Okay, so I’ve always wanted a nice BBQ pit in my backyard, you know, the kind you see in those fancy home magazines. I finally decided to just go for it and build one myself, and let me tell you, it was a journey! I figured a brick one would look the best and last the longest, so that’s what I went with. I’m calling it my “Brick Bar BQ Pit” project.
First, I drew up some rough plans. Nothing too complicated, just a basic rectangular pit with a grilling surface. I wanted it to be big enough to cook for a crowd but not take over my entire yard. Once I had a general idea of the size and shape, I marked out the area in my yard with some stakes and string. This helped me visualize the size and make sure it fit well with the existing patio.
Digging and Laying the Foundation
Next came the fun part – digging! I dug out a shallow trench where the pit was going to be. It wasn’t super deep, maybe about 6 inches or so. Then, I filled it with a layer of gravel and tamped it down really good to make a solid base. On top of the gravel, I poured a concrete slab. This was probably the hardest part because I had to mix the concrete myself, and let me tell you, that stuff gets heavy! I made sure the slab was level, cause a wonky BBQ pit is not a good look.
- Digging the trench – about 6 inches deep.
- Gravel base – for drainage and stability.
- Concrete slab – the foundation of the pit.
Building the Walls
Once the concrete was dry, which took a couple of days, I started laying the bricks. I used regular old red bricks and mortar. I’d never laid bricks before, so this was a learning experience. I spread the mortar on the concrete and started stacking the bricks, making sure to stagger the joints like I saw in a YouTube video. It was slow going at first, but I eventually got the hang of it. I just kept adding rows of bricks until the walls were the height I wanted.
For the grilling surface, I left some gaps between the bricks on the top row, forming a sort of ledge. This is where I was going to place the metal grates. My buddy had a metal worker make my grates. When I first built the brick ledge I was worried about it, but it actually works!
Finishing Touches
After the walls were built, I let the mortar cure for a few more days. You gotta be patient with this stuff. Then, I cleaned up any excess mortar with a wire brush and gave the whole thing a good hose down. Finally, I placed the metal grates on the ledges I built. And that’s it, folks, my brick BBQ pit was complete!
I’ve already used it a few times, and it works like a dream. I grilled up some burgers and hot dogs, and they tasted amazing. There’s just something about cooking over a real fire that makes food taste better. It was a lot of work, but I’m so glad I did it. Now I have a sweet BBQ pit that I built myself, and I’m pretty darn proud of it.
