Okay, so I’ve always wanted a fire pit in my backyard, you know, for those cool summer nights, roasting marshmallows, and just chilling with friends. I looked at some pre-made ones, but they were either too expensive or just didn’t have the vibe I was going for. Then I stumbled upon this idea of building one myself, without any mortar, just stacking bricks. Sounded kinda crazy, but also kinda cool, so I decided to give it a shot.
Gathering My Stuff
First things first, I needed bricks. Lots of ’em. I hit up a local hardware store, and man, there are so many types of bricks! I ended up going with some regular old red clay bricks, the kind you see in, like, old buildings. Figured they’d look good and hold up to the heat.
I had a few old bricks myself, they had not been used yet, and I thought it would be good to use them first, so I prepared a few bricks myself, and in the process of handling them, I found that they were very easy to break, so I decided to give them up.
Besides the bricks, I grabbed a few other things:
- A shovel: For digging and leveling the ground.
- Some gravel: For the base, to help with drainage.
- A level: To make sure things weren’t all wonky.
- A rubber mallet: I was prepared to gently tap the bricks into place.
- A tape measure: For making sure the thing was round and not some weird oval shape.
Digging and Prepping
Next up, I picked a spot in my yard, far enough away from the house and any trees (safety first!). I marked out a circle, roughly the size I wanted the fire pit to be. I grabbed my shovel and started digging. It wasn’t super deep, just enough to get rid of the grass and get down to some solid dirt.
I found that digging a hole was very tiring, and in order to make the bottom of the hole flat, I had to squat down for a long time to observe and level it. I kept filling some soil back in, compacting it, and then re-doing it to make sure it was level.
Once the hole was dug, I poured in a layer of gravel. This is supposed to help with drainage, so water doesn’t pool up in the fire pit and make a mess. I spread it out evenly and made sure it was nice and level.
Stacking the Bricks
Now for the fun part – actually building the thing! I started laying the bricks around the edge of the circle, one by one. I didn’t use any mortar or anything to hold them together, just stacked them on top of each other. The idea is that the weight of the bricks and the circular shape will keep everything in place.
It was a bit like putting together a giant puzzle. I had to make sure the bricks were snug against each other, and that each layer was level. I used the level and the tape measure constantly, checking and re-checking as I went. This part took the longest, gotta be honest. Lots of fiddling and adjusting to get it just right.
Layer by Layer
I kept adding layers, slowly building up the walls of the fire pit. With each layer, I made sure to stagger the bricks, like you see in a regular brick wall. This helps with stability, so the whole thing doesn’t just topple over.
I kept adding bricks and kept building up, and I found it was taking a toll on my body, and I needed to keep going back and forth checking the level, which made me a little irritable.
The Finishing Touches
After I reached the height I wanted (about four layers of bricks), I did a final check to make sure everything was level and sturdy. I used the rubber mallet to give a few taps here and there, making sure everything was nice and tight.
In the end, I used the rubber mallet much less than I thought I would. It was basically useless.
I didn’t add any fancy capstones or anything, just kept it simple with the regular bricks. I liked the rustic look. And that was it! My very own, mortar-free brick fire pit. I stepped back and admired my handiwork. Not gonna lie, I was pretty proud of myself.
First Fire!
Of course, I had to test it out right away. I gathered some firewood, tossed it in, and lit it up. It worked perfectly! The fire burned nicely, and the bricks held up great. It was the perfect spot to gather around with some friends, roast some marshmallows, and just enjoy the evening.
It wasn’t the easiest project I’ve ever done, but it was definitely satisfying. And way cheaper than buying a pre-made one! If you’re thinking about building your own fire pit, I say go for it. Just be prepared for some physical labor and a bit of patience. But trust me, it’s worth it in the end.
