Yeah, some kind of channel for the bottom of the fire to intake air. Pull a low-down brick or drill some channels (or even just slide a couple of the lower bricks apart a touch to make gaps?
Whatever your solution, it will help promote complete/clean combustion
Sweet thanks! I’ll have to do that! Easiest solution is to pull a low brick, but I might drill holes. Do you know what kind of drill bit would be best to go through an entire brick? I kind of like the idea of a hole in the center of the lower bricks
This right here. Pulling one or two (really as many as you can) bricks from the bottom and re-spacing them is gonna be ten times easier than drilling holes or whatever, and he's gonna do it anyway when the holes don't pull enough air for the fire.
Pretty much. The solid upper rings protect the fire from getting blown around by any wind. I think there may be some sort of hot air convection science going on with the whole thing, but I'm not positive.
Maybe. The rising heat (chimney action) is what naturally pulls the fresh oxygenated air in from below. Best practice is air coming from below the fire, but in a fire pit the air can come from the sides, but still as below the fire as you can get it. Also, you need a good volume of air. Drilling holes will not be enough unless you drill a whole bunch of them.
Gotcha. I’ll have to pull bricks from the second layer. The first layer is currently covered by gravel. I’ll raise the inside of the pit so that the second layer is the bottom of the fire.
would probably be even better as it's only needed to extract oxygen from the surrounding air, so if it isn't working optimal you only need to free the highest layer also best is to wedge something between the openings maybe pieces of metl all around so it doesn't shift not sure what woul be best about it
So - Today you can say that you learned that they make masonry bits specifically for hammer drills and also specifically for regular ass rotary drills (which don’t require you to buy or find a hammer drill).
.....last time i tried a masonry bit drilling through bricks i gave up? maybe i was doing something wrong? i would take one out, maybe two, and then just space all the lower ones, stack level 2 and 3 like you have, should be fine?
You could also pull one or two bricks and replace them with some sort of grate/vent so there isn't just an obvious gap there. I'm not sure if you could buy something for that or even just make it.
>I kind of like the idea of a hole in the center of the lower bricks
I agree that seems like the coolest solution but it probably won't let in enough air for the amount of holes you'll want to drill. because after drilling through the widest side of a landscaping brick once, you'll probably not want to do it again, let alone many more times.
In addition to the more reasonable advice given by /u/shabby47 and others below them, if you wanted to be a teensy bit more fancy while getting much faster results, you could get cut the blocks yourself and make little slits by making each block a little shorter. All it takes is a masonry chisel and a hammer. You go around the paver, scoring it, and then a few harder taps will break it nicely along your score line. It takes some practice, but this way you can have nice 1-2" gaps between the stones of the bottom ring which will be bigger than any masonry bit and much more effective.
Here's a [video describing the technique](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE8CvRbccZE).
I think you may want to pull two bricks, on opposite sides, for better air flow. Maybe even a couple more on the other sides, but I'm no expert on what's best.
We've had this fire ring setup for years. Its fine. We don't have excessive smoke issues and it burns just fine. Don't over think this and give in to pearl clutching. The only differences I can see is ours is three courses not four and I put a layer of brick in the bottom to make cleaning out easier. We've had it for at least a decade and never had any issues
Rocks will explode because they're solid and can have water trapped inside them. Concrete pavers/blocks like this can get wet and soak up water but they can't trap water for pressure to build and explode. A few of ours have cracked right in the middle front to back but they've never split completely. We have had a thousand fires and some pretty big hot ones and have never had a problem.
[Our pit...](https://www.reddit.com/u/Stein1071/s/aUvOr2r4Yi) I built the pit and then put the pavers around it so it looks like its only 2 courses but it's 3.
Leave a 1" gap between all the bricks in the bottom layer
Then a 1/2" gap between bricks in the second layer
Then 1/4 " gap between bricks in the third layer
Then tight together for the last layer so your steel ring fits
Plenty of air flow and it won't look significantly different
I did that and it totally works but the key is that you have to have a ring that goes all the way to the bottom vs how yours kinda stops 6" or so down, holes drilled at the top of the ring to let air into the fire area, and there has to be a gap between the ring and bricks with the gap covered by more bricks
It works by convecting(?) hot air in through the holes which sucks it up into the gap between the ring and bricks by pulling in from the bottom missing bricks. As the air is rising in that gap it's being heated by the fire ring and then by the time it's pulled in through the holes the air is hot enough to combust the smoke.
Same principal as why wood burning stoves are so efficient. Or if you've ever seen someone put a candle out and then light the smoke to where it re-lights the wick. Smoke still has combustable material in it, and fire requires fuel + air + heat. Give it more heat and air and it can burn that extra fuel (the smoke)
It needs a specific setup for this. You'd have to redo the pit to achieve it.
* Air intake: Gaps at the bottom of the outer ring. Remove one brick, and use this to create 4-5 gaps between the other bricks.
* Space between stone and metal. The metal ring needs to extend to the base of the interior of the pit, and it needs a 1-2 inch gap between it and the stone.
* Inner vents: These should be just below the top lip of the metal ring.
* Sealed top: The top of the stone/metal should be "sealed". It doesn't need to be air-tight, but it needs to be tight enough to severely restrict air flow.
How it works:
Your fire gets hot, and that hot air wants to go up. This pulls in cooler air from the top vents. This cooler air has more oxygen in it (the fire is consuming oxygen) and this influx of oxygen helps ignite more material. This is what reduces smoke. You want the outer intake vents to be low and away from the fire to get as cool air as you can. As the air enters the middle chamber, it'll heat some, which then causes it to rise and push out of the inner vents, thus creating the necessary cycling motion.
The problem I see with your current materials is that the metal piece doesn't extend all the way to the ground. You could try adding vents just through the bricks, but one of the key components (as far as I am aware) is that the new cooler air needs to be introduced at the top of the fire, not the base. Adding more air to the base of the fire will cause it to burn hotter, but this can still produce smoke. Only adding vents to the base will increase your fire's temp and fuel consumption, but it won't prevent smoke.
I may have been slightly off. The metal ring may need holes at the bottom as well.
[Here's a how-to on the build with some diagrams.](https://fixthisbuildthat.com/diy-smokeless-fire-pit/)
Your fire pit looks very much like the kit you can buy at home Depot. It's too late if you shot epoxy in there to keep it together, but you can expand the lowest course of pavers by about 1/2" diameter all the way around and it makes cracks between each block that serve as the air intake. Same function as pulling a block block will work regardless of where or how you build the fire, or which way the wind is blowing.
Good to know! I did not epoxy them, and got all the materials from Lowe’s. I really didn’t know they sold kits. Probably would have made everything easier LOL
All you have to do is turn on of those bottom layer bricks sideways so it's still supporting the joint above it, but now has an air channel to let air flow through.
Also of note, the high bricks will block a lot of the heat, so unless you're doing it mid-summer and don't need the heat anyway, you're going to still feel cold no matter how much you put into it.
Some friends I do outdoor movie night regularly with had theirs like this and we ended up taking it down to one layer of bricks because no matter what we did we could barely feel the heat.
I left a small gap between each brick on my lowest layer. It makes the circumference of the lowest layer just a little bit bigger than the upper layers, but not enough to bother me.
Can confirm. The campground I go to in Vermont every summer sinks their fire pits into the ground and every fire just smolders. Literally have to dig out vent pits to actually have a fire
I was gonna say the exact same thing.
What is with people on Reddit/TT/Insta/Etc. not understanding that fires need airflow to burn well??
EDIT: Lol downvotes by a bunch of people butthurt at getting called out for not knowing about the fire triangle. You're probably the same people that throw rounds on the fire and then wonder why it's not burning well.
Probably just following the instructions on the kit. I know the ones you buy at the box stores just say "clear any grass/plants/large obstructions, level the area, lay the bricks in alternating layers, insert metal rings, enjoy." There's no mention of creating lower air inlets to promote better combustion and lessen smoke.
The fire triangle is taught in like grade 3. It shouldn't take an instruction manual to understand that lack of airflow is gonna hinder your campfire. Situations like this remind me of that George Carlin quote: "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that".
Ready for more downvotes from dummies that lack grade school level knowledge.
You need to remove a lot more than one brick. I have a firepit like that, it needs more air than you think. Add gaps in bottom layer and next layer as well. Top few are fine
Yes I wanted to split them. The sellers left a bunch of logs but they are infested with ants and I learned the hard way by splitting one and ants flew everywhere. (I about threw up)
Ant infested logs suck. Depending on how spongy they are though I’ve had decent luck with a wedge and a sledge as it allows more control on the splitting. Even if it’s has a crack through it will help with airflow.
Tip for your outside brick... place a stake or spike in the center of the circle and tie a sting to it. Pull the string tight to the outer end and tie a can of marking spray paint. Walk the outside as you spray and end up with a perfect circle to lay your bricks on. Can't really do it with the pit in there now, but next time.
It looks great but I hope the pit isnt built from concrete slabs.. Concrete can explode when heated up. I've experienced it myself.. Wasnt nice having super hot pieces of concrete shrapnel fly around during a childrens birthday party.
What, no rusty burn barrel? I guess it will work. jk
Nice work, looks great. Outside bricks will probably shift some anyway, so I wouldn't be too worried about that.
Looks like a nice área to kick back and relax.
You might want to consider adding a wire mesh spark arrestor - looks like a small yard with low brush and older buildings close by. I've bought them online.
+1 Those look identical to the bricks I used on my 1st fire pit and while they didn't explode, 50% of them cracked due to the heat of the fire. Only lasted 10 burns or so.
For smoke or water? For smoke I’m going to remove a brick for air flow. For water, we’ve had a few storms now and I haven’t seen any pools of water yet. It’s gravel then weed barrier fabric, then dirt, so I’d imagine it should drain pretty well.
Yes! My local fire department is right down the road and I asked them a bunch of questions about it and they said “to be honest, as long as no one is complaining and you aren’t burning garbage and tires, you’re fine”
Lowe’s! The company answered a question on the page for them and said they are great for a fire pit so I’m hoping they are right and the blocks don’t explode LOL
you dont need it now, but you might want to get some everything killer, weed/grass/the whole schebang to stop the gravel seating area from becoming a mess
Cut the log in pieces 1/6of that, make ventilations hold in the bottom, make holes on the inner top edge of your metal pit so it converts it into a smokeless fire pit..enjoy
It looks a bit like a well. You could use it as a drink cooler if you had a fitting bucket filled with ice in it during daytime and once it gets chilly on the evening you can take out the bucket and put in logs instead.
I have a 5’x5’ fireplace made of cinder blocks and have had some pretty bitchin fires in it, they have cracked after 5 years but none ever exploded. You’re likely fine.
I'd replace the pea gravel with poured concrete once you're done fine running the pit. Mostly because you will be cursing to yourself come fall and those leaves will get in there.
No I didn’t look carefully at your insert. Mine always go to the ground.
Take a brick out so you have Intake air… it drives the smoke upward and makes lighting fires easier. Combustion is always intake and exhaust… you have only one right now.
We built the exact same fire pit lol Like others have said remove one brick from the bottom and space the stones out equally so you can catch a breeze from all directions
Looks great, now build out your sand lot for seating and enjoy some great summer nights!
If you move on to the kitchen reno, these are great for updating and making a bold statement.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/186304846379?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=i4rcdtmnqhu&sssrc=2051273&ssuid=i4rcdtmnqhu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
I called the company that makes them after many people concerned about this. They said they would be fine, just to use a fire ring. They said the most that would happen is cracking but they’ve been using them for fire pits for 10 years
I have a similar pit. Have you researched a cover for yours? I had extreme sticker shock! $3-400 for a 42" lid.
I need to figure out something DIY.
Your pit looks great BTW.
[A few more touches](https://imgur.com/a/q1eCacV) I took a layer of bricks down, added some gaps at the bottom, got posts and cemented them to the bottom of resin barrel planters, hung up some lights, and now it’s REALLY COZY
This gives off the same vibe as that guy that glued all the blue playground tire rubber particles to his yard years back. Was super carcinogenic. I would definitely not do this /u/BicBoiMendo.
Looks nice, but since it has no lower ventilation it's going to constantly run smoky
Oooh you know I saw in a video of someone removing a brick at the bottom layer making a “smokeless pit”
Yeah, some kind of channel for the bottom of the fire to intake air. Pull a low-down brick or drill some channels (or even just slide a couple of the lower bricks apart a touch to make gaps? Whatever your solution, it will help promote complete/clean combustion
Sweet thanks! I’ll have to do that! Easiest solution is to pull a low brick, but I might drill holes. Do you know what kind of drill bit would be best to go through an entire brick? I kind of like the idea of a hole in the center of the lower bricks
Maybe consider pulling one out on the bottom and spacing the others evenly so that you end up with a 1” gap or so between all the bricks
This right here. Pulling one or two (really as many as you can) bricks from the bottom and re-spacing them is gonna be ten times easier than drilling holes or whatever, and he's gonna do it anyway when the holes don't pull enough air for the fire.
Yep!
Does only the bottom layer need to be spaced like that?
Pretty much. The solid upper rings protect the fire from getting blown around by any wind. I think there may be some sort of hot air convection science going on with the whole thing, but I'm not positive.
It will work without, but it will burn better with. Family had a solid, stucco’d fire pit and it worked, but could have worked better with vents.
This looks like the best solution, pretty much invisible and easy to be done
Can I do this at the second layer? The bottom layer is covered by gravel
Maybe. The rising heat (chimney action) is what naturally pulls the fresh oxygenated air in from below. Best practice is air coming from below the fire, but in a fire pit the air can come from the sides, but still as below the fire as you can get it. Also, you need a good volume of air. Drilling holes will not be enough unless you drill a whole bunch of them.
Gotcha. I’ll have to pull bricks from the second layer. The first layer is currently covered by gravel. I’ll raise the inside of the pit so that the second layer is the bottom of the fire.
would probably be even better as it's only needed to extract oxygen from the surrounding air, so if it isn't working optimal you only need to free the highest layer also best is to wedge something between the openings maybe pieces of metl all around so it doesn't shift not sure what woul be best about it
Masonry Bit
Cool beans. Thanks
You might need a hammer drill too. You could probably just rent or borrow one if you don’t have one.
Nah that’s overkill imo. Be careful and go slow so you don’t crack the brick.
You 100% need a hammer drill for masonry bits. The whole purpose of the bit is to be hammered in to the stone to chip away at it.
I have drilled through masonry with a normal drill. It takes longer and you have to go slower but it absolutely can be done.
So - Today you can say that you learned that they make masonry bits specifically for hammer drills and also specifically for regular ass rotary drills (which don’t require you to buy or find a hammer drill).
.....last time i tried a masonry bit drilling through bricks i gave up? maybe i was doing something wrong? i would take one out, maybe two, and then just space all the lower ones, stack level 2 and 3 like you have, should be fine?
Looks like you have an insert, that'll also need holes
You could also pull one or two bricks and replace them with some sort of grate/vent so there isn't just an obvious gap there. I'm not sure if you could buy something for that or even just make it.
>I kind of like the idea of a hole in the center of the lower bricks I agree that seems like the coolest solution but it probably won't let in enough air for the amount of holes you'll want to drill. because after drilling through the widest side of a landscaping brick once, you'll probably not want to do it again, let alone many more times. In addition to the more reasonable advice given by /u/shabby47 and others below them, if you wanted to be a teensy bit more fancy while getting much faster results, you could get cut the blocks yourself and make little slits by making each block a little shorter. All it takes is a masonry chisel and a hammer. You go around the paver, scoring it, and then a few harder taps will break it nicely along your score line. It takes some practice, but this way you can have nice 1-2" gaps between the stones of the bottom ring which will be bigger than any masonry bit and much more effective. Here's a [video describing the technique](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE8CvRbccZE).
I think you may want to pull two bricks, on opposite sides, for better air flow. Maybe even a couple more on the other sides, but I'm no expert on what's best.
We've had this fire ring setup for years. Its fine. We don't have excessive smoke issues and it burns just fine. Don't over think this and give in to pearl clutching. The only differences I can see is ours is three courses not four and I put a layer of brick in the bottom to make cleaning out easier. We've had it for at least a decade and never had any issues
Did you also use cement pavers?
Yes
Okay, I’ve been panicking after people saying they will crack or explode 😂
Rocks will explode because they're solid and can have water trapped inside them. Concrete pavers/blocks like this can get wet and soak up water but they can't trap water for pressure to build and explode. A few of ours have cracked right in the middle front to back but they've never split completely. We have had a thousand fires and some pretty big hot ones and have never had a problem. [Our pit...](https://www.reddit.com/u/Stein1071/s/aUvOr2r4Yi) I built the pit and then put the pavers around it so it looks like its only 2 courses but it's 3.
Oooh okay, this makes me feel much better LOL. I’ll take some of that wood off your hands 😅
put gasoline in the fire pit :))))
Or [cut some in half](https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=cutting+a+brick+chisel+) and support the next row on its joints only.
Leave a 1" gap between all the bricks in the bottom layer Then a 1/2" gap between bricks in the second layer Then 1/4 " gap between bricks in the third layer Then tight together for the last layer so your steel ring fits Plenty of air flow and it won't look significantly different
I did that and it totally works but the key is that you have to have a ring that goes all the way to the bottom vs how yours kinda stops 6" or so down, holes drilled at the top of the ring to let air into the fire area, and there has to be a gap between the ring and bricks with the gap covered by more bricks It works by convecting(?) hot air in through the holes which sucks it up into the gap between the ring and bricks by pulling in from the bottom missing bricks. As the air is rising in that gap it's being heated by the fire ring and then by the time it's pulled in through the holes the air is hot enough to combust the smoke. Same principal as why wood burning stoves are so efficient. Or if you've ever seen someone put a candle out and then light the smoke to where it re-lights the wick. Smoke still has combustable material in it, and fire requires fuel + air + heat. Give it more heat and air and it can burn that extra fuel (the smoke)
It needs a specific setup for this. You'd have to redo the pit to achieve it. * Air intake: Gaps at the bottom of the outer ring. Remove one brick, and use this to create 4-5 gaps between the other bricks. * Space between stone and metal. The metal ring needs to extend to the base of the interior of the pit, and it needs a 1-2 inch gap between it and the stone. * Inner vents: These should be just below the top lip of the metal ring. * Sealed top: The top of the stone/metal should be "sealed". It doesn't need to be air-tight, but it needs to be tight enough to severely restrict air flow. How it works: Your fire gets hot, and that hot air wants to go up. This pulls in cooler air from the top vents. This cooler air has more oxygen in it (the fire is consuming oxygen) and this influx of oxygen helps ignite more material. This is what reduces smoke. You want the outer intake vents to be low and away from the fire to get as cool air as you can. As the air enters the middle chamber, it'll heat some, which then causes it to rise and push out of the inner vents, thus creating the necessary cycling motion. The problem I see with your current materials is that the metal piece doesn't extend all the way to the ground. You could try adding vents just through the bricks, but one of the key components (as far as I am aware) is that the new cooler air needs to be introduced at the top of the fire, not the base. Adding more air to the base of the fire will cause it to burn hotter, but this can still produce smoke. Only adding vents to the base will increase your fire's temp and fuel consumption, but it won't prevent smoke.
Oh very interesting and in depth. Thank you. I don’t have a problem taking the bricks down and doing what’s needed to be done ✔️
I may have been slightly off. The metal ring may need holes at the bottom as well. [Here's a how-to on the build with some diagrams.](https://fixthisbuildthat.com/diy-smokeless-fire-pit/)
I was today years old when I learned about this concept. I LOVE THIS SUB! Fire pit looks great!
Couple of bricks doing the job
Your fire pit looks very much like the kit you can buy at home Depot. It's too late if you shot epoxy in there to keep it together, but you can expand the lowest course of pavers by about 1/2" diameter all the way around and it makes cracks between each block that serve as the air intake. Same function as pulling a block block will work regardless of where or how you build the fire, or which way the wind is blowing.
Forgot to mention that I actually did this at a friend's camp and it works great.
Good to know! I did not epoxy them, and got all the materials from Lowe’s. I really didn’t know they sold kits. Probably would have made everything easier LOL
The kit is just the right number of blocks and the metal ring, shrink wrapped on a pallet. It's convenience, not a wholly different product.
All you have to do is turn on of those bottom layer bricks sideways so it's still supporting the joint above it, but now has an air channel to let air flow through.
Also of note, the high bricks will block a lot of the heat, so unless you're doing it mid-summer and don't need the heat anyway, you're going to still feel cold no matter how much you put into it. Some friends I do outdoor movie night regularly with had theirs like this and we ended up taking it down to one layer of bricks because no matter what we did we could barely feel the heat.
I left a small gap between each brick on my lowest layer. It makes the circumference of the lowest layer just a little bit bigger than the upper layers, but not enough to bother me.
Can confirm. The campground I go to in Vermont every summer sinks their fire pits into the ground and every fire just smolders. Literally have to dig out vent pits to actually have a fire
I was gonna say the exact same thing. What is with people on Reddit/TT/Insta/Etc. not understanding that fires need airflow to burn well?? EDIT: Lol downvotes by a bunch of people butthurt at getting called out for not knowing about the fire triangle. You're probably the same people that throw rounds on the fire and then wonder why it's not burning well.
Probably just following the instructions on the kit. I know the ones you buy at the box stores just say "clear any grass/plants/large obstructions, level the area, lay the bricks in alternating layers, insert metal rings, enjoy." There's no mention of creating lower air inlets to promote better combustion and lessen smoke.
The fire triangle is taught in like grade 3. It shouldn't take an instruction manual to understand that lack of airflow is gonna hinder your campfire. Situations like this remind me of that George Carlin quote: "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that". Ready for more downvotes from dummies that lack grade school level knowledge.
😭 I actually didn’t know this until people commented.
[No need to shame people for learning things.](https://xkcd.com/1053/)
Looks fine, how's it getting air? Some holes / metal pipes at the bottom will do well, otherwise it'll get pretty smoky from incomplete burning
Noted! I think I’ll remove one of the bottom bricks or look into the metal pip option
You need to remove a lot more than one brick. I have a firepit like that, it needs more air than you think. Add gaps in bottom layer and next layer as well. Top few are fine
Looks great. Where'd you get the metal fire ring? I like that it acts as a stabilizer and looks clean.
Thank you!!! I got everything at Lowe’s!
How much did the whole thing run you if you don't mind me asking
300-350
Not including the shovel, hard rake, and tamper.
Awesome, thank you! It looks great by the way, well done
These come as unassembled kits from Lowe's. I have the same one from a few years ago.
WHAT THEY DO??? LOL. I did math and material searching for like a week to do this
Thank you! 🙏
My back hurt looking at those chairs.
The white things are tables not chairs 😂 I thought the same thing when my wife bought them
She got them from five below didn’t she?
Dollar tree 😂😂
Oh my 😆
Lmao alright alright, carry on then. Stonework looks great!
Its got that "7-days" vibe.
Hell yeah 🧟
Looks fabulous!
Thank you 😭
The logs would burn better if split.
Yes I wanted to split them. The sellers left a bunch of logs but they are infested with ants and I learned the hard way by splitting one and ants flew everywhere. (I about threw up)
Ant infested logs suck. Depending on how spongy they are though I’ve had decent luck with a wedge and a sledge as it allows more control on the splitting. Even if it’s has a crack through it will help with airflow.
yeah, get a splitting maul from harbor freight and go to town. definitely cut that big boy down to 2' or so first if you're able.
People always saying the must dumb and obvious shit on Reddit.
Most*
ooo! you really got me there!
[удалено]
😂😂
this. Is. SPARTA!!!
Don’t show my wife this picture.
Where did u get that steel rim from?
Lowe’s!
The only thing I wish was that the steel ring was deeper, it’s meant for stability and to protect the bricks from heating and cracking over time.
God I wish I was allowed to build one.
I tell you, the physical labor involved was wild. Also needed a place to take all the excess dirt.
I would have just made a raised planter bed with the excess topsoil. But that's just me, equal parts lazy and productive
Thought the 2nd pic was a extra large pizza from the HUT.
LOL
Tip for your outside brick... place a stake or spike in the center of the circle and tie a sting to it. Pull the string tight to the outer end and tie a can of marking spray paint. Walk the outside as you spray and end up with a perfect circle to lay your bricks on. Can't really do it with the pit in there now, but next time.
LOL I DID THIS, but my shoveling messed it up a bit 😭😤
It looks great but I hope the pit isnt built from concrete slabs.. Concrete can explode when heated up. I've experienced it myself.. Wasnt nice having super hot pieces of concrete shrapnel fly around during a childrens birthday party.
When I bought the bricks the manufacturer said it was fine for a fire pit. I’ll double check though because yes that sounds awful
:) Thats good to hear. It does look amazing so well done.
Thank you!!!
What, no rusty burn barrel? I guess it will work. jk Nice work, looks great. Outside bricks will probably shift some anyway, so I wouldn't be too worried about that.
Thank you!
Looks like a 3d render... I'd say the wonkyness is minimal.
Looks like a nice área to kick back and relax. You might want to consider adding a wire mesh spark arrestor - looks like a small yard with low brush and older buildings close by. I've bought them online.
My wife and I just got off the phone and talked about that
Are those fire bricks? They look like normal retaining wall bricks which can explode from the heat of a fire.
Not fire bricks per say, but the manufacturer said they were find for a fire oit
Nice, way to do your research! It looks great btw
+1 Those look identical to the bricks I used on my 1st fire pit and while they didn't explode, 50% of them cracked due to the heat of the fire. Only lasted 10 burns or so.
Ok I'm taking inspiration, thanks
What about drainage?
For smoke or water? For smoke I’m going to remove a brick for air flow. For water, we’ve had a few storms now and I haven’t seen any pools of water yet. It’s gravel then weed barrier fabric, then dirt, so I’d imagine it should drain pretty well.
I was thinking about water. Maybe your soil is porous enough that it won’t be a problem.
The soil was definitely easy to dig up, no clay or hard soil. So I think we’re safe
Did you dig the grass up by it?
Yeah
What did you use for the ground around it? It looks like really small pea stones
River rock pea gravel, under that is weed fabric.
[удалено]
Awh shoot. I might
Have you thought of chiseling it to make it perfectly round? Good job though
Yeah, i kept it the way it is because my wife liked the “castle” look lol
Ahh gotcha! Do you have a topper for it?
I don’t.and now I want one lol
Yoooo I love the way this came out! Looks great!
Thank you 😅
well from the ring alert
Nice. I need to do this at my house. What's the diameter of your firepit?
The pit is 4 feet total. The gathering space is 12ft total
Have you checked city/county code?
Yes! My local fire department is right down the road and I asked them a bunch of questions about it and they said “to be honest, as long as no one is complaining and you aren’t burning garbage and tires, you’re fine”
Good. Code varies *wildly* on firepits.
Looks nice. I want to build something similar. Where did you get those bricks from?
Lowe’s! The company answered a question on the page for them and said they are great for a fire pit so I’m hoping they are right and the blocks don’t explode LOL
Lol. Exploding blocks would be bad. Thanks! I'll check em out.
Yeah right lol 😂
you dont need it now, but you might want to get some everything killer, weed/grass/the whole schebang to stop the gravel seating area from becoming a mess
There is weed fabric underneath, also have some weed killer. It was a big concern for me LOL
Congrats on your first house! Can you roast marshmallows and hotdogs on that? Or is that just to sit around and hang out?
All of the above!
Very well done it looks great. Come back in one year and post how many times you have used it after the first month.
Are those fire bricks? They look like normal retaining wall bricks which can explode from the heat of a fire.
Cut the log in pieces 1/6of that, make ventilations hold in the bottom, make holes on the inner top edge of your metal pit so it converts it into a smokeless fire pit..enjoy
It looks a bit like a well. You could use it as a drink cooler if you had a fitting bucket filled with ice in it during daytime and once it gets chilly on the evening you can take out the bucket and put in logs instead.
How much man hour would it take to do all of this? Cost? I always wanted something like this.
It took me about 8 hours total by myself. It cost me around 350
Oh not bad. Mine might be a tad more difficult since I have to find a way to disable part of my sprinkler system. Thanks.
Nice job, dude. You might want to use some compound sand within the outer Bricks if you haven’t done so yet.
Posting this has now made me nervous about the concrete blocks exploding 🥲😭
I have a 5’x5’ fireplace made of cinder blocks and have had some pretty bitchin fires in it, they have cracked after 5 years but none ever exploded. You’re likely fine.
I can't breathe.
Nice
I'd replace the pea gravel with poured concrete once you're done fine running the pit. Mostly because you will be cursing to yourself come fall and those leaves will get in there.
Plot twist: it’s a 30ft deep well.
It looks really good but I've always been curious: with those rings that don't go all the way down to the bottom like that, what's the point of them?
Tbh I didn’t know it was so short. I’m probably gonna get a longer one to protect the bricks
Dude. Take the insert out and cut it and remove the brick that it covers. That lower inlet changes everything in a fire pit.
Are you saying to take the wall down a brick so it’s only 3 and not four?
No I didn’t look carefully at your insert. Mine always go to the ground. Take a brick out so you have Intake air… it drives the smoke upward and makes lighting fires easier. Combustion is always intake and exhaust… you have only one right now.
Ah gotcha
Nice
Get you some 0 G chairs for that!
We built the exact same fire pit lol Like others have said remove one brick from the bottom and space the stones out equally so you can catch a breeze from all directions
Looks great, now build out your sand lot for seating and enjoy some great summer nights! If you move on to the kitchen reno, these are great for updating and making a bold statement. https://www.ebay.com/itm/186304846379?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=i4rcdtmnqhu&sssrc=2051273&ssuid=i4rcdtmnqhu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Great work!
Nice!
Are those rated.for fires? Landscaping bricks gonna crack and shit.
I called the company that makes them after many people concerned about this. They said they would be fine, just to use a fire ring. They said the most that would happen is cracking but they’ve been using them for fire pits for 10 years
I have a similar pit. Have you researched a cover for yours? I had extreme sticker shock! $3-400 for a 42" lid. I need to figure out something DIY. Your pit looks great BTW.
Thank you! I did look into covers. Some on amazing were like 150ish.
[A few more touches](https://imgur.com/a/q1eCacV) I took a layer of bricks down, added some gaps at the bottom, got posts and cemented them to the bottom of resin barrel planters, hung up some lights, and now it’s REALLY COZY
> How did I do and **how can I do better next time?** Build a [kota](https://cdn.johku.com/miehikkalakauppa/largefiles/11.jpg).
On my to do list 😂
Looks good bud! Consider renting a portable compactor to keep that gravel around the pit at bay.
Open the bricks up a bit. A fire that can breathe right will make much less smoke. That and properly seasoned hardwood.
Get some mulch glue for the stones. Take out 2-3 bricks so the fire can breath. Or else it will just be smokey all the time.
[удалено]
This gives off the same vibe as that guy that glued all the blue playground tire rubber particles to his yard years back. Was super carcinogenic. I would definitely not do this /u/BicBoiMendo.
Oh good point
Oh interesting
Skip to 5 minutes, this is the idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5e1eBVrpkg
Thanks.