How to Build Outdoor Stone Fireplaces

An outdoor fireplace warms your outdoor living space so your family can spend more time in the backyard. While the thought of building your own outdoor fireplace can seem daunting, kits are available that contain all the necessary supplies to build it yourself. Begin to build the fireplace in the morning, and you'll be able to build a fire by evening.

Things You'll Need

• Outdoor stone fireplace kit (available at home improvement stores and fireplace specialty stores) Garden tools Sand Gravel Level

Instructions

1. Find a site that is a safe distance from any buildings and free from overhanging tree branches.

2. Use a stake and string, and mark the size of hole needed for your circular fireplace to the diameter specified in your fireplace kit.

3. Dig out 12 inches of soil from the marked area.

4. Place 4 inches of gravel in the hole. Tamp it down.

5. Place 4 inches of sand on top of the gravel. Tamp it down evenly and thoroughly.

6. Lay the first course of blocks. Place the blocks so the finished circle is centered in the prepared area. Use the level to ensure that all blocks are level. This step is crucial to ensure that the entire structure is level when finished.

7. Lay the second course of stones. Overlap the second course of stones so their edges fall in the middle of the stones in the first course. Leave a little extra space between a couple sets of blocks on each course to facilitate airflow into the fireplace. This helps the fire burn better.

8. Lay down another layer of gravel in the bottom of the pit. This layer should be about 4 to 6 inches deep.

9. Install the remaining courses of stones.

10. To stabilize the bottom layer of stones, put down a 2-to-3-inch layer of gravel around the outside of the fireplace, right up next to the bottom layer of stones.

Tips & Warnings

• When laying down the stone courses, occasionally hang a weighted string over the outside edge of the stone wall to ensure that they are perpendicular to the ground.

• Do not use river stone to build an outdoor fireplace. It can explode from the heat of the fire.