How to Make a Fire Pit With Seating
Here's a relatively easy way to add natural warmth and a feeling of peacefulness to an outdoor area. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Stackable landscaping stones (flat on top and bottom) 3 cups flour Shovel Gravel Sand 6 2-by-6 inch boards, 6 feet long Polyurethane Paintbrush Masonry adhesive
Instructions
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Making a Fire Pit
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1
Choose the location for your fire pit. Your fire pit should be set away from trees and structures that might catch fire.
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2
Outline the area for your fire pit, using a line of flour on the ground. A good size for a fire pit is 3 to 4 feet in diameter.
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3
Dig a 1-foot hole in the ground in the area where your fire pit will be. If the area outside your fire pit is covered with leaves, brush and sticks (as in a wooded area), clear the area down to the dirt. Remove all flammable material from the area.
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4
In the center of the fire pit, dig a deeper hole approximately 2 feet deep and 1 foot wide.
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5
Fill the second, deeper hole with gravel.
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6
Layer the bottom of the fire pit with 2 or 3 inches of sand.
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7
Place a layer of stone around the exterior of the fire pit. Build a second layer on the first layer. Continue to add layers until the wall is at the desired height. Stacking the stone without adhesive or mortar will allow you to replace stones as necessary. The fire pit is finished when the wall is as tall as you want it to be.
Adding Seating
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8
Using a paintbrush, apply a layer of polyurethane to the 2-by-6 inch boards. Set them aside to dry while you're completing Steps 2 through 4.
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9
Make stacks of the remaining stones in piles 1 1/2 feet high, 1 1/2 feet wide and 1 1/2 feet deep. Stacks should be placed in pairs 3 1/2 feet apart, approximately 2 1/2 feet away from the ring. Each pair will form the ends of your benches. If the rocks are on uneven ground, glue them together with masonry adhesive to ensure that the stacks will remain stable.
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10
Using masonry adhesive, secure the 2-by-6 inch boards to the stacks, laying them over each pair of stones to form the seat of the bench. In this way, each seat will be made from two boards laying side by side, spanning the gap between each pair of stone stacks and extending to the ends of each pile.
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Tips & Warnings
Concrete blocks cast to look like stone will work well for the ring around the pit. Alternatively, cinder blocks are inexpensive but may not withstand heat from the fire well.
Check with your local fire code before building a fire pit. Anytime the area around your fire pit is layered with dry, flammable material (such as leaves and dry grass), clear the area before lighting a flame. Stone that has soaked in water may explode in the intense heat from the fire, so be cautious when choosing your stone.
