Attempting Green

Attempting to “Go Green” One Task at a Time.

Project started:
May 2008 Build a Fire Pit
Attempt: Build an aesthetically pleasing Fire Pit
Reasons:
• I need a place to burn garden refuse that is
Project ended: not suitable for the compost bin.
May 2009 • The kids like to roast marshmallows.

Process:
1. Materials needed:
• Calculator
• Stake
• String
• Spray Paint
• Gloves
• Shovel
• Pea Gravel
• Level
• Rake
• Leveling Sand
• Stackable interlocking retaining wall bricks (we used 57)
1. Choose a location for your fire pit that isn't close to trees, buildings or anything
that could catch fire from a spark. A level location is best, but the design can
accommodate a slight slope as well. Be sure there aren't any underground wires,
cable or pipes in your chosen location. Call 811 before you Dig!!! Also, check
with your city hall about fire pit ordinances in your community you may be
prohibited by law from having an in-ground pit.
2. Determine the amount of materials you need. Get your calculator because here
comes the math:
• To determine the square feet in the area of your circle use this formula:
• Diameter* in feet x Diameter in feet ÷ 4 x 3.14 = Square feet in your
circle
• Ex. My pit is 6 feet across so I used the formula:
• 6ft x 6ft ÷ 4 x 3.14 = 28.26 sq. feet
• To determine how much pea gravel you need use this formula:
• Square Feet in circle x base thickness in feet* =___ ÷27 =___cubic
yards
 • Ex. It is a good idea to add a 1-2 more feet so you don’t come
up short in materials so I rounded to 30 sq. ft. for my circle
area and used the following formula:
• 30 x .32 (4 inches of pea gravel) = 9.6 ÷ 27 = .3555 cubic
yards x 9 = 3.2 cubic feet
• My bags of pea gravel came in 1/2 cu. ft. so I bought 7 bags
• To determine the amount of sand you need use the above
formula but change .32 to .16
• To determine the number of bricks Use the following formula:
• 3.14 x diameter in feet = circumference^ ÷ length of brick in feet =
number of bricks needed for one row around (multiply by 2 for 2 rows
subtract one brick from each row you build up)
• Next divide the circumference by the length of the brick you choose.
• Ex. 3.14 x 6 ft = 18.84 ft around my pit ÷ .64** (8 inch bricks) = 29

3. Drive a stake into the ground where you want to put the fire pit.
Tie a piece of string to the stake and cut it at half the distance of
the circumference (radius) of your intended pit size away from the
stake.
4. Scribe a circle all around the stake and mark the line with spray
paint.
5. Remove the grass inside the circle and dig out the hole to a depth Step 3 - 5
of about 1 foot (keep the sides as straight as possible).
6. Pour in about 4 inches of pea gravel. If your fire pit is on a slope
you can level the bottom out by adding more pea gravel to one
side. The pea gravel will help the fire pit drain. Use the level to
help you.
7. Add about 3 inches of sand on top of the pea gravel - the sand
will help prevent any fire from spreading to roots under your pit.
Step 6
8. Place your first row of bricks inside the pit. They will be anywhere
from 0-2 inches higher than grass level. Stack the next row of
bricks on top. Dry stack the pavers to make it easy to replace any
that might break. Don't use adhesive to hold the pavers together;
it can melt and give off fumes that could be toxic.

Results on next page.

Step 7 - 8

*Diameter - length across a circle

**Base thickness for inches is determined by multiplying the number of inches by .08
^Circumference - distance around a circle
Result:
• This pit was an expansion pit we started out the previous summer with a smaller pit
just to roast marshmallow in and have some fun, but we wanted a bigger one to fit
more people and burn more sticks. That is why in the picture some of the bricks are
already burned. Also, had I originally planned a larger pit I would have used larger
brick; however I just purchase more of the same bricks this year as I did last year
and that is why I have a slight gap in my top row.
• The pit is nice for those items in my yard and garden that I
would really rather not compost. See COMPOST BIN for
those items.

Refuse from garden

Conclusion:
• If you can have a fire pit build one they are a lot of fun and useful!
• Last year when we built our first pit we didn’t use pea gravel or sand and when we
received a lot of rain our pit was soggy for a few days and we were not able to use it.
Now with the improved drainage we can use it immediately after a rain. If you want
a quality pit take the extra time to dig it out and add the drain base.