What Does It Take To Design And Build Your Own Fire Pit?
By Nicole Martins, Fri Dec 9th

There are many alternatives to creating a fire pit other thanbuying a firepit model that is ready-made and requires somesimple assembly. If you are a do-it-yourselfer looking to designand build your own fire pit you don't need a fancy set ofblueprints, just a vision of the type of pit you are looking tocreate. What does it take these days to build fire pits foroutdoor campfires and barbequing? The answer is not a lot. Interms of cost, building a wood burning pit can cost next tonothing and require no more than a few hours of physical labor(especially if you have materials such as rock or brick on hand)to see the complete. First pick a safe area for yourfire pit, away from any structures that can catch fire anddefinitely out of the way of backyard traffic. Be sure to checkwith you local fire department for information and codes. Youneed to know what the rules are before getting started. Gettinggoing will entail quarrying up some fieldstones or brick to linethe inside dirt walls of the pit once you've dug the hole. Notto get ahead of ourselves here, but you will need a good oldshovel and some back strength to excavate soil. Position yourfieldstone or brick around the holes perimeter and extend thesematerials above ground. The purpose of installing thesematerials is to keep wind down and the soil away from the fire.

You can also build a stucco pit above ground or think of othercreative ways of building your pit; magazines or the internetare a great source for tips and ideas. When considering a designyou'll want to keep with the look of your home and otherexisting structures. If you don't have time to dream up designideas or if you had something more complex in mind, you canorder a set of plans online complete with material list, foronly a small fee.

Once you have finished building, be sure to keep safety in mind.An in ground hearth is a permanent outdoor fixture. You may wantto keep it covered when not in use; you can find inexpensivescrap metal and have it cut to fit. Another option is to buy abasic fire pit which should include cover, spark screen, loggrill and such and then build your stone or brick wall around it(seehttp://www.outdoor-fireplaces-and-patio-heaters.com/outdoor-fire-pit.htm ). This limits the chances of children or petsaccidentally running into an exposed fire pit and gettingburned.

If you want to build a gas fire pit, shop for either gas firelogs with or without embers or choose a simple metal fire ring:both ideas will allow you to design the housing for thefireplace and come up with your own plan.

Whatever you decide, either to build your own or buy onemanufactured, a fire pit is a beneficial addition to youroutdoor space, allowing you to grill outdoors or to stay warm oncool evenings.

About the author:Nicole Martins is a contributing author and publisher tohttp://www.outdoor-fireplaces-and-patio-heaters.com where youcan find information, articles of interest and reviews onoutdoor fireplaces, patio heaters and fire pits.