees.
- 2). Mark the diameter of the fire pit. Drive a wooden stake into the ground. Tie a string to the stake. Cut the string to a length that is half of what you want the diameter of the fire pit to be. If you want a fire pit that is 6 feet in diameter, cut your string to 3 feet in length. Hold the end of the string in one hand and walk it out until it is as tight as it will go. Begin walking in a circle around the wooden stake, keeping the string tight the entire time. Drag one of your feet or use a stick to mark the circle in the dirt. Remove the stake and string from the area.
- 3). Dig out the pit with a shovel. The depth of the fire pit is up to you, but the deeper you dig, the more layers of bricks you will need. Plan on having at least one layer of bricks below the surface of the ground for stability. A flat-edged shovel such as a spade works well to carve out the dirt around the edge of the fire pit circle.
- 4). Place the first layer of bricks inside the pit so that they line the outside edge, or walls of the pit. Arrange the bricks so that their edges touch one another.
- 5). Add another layer of bricks on top of the first. Stagger the bricks so that the second layer covers up the space between the bricks of the first layer. You do not want the same gaps in each layer, as this will make the bricks much less stable.
- 6). Continue laying bricks until you reach the desired height for your fire pit. Do not make the brick walls too tall or they could topple over. If you plan on using the fire pit for cooking, keep the brick layers short so that the grate and food will not be too far away from the flames.
- 7). Shovel a thin layer of gravel into the fire pit to give it a more ornamental look. The gravel will also help keep the wood from touching the ground, which is helpful if is damp.
- 8). Purchase a grill grate large enough to fit over your fire pit if you wish to use it for cooking. You can find large grill grates at cooking supply stores, home improvement centers and on the Internet.
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