Backyard projects are never truly complete! Once one is done, there are always a dozen more that need to be started to beautify your outdoor space. That’s why, in this episode of Today’s Homeowner, we join host Jodi Marks and learn how to make a cool fire pit with just a few simple steps.
In this episode, we discover the yard of a homeowner who has built a beautiful firepit with Adirondack chairs surrounding it. However, he’s run into a bit of a problem. The chairs are sitting directly on his lawn, causing it to become worn, brown, and trampled with frequent use. And, whenever it’s time to mow the lawn, he goes through the pain of moving each chair. So, he came up with a simple plan to help eliminate all these issues.
How to Build Your Cool Fire Pit
To start building your own cool fire pit, grab some chalk or spray paint and draw out the curved shape of the patio. Make sure the fire pit is at the center and excavate out a few inches of soil within the perimeter. Then, create a border around the excavated area using paver blocks, bricks, or stones. Regardless of what material you pick to line your fire pit, it all needs to be level. A few taps with a rubber mallet will easily do the trick.
Next, fill the excavated space with bagged paver base materials and grade it so it’s a few inches thick across the entire area. Once graded, take small pea gravel and spread it over the loose paver base. To finish off this project, compact the pea gravel and paver base together with a large tamp.
This project is definitely a win-win for any homeowner. Not only do you get the look of exposed aggregate concrete slab for cheap, but you get an area that’s low maintenance with no more mowing required. You also get a space that’s non-combustible—a must-have for any fire pit.
Now that you’ve got your very own fire pit, consider adding a picnic table or some great outdoor flooring to add a little more seating space for your late-night summer parties and chilly winter s’mores nights.
