Monday, March 18, 2013

How to Make a Stone Firepit

A stone firepit is an excellent addition to any house and if you choose to do so, you can build it yourself. It is not necessarily a project for beginners, but anyone with the will to do it, certainly can. There are many different styles of firepits and they range from the fairly simple to relatively complicated. They are all functional, however, when constructed properly and even the plainest ones are beautiful in their simplicity. Here are the basic steps in how to make a stone firepit.

Carefully choose a spot that is big enough to accommodate as large a structure as you plan to build. Remember that even a small firepit is going to be pretty big. When you are researching how to make a stone firepit, you will find most directions call for a large space. The spot has to be away from anything that may burn such as tree branches, brush, other structures, etc. In addition planning for the pit itself, you need to plan for the area you will be using with and around the firepit. The walls of the firepit are thick, so you'll need to plan for that and for seating around the firepit. Find the center of the space for your firepit and its surrounding area and mark it with a stake. Take a string and tie it to the end of the stick. Stretch the string out to where you want the outer edge of your firepit. Move the string around the stake in a circle and mark that line with chalk or flour or by digging into the grass or dirt there. Clear the circle of grass and you are ready to prepare for the next step in how to make a stone firepit. Shorten the string by about 12", that's how thick your firepit walls will be when added together, and make another circle with the center string and chalk. Clear the space between those 2 lines well, making it as even as possible as it will be the base of your firepit. You are ready for the concrete and stone part in this quick lesson on how to make a stone firepit. Mix and pour the concrete into the evened out circle you have created in the pit area. Make sure the concrete goes below ground level, by about an inch and a half. Add rebar pieces for support. Let this concrete set completely. You have created the base for your stone firepit, now it is time for the mortar and stone setting. If you have never set stone in mortar, you can find instructions on how to make a stone firepit that will explain how to do so properly.

Once you have installed your own firepit by following online instructions on how to make a stone firepit, it is time to relax around it and enjoy the pleasure of a job well done. So light the fire, grab some marshmallows and let yourself go back to the good old days.

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