How to Build a Stucco Fire Pit

Applying stucco to the exterior of your fire pit hides the blocks used to build it.

Building a fire in your backyard is a fun way you can spend time with your family, friends and neighbors at the end of a summer cookout or on a cool night in the fall. Due to safety concerns, most towns ban people from building fires that are uncontained; building an outdoor fire pit can let you enjoy an outdoor fire safely and legally. Applying stucco to the exterior sides of the fire pit provides an interesting and functional finish.

Things You'll Need

• Wood or metal pole
• Hammer
• Tape measure
• String
• Tape
• Spray paint
• Shovel
• Rake
• Gravel
• Tamp
• Sand
• 2-by-4 board
• Fire bricks
• Mortar
• Trowel
• 4-inch-thick concrete blocks
• Wet saw
• Safety goggles
• Gloves
• Garden hose
• Brown stucco
• Hawk
• Sponge trowel
• Scarifier
• Top coat of stucco
• Pigment
• Brush or sponge

Instructions

Building the Fire Pit

1. Drive a wood or metal pole into the ground at the center of where the fire pit is being installed. Tie one end of a string around the pole, and tape the other end to a can of spray paint. Cut the string so that it's half the diameter (the radius) of the fire pit.

2. Walk around the pole in a circle, extending the string straight out and spray-painting the ground to mark the outline of the fire pit. Remove the pole when you are done.

3. Dig a hole 1 foot deep inside the circle, leveling the soil at the bottom of the hole with a rake.

4. Pour 6 inches of gravel into the hole and tamp it down, then add 6 inches of sand on top of the gravel. Drag a 2-by-4 board across the sand to smooth it out. Tamp the sand to firm it up.

5. Place fire bricks flat on the ground around the outer edge of the sand, keeping them spaced 3/8-inch apart from each other.

6. Mix a batch of mortar, following the manufacturer's instructions. Place the mortar in the gaps between the fire bricks with a trowel.

7. Place about 3/8-inch of mortar on top of one of the horizontal fire bricks, and place a fire brick into the mortar, standing it on end. Place mortar on one side of the brick, and place another brick next to it. Continue to install fire bricks using this method until you have gone all the way around the circle. Allow the mortar to set for the time recommended by the manufacturer.

8. Spread the mortar on the outside edge of the fire bricks along the bottom edge of the ring. Cover an area that measures about three feet long at a time and is the same height as the 4-inch concrete blocks. This allows you to set several blocks at a time without the mortar beginning to dry too soon.

9. Press a 4-inch-thick concrete block into the mortar. Cover one of the side edges of the 4-inch block with a 3/8-inch layer of mortar, then set another 4-inch block against the ring of fire bricks next to the first 4-inch block. Continue to install the 4-inch blocks along the bottom row of the fire ring, applying mortar on the fire ring and between the 4-inch blocks as you go. Cut the last block with a wet saw if it doesn't fit.

10. Install another row of blocks on top of the first row, placing a 3/8-inch layer of mortar around the edges of each block. Stagger the blocks in the second row from the blocks in the first row so the joints between the blocks in the first course don't line up with the joints in the blocks in the second course, similar to how the bricks in a brick wall are set. This strengthens the outer wall of the fire pit.

11. Continue building the outer wall of the fire pit until it's about 3 feet high, staggering the blocks in each row. Allow the mortar to set for the specified time.

Adding the Stucco Finish

1. Spray the 4-inch concrete blocks with water to get them damp. Applying water prevents them from drawing moisture out of the stucco, which can cause it to crack.

2. Prepare a brown stucco base coat, following the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Place stucco onto the hawk, which is a metal tray that has the handle in the center of the tray's bottom.

4. Beginning at the bottom of the outside of the fire pit, apply the stucco to the blocks with a trowel. Apply the stucco with an upward motion, continuing until you reach the top of the fire pit. Cover the top edge of the blocks with the stucco. Move on to the next section, covering the entire outer edge of the fire pit with a layer of stucco 3/8-inch thick.

5. Glide a sponge trowel over the stucco, using a swirling motion. This can help prevent the stucco from cracking while it begins to harden.

6. Create grooves in the stucco's surface with a scarifier. This is a tool that resembles a metal comb.

7. Mix the finishing coat of stucco, following the manufacturer's instructions. Add pigment that matches the color of your home, if desired.

8. Apply the top coat of stucco to the fire pit, using the same process you used to apply the base coat. Keep the finish coat about 1/8-inch thick. Glide a brush or sponge over the stucco if you want to create texture in the finish.

9. Spray the stucco with a light mist every few days for 6 to 8 weeks as the stucco cures.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't place the fire pit underneath electrical lines or near anything that could catch fire easily.

• Wear safety goggles and gloves if using a wet saw.

References

• Custom Patio Designs: Apply Stucco
• Ask the Builder: Cement Stucco Foundation Finish
• Stucco Guru: Cement Plaster Over Concrete Block Walls
• The Firepit and Grilling Guru: How to Build an Outdoor Stone Fire Pit
• "This Old House": How to Build a Fire Pit; Harry Sawyers