Building a fire pit

[ducks4you]

I've already posted this on TEG, but I thought I might get some different ideas here.
I am AG 2 and we already can burn, as long as it's not after dark. I've been burning around where there was a burn barrel when we moved in. 2015 I am putting a new chicken coop there and I want to move where we have our "every day" burning. (We accumulate big logs in my north pasture for my October "Salsa Party," too.)
I've been researching laying down brick bc I want to make a brick circle or rectangle like you would lay down a brick walkway, and then make an ~ 1 ft high circular pit on top bc I'm tired of sitting next the fire sometimes in the mud!
Has anybody here ever laid down a sidewalk?
Also, I'm putting it about 30 ft. south of the current one, and the ground has a dip, which I want to use to help drain when it rains, so the middle of the fire pit will not be level, although I want to level out the outside of the pit where we can put our camp chairs.
Any advice is appreciated, as ALWAYS!

 

[wyoDreamer]

You may want to leave the actual fire area dirt or gravel. Concrete does not like heat, and if there is the wrong kind of stone in the concrete, it can blow off chips of concrete when it is heated.
Here is how I would do it
- put a stake at the center of where I want the fire pit. A rope with a loop at the end, place the loop over the stake and use that to draw a circle the size you want. one for the outside edge and one for the inside circle
- cut the sod along that circle and remove all grass inside it.
- dig down about 8", using the dirt to make a level circle area the size I want my pad
-pound stakes around the circle to connect my form too
- add 4" of gravel for a solid surface to pour the concrete on
- they have a thin, flexible landscape edging I would use for the form, screw from the outside of the stakes, through the form so I can remove it easier after pouring the concrete. There may be sharp screw heads sticking out, but making it easier to remove the form is very good
- pour the concrete doughnut, I would stamp the concrete if I could.
- Build the fire pit at the inner edge of the doughnut.
- fill with washed stone - for better drainage and to raise the fire to view it easier and get more heat.

Can you tell that I am married to an engineer and must build things to freeway standards. lol!

 

[ducks4you]

That is really interesting. I hadn't considered using concrete. I live on a 5 acre farmette, so I don't have nosy suburban neighbors inspecting my work. Freeway standards could DEFINITELY work for me!

 

[Britesea]

What @wyoDreamer suggests sounds like it would be safe, AND attractive. The problem with laying bricks is they will shift with frosts and such. So I would go with something like her suggestion even though it sounds like more work up front; you don't want to have to do the job twice.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Sorry if I confused. Britesea is correct. Freeway = Interstate Highway
We tend to way overbuild things around here. But I can say we have never had to go back and redo or repair anything that we built. It is built to last forever...

Well, we had to remove something DH built once, and that was because our needs changed and it was in the way. What a pain in the butt that was, all I remember is that he used construction glue and screws to hold the pieces of wood together, and I had to chisel the wood apart. I complained for two days on that one.

 

[Beekissed]

Using edging and filling your area with sand before placing pavers may be the ticket to getting good drainage, level surface area, no shifting due to frozen ground and still have a safe area for burning without using concrete.

 

[ducks4you]

I like that. I started buying materials. I got a 30% discount on broken pavers--this is, after all, rural backyard property, not a suburban project across my neighbor's fence--and have enough at writing for ~8' x 12' area, but, of course this won't be enough for my projecct. I put a bit more thought into this and said, WHY does it have to round? It's going to be a ~4' diameter square "ring". I'm using rectangular materials and it should be pretty easy to square off around a square area. DH suggested that I used cinder blocks and stagger them, so as to get an air flow. We'll play with it to get it right. First stage is hopefully today or Saturday, measure and till the new area, which already has a dip in it. I want to level it out, and then make a small slope from the edges of the "ring" to the middle to encourage rain and snow to go to the middle and drain.
I was at Menard's (Midwest discount hardware/everything else store) yesterday and went window shopping.
Cinder blocks
8 x 8 x 16 --$1.33
8 x 8 x 8 -- 98 cents
6 x 8 x 16 -- $1.19
8 x 8 x 16 (solid) -- $2.48
12 x 8 x 16 -- 84 cents
Others
2-2/8" x 4" x 13" Bullnose Paver -- 49 cents
16 x 16 cement pavers -- $3.28
I like to go to the back and see what is being clearanced out. They have such a time inventorying that going to their building desk doesn't help. I just take a notebook and extra fine Sharpie with me and write down approximate quantities on hand, then the price, then the SKU#, and THEN I go to their desk. I have gotten paving bricks for 5/$1.00 and better in the past. Only downside is that I have to load them and unload them.
Those are good days to eat my Wheaties!!!
Thanks so much for the replies and I'd appreciate any more ideas. I will take pictures and post them as this project progresses.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I can't wait to see your pictures.
DH is starting to plan his fire pit project.

 

[Britesea]

 

[ducks4you]

That's why I don't think I want to cement anything. I've been looking at tree rings, like this one that is ~ 4' diameter, to use as my fire ring. Since it's in the back yard area of my 5 acres, where only WE will see it and use it, I have decided to buy my bricks and paving cement blocks as cheaply as possible and make kind of a mosaic around it so we aren't sitting in the mud by the fire pit.