Fire Pits Add Ambiance to Any Back Yard or Party

Whether you live in an area that gets really cold at night or even if you're able to enjoy some mild cool evenings, adding a fire pit to your garden or patio area is a great way to get even more enjoyment out of your backyard. There's nothing like the sound of a crackling fire and sitting around in the evening entertaining and enjoying your family and friends or just kicking back by yourself with a glass of wine and relaxing after a long day and enjoying the peace and quite by your fire pit.

With the economy these days many people are staying home more and investing in their homes, gardens and pools. What better way to save money and enjoy what you've put a lot of time and effort in, than by staying home and having a relaxing weekend with your family and friends. No matter what type of pit you decide to use, pits are a worthwhile investment to your home. Some fire pits are portable, so they're easy to store, while traveling, camping or just heading out to the beach for a nice evening watching the sunset.

Amazingly, pits range in price anywhere from under one hundred dollars to a thousand dollars, if you prefer the propane fueled fire pits that come with all the bells and whistles. Some pits come with table rings around them which are great to sit down a drink or plate. Most of them come with spark screens that are beautifully designed and also very valuable when it comes to holding embers and sparks that can fly out of the pit and create a safety hazard. The grill grates are what make pits a worthwhile investment with their various uses. This inexpensive upgrade adds the functionality of a cook top. Why bothering standing over a hot stove and heating up your home. Once the fiery wood pile has started to smolder, then you can simply install the grill grate with the lift tool and then you're ready to easily throw on some meat and veggies and you have dinner in a very short time. Don't forget the tasty S'mores or toasting marshmallows for desert.

As always, remember to use every safety precaution when dealing with fires or fire starting material. Your fire pit comes with instructions about safety and suggestions regarding the best location for your pit. Ideally, placing your pit on a concrete or stone base would be a safe place to put it. You may need to check with local authority regarding building any type of fire in your area. And as always, use every safety precaution when children or pets are around.

How to Build a Multi Purpose Fire Pit for Your Backyard

Today backyard family get togethers and parties have multitudes of choices for not only things to do, but also ways to get the fun times done. One of the things that families can do together is to build a fire and sit around playing music or chatting and even have grandpa tell a scary story or two for the kids around the fire.

Talking about building a fire is one thing, but it should be done safely. Having a fire pit is one safe way to have that fun we're talking about. Fire pits come in many different sizes and shapes. You can purchase them just about any where there's a discount store.

Customize It

Or, you can build your own and have it customized to your liking. In this guide, rather than calling it an article, I'm going to tell you how to build your own outdoor fire pit. There are 2 types of fire pits:

Wood, or Charcoal burning
And Gas fire pits

The type that you will learn how to build is wood. I'm partial to the wood or charco al pits cause they are just better in terms of the wood smells and it looks better. To me a gas fire outside is just fake. But, hey they serve the purpose so whatever your choice is you can't go wrong.

Choose Your Style and Shape

Anyways, lets get on with building our fire pit out in the backyard. Our fire pit will be built as an "in ground" one. You can of course have an above ground one also. The style of our pit could be endless. Specifically in terms of decoration, type of brick or stone to use with it. Even colors are endless. You decide on the look of your pit.

Some shapes of pits include but are not limited to:

Round and Bowl shaped
Rectangular
Square
Octagon
And Pentagon shaped

Your imagination here is unlimited. Choose your shape then determine what size you want it to be. For this How To I will use the standard square shape. When determining your size to build, your first idea would be to find a safe place away from your house or even your deck if it is made of wood. We don't want any wild fires going on so we choose a place out in the middle of the yard.

If You Build It, They will come

Away from any low hanging trees or wires, bushes, etc.. Now that we've found our place to build it let's measure out a 3 foot by 3 foot square. Here again it can be as large or small as you want. Just take safety into consideration. After our measurements for size we mark those corners of the square off. Now before we begin to dig out our fire pit, how far down should we dig it?

Dig your fire pits no deeper than 3/4 of your arms length. Why that deep? Because every so often you'll need to clean it out. Clean out the ashes, dirt and so on. This way you don't have to climb down in it to clean it out. You'll still be able to reach to the bottom of it with your arm or even a broom and pick up pan.

Using a standard garden shovel we dig our fire pit within the measurements we marked off. Taking care to only dig about 1 1/2' deep. Or 3/4 arms length. After digging out your pit make sure that the sides of the pit are level and smooth. Removing any rocks or stones that would keep the sides and bottom from being level.

The reason you do this is when you place your bricks or stone in there to make the sides and bottom, it will also be level and perpendicular. You can even use sand to help you level the bottom of it. Now that you have your pit dug out and a big pile of dirt laying up there, its time to install the interior of the fire pit. At this time you should already have your chosen bricks or rock or stone to use on the inside.

You can use cement to strengthen the sides and bottom of it but I don't see the need, since the fire will be in the ground anyway. For this case we just use regular landscaping rock or brick. Then just lay the first layer of brick in the bottom around the sides.

Now fill in the rest of the bottom or floor of the pit. To make it fit right you may have to cut some of the bricks. Use a masonry saw for this. Once you have your pit floor completed, begin laying and stacking the brick around the sides of the pit.

Depending on how you want to make it at the corners you can either join them together or overlap them. But to join them you'll have to make custom cuts to the bricks. Continue filling up the sides of the pit by stacking your bricks.

Once you've reached the top of the fire pit, you may notice that the actual fire place will be smaller. But that's OK, we have a nice small fire pit to enjoy. From here you can do things like creating a deck out around the fire pit. Again your imagination is the limit.

Frequently Asked Questions About Backyard Fire Pits

Do you anticipate cool weather this evening, and a cloudless sky filled with twinkling stars? It sounds like the perfect night to gather friends and family and sit out on the back deck or in the yard with a blazing fire pit. As the warmth spreads around your circle you can enjoy hours of conversation, a warm beverage, or even a toasted marshmallow or two. If you don't have a place for a backyard fire and have considered setting up a fire pit, you want to be sure you know everything relevant to installation and that you are kept up to date on emergency procedures.

Here are some frequently asked questions about building a backyard fire shoppe or fire pit. It's always a good idea, too, to consult with somebody at your local outdoor store who has experience in installation and safety.

1) What kind of setting do I need for my fire pit?

This will actually depend upon what sort of product you buy to contain your burning wood. When it comes to backyard recreation, you can set up anything from a simple fire ring - a wide band of metal fashioned in a loop that contains the wood and ash - to a chimenea, which is a bulbous container with two open ends - one to hold the wood and a chimney-like spout for the smoke. There are also more elaborate designs for outdoor fireplaces that may require a bit of planning to execute. When it comes to your backyard comfort, you have many options - you only need to find the right one for your yard layout.

2) What should I do in my back yard before I start a fire in the pit?

It is important to make sure the area is cleared of flammable debris. This means dry grass and tree limbs, leaves and brush. There will be smoke, so make sure you know how the wind will blow that day so you don't end up blowing smoke into your house. If you have a fire bowl on chimenea on a wooden deck, consider setting up a pad underneath to catch stray ash. Always have a fire extinguisher nearby for emergencies.

3) What kind of wood can I burn?

Convenient they may be, you want to avoid using the specialized, pressure-treated fireplace logs. These tend to release toxic gases as they burn, and you definitely don't want to cook over an open grill with them! Hard woods like maple, pecan, and hickory work nicely for outdoor burning - you can consult with your local outdoor store expert on woods in your area.

A Fire Pit Ring In Your Backyard

Fire pit rings can make a very nice winter setting in your backyard or garden, not very complicated to set up and maintain, the fire pit ring is just like a regular fire ring only that you can build a fire pit around it and make it nicer to sit by and, naturally a nice feature in your property.

Fire pit rings can be bough at most do it yourself shops and connected to gas or by using a natural burning wood you can build yourself a nice and easy outdoor fire place that will make you and your guests very warm and happy during the cooler months of the year. What can be nicer than a warm burning fire and some friends to pass a night of companionship, in this simple camp like environment we easily go back to our childhood and spend some quality time with the family and your friends.

As in all things the fire rings cost money, and need some maintenance, but the great thing is that in this particular case they are easy to build, cheap to buy, have almost no maintenance costs and last for a very long time. Some of the nicest fire rings on the market cost no more than a few dozens of dollars and are portable, meaning you can move them around, from you backyard to another location or from place to place in your property.

This portable quality of the fire pit rings makes it a sweet feature in every house, especially if you got kids that would be happy to have a family fire once in a while and roast some delicious marshmallows, or taken to the woods or beach for a nocturnal adventure. Many of the fire pit rings have an extra feature, a metal bar that can be used for cooking, making the fire pit an complete solution for the family cookout.

The fire pit ring was originally a simple stone structure that encompassed a burning fire so the flames would not go uncontrolled and cause damage to the surroundings or people that used to sleep around it, even today you can find a lot of people who have different methods of constructing special stone fire pit rings, maximizing the potential of the fire and its burning time.

With the development and art of metal welding fire pit rings have become more durable and much more technical, this provided most people with a nicer solution to digging holes and building fire rings with heavy stones, this developed even more into a cooking stove in time of need by using the metal surface as a cooking platform.

There are many advantages to having a fire pit right outside your door, you should always keep an eye on the fire and remember that this is not something that you can leave unattended, you should also advise a certified plumber before installing any gas pipes and connections to other pipes.

Why The Sojoe Fire Pit Is Good In The Back Yard

Each person can't fail to enjoy an evening along with family and friends close to a camp fire. Although, for a good number of us, this simple pleasure simply is not practical in our smart carefully designed decks and back yards. But if your back yard is too fine for a campfire it may be time to acquire you and your family one of the Sojoe Fire Tubs.

These sturdy, yet movable fire tubs give a trouble-free and secure place for an outdoor camp fire. But, significantly they look beautiful, no matter if lit or not these give an added feature to your garden. Undeniably a change for the better from that area of scorched soil that is left behind after a usual camp fire.

Sojoe fire pits are widely copied. Hardly unexpected given that the design is a real winner, both useful in addition to superb to view. A cut-rate version may possibly be enough for some but ensure that you are discovering a great deal. If not you will be more happy purchasing the genuine object because these are produced out of real steel over 3mm wide, which may be approximately three times as wide as that which the budget models make use of. Stable construction would be vital if you do not want the fire bowl itself to warp as well as become dented because of the heat of the bonfire.

Sojoe fire pits are prepared with a rustic powder outside layer which will ensure that there is not any upkeep or refinishing required. Again, definitely not something that may be alleged regarding all of the cheaper products.

The Sojoe fire pit plan is straightforward. 3 legs bear an extra big fire bowl. Which makes it possible for large, camp fires to be built up and for convenient management of the logs. All round the perimeter of the tub itself are charming cut out shapes. Their most widespread motif contains stars and moons, although horses, wild life along with more abstract shapes are obtainable. The object is that you get to catch a glimpse of the flames of the fire itself via these patterns offering a little hint of charm to the camp. There could be what's more a more functional objective. These cut outs allow fresh air to get all the way into the middle of the bonfire. This keeps the blaze burning hotter for longer, yet again you have to interfere less with the flames! A bar is incorporated near the periphery of the fire bowl. This serves as a carrying grip for moving the fire pit table, and in addition as a protection rail-come-foot rest on top of which to make your toes nice and comfy.
A fine mesh ember shield is supplied so that you have no fears where you dwell in a woody area, and besides keeps tiny fingers away from the flames.

Perhaps even more importantly however, Sojoe fire pits arrive including a poker and cooking grill. Nothing is better than sausages grilled over logs so why haven't you got your Sojoe fire pit already?

Modular Fire Pit Patios - Transform Your Backyard

DIYers, landscapers, and landscape architects now have a unique and innovative outdoor living item to quickly and affordably enhance their fire pit areas and outdoor living projects. The pre-made fire pit patio. Recently premiered at the backyard Living Expo, held in Orlando, FL, the response to pre-made fire pit patio was simply overwhelming.

Pre-made fire pits, also known as “pre-cast” fire pits, are produced year-round indoors, under controlled conditions, to ensure the highest quality and consistent product strength.

Each pre-cast fire pit is 10-1/2 feet in diameter, 1-1/2 inches thick, made of reinforced 5,000 PSI concrete, and is cut into eight segments. The 8 segments fit onto one pallet. The standard pallet size is 48" x 48" and approximately 26 inches high. Estimated weight of the pre-made patios is 1550 lbs.

“Pre-Cast” Fire Pit Patio Benefits:

1) Overall costs for these patios will be lower than comparable “poured
in place” concrete patios.

2) Requires less labor and reduced skill levels.

3) Overall faster install time.

4) Can be installed in virtually any weather, year-round.

5) Does not require permits as with permanently installed concrete.

6) Existing landscaping is not destroyed upon installation.

7) No heavy equipment required.

8) Can be easily removed and relocated.

9) Can be installed in inaccessible locations.

Each segment of the pre-made patio can be easily handled by two people and no special tools are required for installation, just ordinary garden tools.

Environmental Benefits:

* Reduced fire hazard from sparks and stray cinders.

* Eliminates erosion around existing fire pits.

* Guests will be drawn to the fire pit area, saving surrounding landscaping.

* Fire pits can be easily relocated, as this product is modular.

* Increased accessibility for handicapped or physically challenged guests.

Enhance Your Backyard With An Outdoor Fire Pit

Outdoor fire pits are quickly becoming the gathering spot for family and friends on patios, decks and other backyard areas. They are a popular feature for many homes, apartments, camps, and a variety of other social gathering places. In addition to being a great way to stay warm and have fun, outdoor fire pits are perfect when you're looking for that feel of being around a campfire, but in the comfort of your own backyard or city deck.

Outdoor fire pits have many more uses and benefits than what you may think. When sitting around an outdoor fire pit, the quality of the interaction among friends definitely is improved. There is something about the warm glow of a fire that attracts and relaxes people. Outdoor fire pits bring a whole different atmosphere to your favorite outdoor space.

Tired of saying good-bye to your backyard in the wintertime? A well-made outdoor fire pit can turn that loss to gain. In fact, there's something special about coming together around a warm fire in the fresh air of winter.

Outdoor fire pits are not without practical uses. Cooking is one that comes readily to mind, especially as it relates to wood burning fire pits. Beyond just roasting marshmallows, some outdoor fire pits may prove very useful when the electricity is down and you can't use the range or microwave.

Portable outdoor fire pits are versatile and specifically designed for small, easily controllable campfires that you can enjoy wherever you want. At the same time, they add a luxurious element to your outdoor style.

Sitting next to my outdoor fire pit works best for me under a crisp, starry night after a hectic and stressful day. Losing myself in the mystery of the dancing flames, the crackling and popping sounds of ashes launched into the night, and the unaffected smell of burning firewood drenched in fresh, cool air, is transporting and never gets old.

Of course, this kind of experience requires the right kind of outdoor fire pit, one that enhances its setting and meets your needs and preferences.

To that end, make sure you look around, because there are many options for outdoor fire pits. They vary a lot in size, style, and function, so do your homework before buying and remember that quality matters.

What material is used to make your outdoor fire pit can influence how it works, how long it lasts, and what it will add visually to the space where it will be located. Wrought iron, aluminum, ceramic, stainless steel, copper, and cast iron are good examples of the kinds of materials used to make outdoor fire pits. Concrete, slate, and marble are used to make some beautiful custom-made portable outdoor fire pits.

Even though there is a lot of variety when it comes to the names and styles of outdoor fire pits, most fall into one of three categories in terms of the type of fuel they burn. Which one you choose, wood, propane, or natural gas, really should depend on two considerations. What are your preferences, and what is the availability of each type of fuel?

For example, natural gas and propane fire pits are an excellent choice in places where wood burning is restricted, or where wood is not easily available. Natural gas may be more convenient, unless you don't already have natural gas lines installed.

On the other hand, wood burning fire pits are very popular for a number of reasons, including fragrance, cooking, and (for many) the joy of chopping and stacking firewood and building a campfire. In other words, there are a few things you need to think through before buying your outdoor fire pit.

In terms of price, you probably can find an outdoor fire pit under $100 that looks okay. However, you may wish you hadn't jumped at the deal when you see it rusting out after a few months in the weather. Quality does matter.

Those who have the money and appreciation for hand-crafted construction and the highest quality materials can easily find custom made portable fire pits. Some marble and slate pits may cost well over $1,000.

Generally speaking, you can find quality made portable outdoor fire pits in a large variety of shapes and styles for $200 to $600. They truly are the perfect investment for people who want an affordable outdoor, low maintenance fire without the expense, space requirement, and restrictions of a solid stone outdoor fireplace structure.

In summary, portable outdoor fire pits are the perfect addition to any backyard, patio, deck or other place where people gather outdoors. They are a very effective way to bring people together in a relaxed, natural setting. With the variety of styles and prices available, there should be no problem finding just the right outdoor fire pit to enhance your favorite outdoor area.

A Backyard Fire Pit - Do It Yourself Today

If you've been looking at buying a fire pit, then you're probably already aware that you can buy ready-made models that only require some simple assembly. But wouldn't it be nice to create your own fire pit? One that's uniquely yours? You don't need a complicated set of blueprints to build your own fire pit - you just need to have an idea in your head of what you're trying to create. It doesn't take a lot to build a fire pit for barbequing or an outdoor campfire. A DIY fire pit can cost next to nothing to construct, apart from some time and hard work, and is even cheaper if you already have some materials such as bricks or rocks on hand.

The first step is to choose a safe location for your fire pit. Make sure it's nowhere near any structures that could catch fire, and locate it away from any backyard traffic zones. It's also worth talking to your local fire department in case you need to know any particular rules or information before starting. Organize to have some stones or bricks ready for lining the inside of your fire pit. Then all you need to do is dig the hole. This might take a few hours of hard work with a shovel, but that's all.

Once your hole is deep enough, use the stones or bricks to line the perimeter of the hole, and continue these materials above the ground. You need the stones around the top to form a windbreak and to stop soil falling into the fire. If you want something a little fancier, you can build a stucco pit above the ground. Use magazines and the Internet to help give you lots of great ideas for your fire pit design. Think about your existing home and outdoor furniture, and design your fire pit to complement these existing elements in your backyard. If you're really stuck for ideas or want to create something a little more complicated, it's possible to order plans online that include a list of materials, and it's generally not very expensive.

Now you have a fire pit, safety is always important. Remember, this is a big hole in the ground, and you don't want any accidents. So it might be a good idea to cover the pit when it's not being used. You can just use a piece of scrap metal or wooden board and cut it to fit. You can also choose to buy a basic fire pit, which will generally include the basics such as a cover, log grill and spark screen, and then build a brick or stone wall around that. This will help stop pets or children from running into the fire pit by accident.

For a gas fire pit, you will need to buy either gas fire logs or a simple metal fire ring. Then you simply need to design and build the housing.

Whatever you decided, it's great to do it yourself and have a fire pit that will be the envy of all your neighbors.

4 Reasons to Have a Backyard Fire Pit

There are many different items you can use for outdoor cooking. There are propane or charcoal grills, custom brick grills, there are smokers, small electric grills used for camping, or simply a campfire, and there are also backyard fire pits. Grills can be expensive and require regular cleanup. Smokers are great for barbeque but cook very slowly. Smaller camping grills just don't have the capacity to cook enough food for entertaining. A campfire without a pit can be dangerous and is not allowed in many cities.

One advantage of fire pits is you can set one up very easily. In fact, many people can do it themselves with basic materials like brick or stone and a cast iron frame. You could also put one together with an affordable kit. Simply follow the instructions from your kit or search for do it yourself plans online.

These pits can be a great place to entertain friends and family. On a cool evening you can simply sit around the fire and talk, you can roast marshmallows and make s'mores, or use it for cooking. A properly made pit offers all of the entertainment value of a campfire while still being safe in residential areas.

There are attachments available for pits that allow you to cook, rotisserie, and grill over a pit. With these attachments you can cook meat, kabobs, and anything else that a grill can do. Changing the wood or charcoal you use can also easily change the flavor of the meat that you are cooking in a pit.

Backyard fire pits offer a chance for friends and family to spend time together watching a fire without having to camp. Camping is an easy and fun way to get away for a weekend but there are advantages to staying home. You can get together for a couple of hours in the middle of the weak, you do not have to buy camping supplies when staying home, you do not have to drive several hours to find a decent campsite, and you do not have to pay for any passes or other fees.

Camping is a great way to get together and enjoy a warm fire. Unfortunately it is not always possible to get away. Grilling is a great way to cook certain meats and vegetables but is not the same as an open fire. These fire pits offer the best of both worlds for people looking to entertain in their backyards.