Okay, so I’ve been wanting to build a fire pit in my backyard for, like, forever. Finally got around to it this weekend, and let me tell you, it was… an experience. I decided to go with fire bricks because, you know, they’re supposed to handle the heat. Smart, right? I thought so.
Getting Started
First, I cleared a good-sized area in the yard. Didn’t want any accidental bonfires spreading to the neighbor’s prize-winning petunias. Then I dug out a shallow circle, maybe 6 inches deep and about 4 feet across. My back was already complaining, but I pushed on.
The Base
Next up, I dumped a bunch of gravel into the hole for drainage. I mean, that’s what the internet said to do, anyway. Then I added a layer of sand on top of that, trying to get it all nice and level. This part was surprisingly tricky. I used a leveler, my hands, and a lot of “good enough” to get it relatively flat.
Laying the Bricks
This is where things got interesting. I started laying the fire bricks around the edge of the circle, standing them up on their ends. I quickly realized I didn’t buy enough bricks. Seriously, who knew a circle needed so many bricks? So, a quick trip back to the hardware store later, I had a mountain of bricks in my trunk.
Back at it, I continued laying the bricks, trying to keep them tight together. Some of them were a little wonky, so I had to do some creative arranging. Think wonky jigsaw puzzle. After a few layers it looks like a fire pit!
The Final Touches (and Mishaps)
I kept building up the walls, layer by layer, until it was about knee-high. Honestly, I was pretty proud of myself at this point. It actually looked like a fire pit!
The whole thing took longer than I expected, maybe 5 or 6 hours total, including the brick-buying emergency.
The Result
I built fire in my fire pit! It looks awesome, a little rough around the edges, but definitely functional. I can’t wait to roast some marshmallows and enjoy some chilly evenings around my new fire pit.
