Okay, here’s my blog post about building a brick fire pit, written in a casual, first-person style, just like the example:
So, I decided to build a fire pit in my backyard. I mean, who doesn’t love sitting around a fire on a cool evening? I checked out some stuff online, but honestly, a lot of it was way too complicated. I just wanted something simple, made of bricks, that wouldn’t fall apart after one season.
Getting Started
First, I went to the local hardware store and grabbed a bunch of bricks. I didn’t get anything fancy, just regular old red bricks. I also picked up some sand and gravel for the base. I figured that would help with drainage and keep the whole thing stable.
I marked out a circle in my yard where I wanted the fire pit to go. Just used a stick and some string to make it somewhat round. Didn’t need to be perfect! Then I dug out the grass and a few inches of dirt inside the circle. It’s a bit of work.
Building the Base
Next, I dumped in a layer of gravel, maybe like 2-3 inches thick. I stomped it down to make it nice and compact. Then I added a layer of sand on top of that, about the same thickness. Again, I made sure to pack it down real good. This part is kinda important, so don’t skip it!
Laying the Bricks
This is where it gets fun (or frustrating, depending on your patience). I started laying the bricks around the edge of the circle, on top of the sand. I just placed them side by side, trying to keep them as level as possible. No mortar or anything, just dry-stacking them.
- First layer: Just go slow and steady.
- Second layer: I staggered the bricks, so the joints didn’t line up with the layer below. That makes it stronger.
- Keep going: I built it up about three layers high. That seemed like a good height to me.
I kept checking to make sure the walls were kinda straight and the whole thing was staying round-ish. I had to adjust a few bricks here and there, but it wasn’t too bad. I use my foot to make sure every brick sits well.
The Finished Product
And that’s it! Seriously, it was pretty easy. I threw some logs in, lit it up, and boom – instant fire pit! It’s not perfect, but it works great, and it looks pretty good in my yard. Now,I can invite my friends to enjoy the fire pit!
