Build a Backyard Fire Pit
I wanted to create a fire pit in my backyard that was a little more permanent than my little one from Walmart, but the wind that whips through my yard in the afternoons was deterring my build. I wanted something more than just a simple ring - I wanted some kind of wind breaker as well! Here’s how I built a tall-back fire pit for just over $100! (If I had only wanted to do the ring, this pit would have cost just under $70!)
My idea for the permanent fire pit came from (where else?), Pinterest. The spot that I had the temporary one on pavers was about where I wanted the new one, as I didn’t want it closer to the house than needed, or to the overhanging branches by the fence. I made a trip to Home Depot, picked up about 70 concrete retaining wall blocks (they were about $1.48 each at the time), and got ready to build my fire pit!
I didn’t take photos of all my processes, and there are several blogs already with instructions on how to build a fire ring. I marked out my pit circle with the first layer of blocks to see if I liked the size. I used a level to make sure the first ring was level around. These particular blocks had a “locking” bit on their back, since their original use is as a retaining wall block. If I was to go back and do this again, I’d pick blocks that didn’t have this option, or knock them off before assembling. As it is, because I didn’t use any kind of adhesive, I could redo this pit, but I’m actually good with it and the finished pit is quite sturdy.
I dug up the grass on the inside of the pit, and opted to build the ring 3 blocks high, giving it a much taller ring than usual. Remember, I was trying to prevent the wind from putting out my fires, or whipping it up into a big blaze!
Halfway around the ring, I began the fourth level, and then alternated around the rest, creating steps going up. The finished fire pit leaned out toward the back because of the locking parts of the block and in how it stacked, and I was afraid the stack would fall, but it actually is quite stable! I added two bags of contractor sand to the inside of the ring and applied weed killer to the outside of the ring to kill the grass and create a barrier for any stray embers.
The completed fire pit! The windbreaker really does work, and I purposely did not apply adhesive so that if I needed to readjust the top part (rotate it) so that the wind hit the back end, I could. However, even though the wind goes right to left (as you’re looking at the finished pit) and crosses over the top, I think the higher initial ring works well and the taller part keeps the flames/embers safe from the nearby trees behind. Plus, I can see the fire from my deck and enjoy it from there as well!
