I’ve been meaning to give my backyard a bit of a facelift, and I thought a fire pit would be a nice touch. So, I started looking into what I needed to build one. Turns out, one of the main things you need are fire bricks. These aren’t your regular bricks, they can handle super high heat without cracking or anything.
First things first, I needed to figure out where to get these fire bricks. I hit up a couple of local hardware stores, but no luck. Then, I remembered there’s this big home improvement store not too far from me, I went to the store to find these fire bricks. Luckily, they had a whole section dedicated to this kind of stuff. And guess what? They had fire bricks! They were kind of tucked away in the corner, but I spotted them eventually.
Different types of Fire Bricks
- Color: There were a few different colors, like a reddish one and a more tan kind. I went with the tan ones ’cause I thought they’d look better in my yard.
- Size: They were all the same size, about 9 inches long and 4.5 inches wide, and a little over an inch thick. Felt pretty solid, too.
- Price: Now, about the price. They weren’t dirt cheap, but they weren’t crazy expensive either. I picked up enough for my project, and it didn’t break the bank. And the price is related to the materials, the better materials the price will be higher.
I loaded up my cart with the bricks and some other stuff I needed, like mortar and whatnot. Getting them home was a bit of a workout, those things are heavy! But I managed to unload them without any issues. These fire bricks can handle temperatures up to 2200F, so they have low thermal conductivity, providing high thermal insulation, minimizes heat loss, that’s cool! Oh, and their R-Value is pretty low, so they do a good job of keeping the heat contained.
I also learned that these fire bricks contain 34% – 38% alumina, and they have high thermal shock resistance. Can be used in chimneys, fireplaces, outdoor fire pits, etc. Anyway, I’m pretty stoked to get started on building my fire pit. I’ve already sketched out a design, and I think it’s gonna look pretty sweet. These fire bricks were a key part of the whole thing, and I’m glad I was able to find them without too much trouble.
So, yeah, that’s my little adventure in buying fire bricks. Not the most exciting story, I know, but hey, it’s a necessary step in my grand plan for backyard domination! I also learned that some people use these bricks for pizza ovens and lining wood-burning stoves, that’s also a good idea, I can try them later.
