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How to Build a Fire Pit from a Kit | Ask This Old House

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Plumbing and insulation
By Amir Benbaji
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Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough installs a fire pit that comes in a kit

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Time: 2-3 hours

Cost: $600

Skill Level: Moderate

Tools:
Shovel [https://amzn.to/2zi2B3X]
Wheelbarrow [https://amzn.to/2ADYsHV]
Tarp [https://amzn.to/2WOs0v3]
Hand tamper [https://amzn.to/2TiTG9p]
Level [https://amzn.to/2LGsGwm]
Mallet [https://amzn.to/2TnQcT3]
Caulking gun [https://amzn.to/2Xjb3b8]

Shopping List:
Firepit kit [https://amzn.to/3dVQ3y2]
Crushed stone [https://thd.co/2zfsfXa]
Stone dust [https://thd.co/3g9AV1J]
Construction adhesive [https://amzn.to/3cQ8KmH]

Steps for building a fire pit from a kit:
1. Determine a good location for a fire pit. Be sure there are no trees overhead or any other structures that could catch fire from floating embers.
2. Use the center ring of the kit and the first course of blocks to determine how wide the hole needs to be.
3. Cut a circle a few inches around the outside of the course of blocks with the shovel. Using the shovel, pull up the top layer of grass and set it aside on a tarp so it can be reused to backfill the hole later.
4. Once the outside circle is outlined, remove the center ring and the course of blocks and dig a hole about 8” deep.
5. Compact the ground using a hand tamper until the base is perfectly solid.
6. Pour a layer of crushed stone into the hole. Compact it using the hand tamper.
7. Repeat this process with the crushed stone until the hole is almost completely filled.
8. Mix a little of the crushed stone with the stone dust. Pour that over the base and rake it smooth.
9. Place the center ring back in the center of the base to use as a template for the first course.
10. Place the first block in the correct location. Use a level and adjust the block with a rubber mallet to ensure it’s perfectly level. Take some time to get it perfectly positioned, as that block will serve as a guide for all the other blocks.
11. Place the rest of the blocks in the first course around the center of the firepit. Check each one for level, using that first block as a reference.
12. Dry fit the next row of blocks on top of the first course. Once the fit is just right, individually pull up each block, add a bead of construction adhesive underneath, and place the block back down. Doing it this way will ensure that all the blocks fit correctly and there isn’t an uneven gap at the end of the circle.
13. Repeat this process for the third course.
14. The kit comes with lava rock for the bottom of the firepit. Pour this into the center hole and spread it out evenly.
15. Take the grass for the tarp and use it to patch any leftover holes around the outside of the firepit.

Resources:
Mark installed a Necessories Grand 48-inch Firepit Kit [https://amzn.to/3dVQ3y2], which can be found at most home centers and landscape supply stores.

For the base, Mark used crushed stone and pack, which can be found at landscape supply stores.

To secure the stones in the kit together, Mark used Gorilla Construction Adhesive [https://amzn.to/3cQ8KmH] made by Gorilla Glue (www.gorillatough.com).

The other tools Mark used to install the fire pit, including the shovel, level, and rubber mallet, can all be found at home centers.

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we’re ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Jenn Nawada.

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Keywords:
This Old House, Ask This Old House, DIY, Home Improvement, DIY Ideas, Renovation, Renovation Ideas, How To Fix, How To Install, How To Build

Watch the full episode:
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/season-18-ask-toh-episodes

How to Build a Fire Pit from a Kit | Ask This Old House
https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/

(Visited 18,596 times, 1 visits today)
4-6 minutesAsk This Old HouseBuildingConstructiondiyfire pithome improvementMark McCulloughmasonryThis Old Houseyard

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Comment (0)

  3. How to build a fire pit from a kit:

    Step one: Admit you are worthless at simple projects and that you need a big box store to hold your left hand while you suck on your right thumb.

    Step two: Pull your thumb out of your mouth just long enough to write a response to this comment. Use the words "offended," "I bet," and "jerk."

    Step three: Buy overpriced materials from your hand holder.

    Step four: Follow the instructions that it comes with and get off YouTube.

  6. Overkill! Get bigger rocks about 6 inches in diameter, put them in a circle. Put some wood in the middle, light it up, grass in the middle burns off and voila, there is a fire pit. Cheap and fast, works every time.

  8. I’m by no means a masonry or landscape expert, but I dug about a 3 foot diameter circle. I removed about 2 inches of dirt. I filled in that area with two bags of stone dust for drainage, and then four bags of egg rock. Then I rimmed the outside with 89¢ pavers and it looks great. I don’t burn directly on that rock as I use a metal fire pit that I put on top of that. Otherwise I spent maybe $60 in total plus some elbow grease. Works well and looks great too. It’s definitely not a manicured perfect rock circle but I didn’t need to buy a kit like this. To each his own, I’m sure there a million and more different fire pit ideas. This was just my take on it.

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