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Fire pit

hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
in Tools and techniques
I'd like to make a fire pit sunk into the ground. I was thinking of a simply a hole lined with old bricks... Slabs... Etc. Any suggestions?

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Won't the heat then heat the soil and go straight up instead of radiating to where you are sitting?
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    You would need to line the pit with fire bricks on 4 ins of sand to contain the heat and stop it from setting fire to the surrounding ground or cracking nearby paving. You would also need to think about drainage.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I agree ... drainage can be a problem ... also you need something to get air to the base of the fire ... and think about how you're going to remove the ashes etc. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    It would have to be a wide hole to give you the air flow needed and also safety.  You can buy a perfectly good metal firepit online for anything from £30 to £100  and they come with a safety "net" to stop flying sparks and most can be used to cook as well - loads less effort.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
    Sorry for delay in replying ... soil pipe started leaking at back of house...  turns out to be asbestos ... enjoying "dirty" water on brand new patio, whilst negotiating plumbers and asbestos specialists, whilst also trying to spend less than £2k. Ho Hum.

    Anyway ... fire pit ... think of it as somewhere to have a camp fire rather than anything fancy. My current 5yr old amazon £30 fire bowl is just a wide metal bowl with no vent holes at all. The legs have fallen apart, so I have removed them with my multi saw. I now have just the bare metal bowl. I think I will drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage, and some hole round the side for ventilation. I will then partially sink it into the ground, but can easily lift out to empty ash etc.
  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    hiacedrifter said:
    Sorry for delay in replying ... soil pipe started leaking at back of house...  turns out to be asbestos ... enjoying "dirty" water on brand new patio, whilst negotiating plumbers and asbestos specialists, whilst also trying to spend less than £2k. Ho Hum.

    Anyway ... fire pit ... think of it as somewhere to have a camp fire rather than anything fancy. My current 5yr old amazon £30 fire bowl is just a wide metal bowl with no vent holes at all. The legs have fallen apart, so I have removed them with my multi saw. I now have just the bare metal bowl. I think I will drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage, and some hole round the side for ventilation. I will then partially sink it into the ground, but can easily lift out to empty ash etc.

    You could dig the hole and then put in a brick or two in the bottom for the bowl to sit on - drainage, air flow, and less heating of the ground...
  • M33R4M33R4 Posts: 291
    I made a firepit 13 years ago with breeze type blocks and it still stands proud to this day although it's been repurposed as a bamboo planter as the neighbours were not too happy about a fire in a nearby garden causing some smoke and smells (I'm on a modernish estate where houses are close together). I loved the firepit but sadly had to give it up. 

    If it helps you decide, mine is over ground and with blocks it was more straight forward to do straight lines so I went for a hexagon shape. It had plenty of air around it and removing the ash  after was easy enough.

    I'll post a pic later when the sun comes up :)
    I wish I could garden all year round!
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