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Adding a DIY Fire pit to your Garden

Building a DIY fire pit in the garden adds a finishing touch to round-off your entertainment area and you can entertain throughout the year.

15/05/2022

 

 

 

 

A swimming pool or paddling pool is great for the kids in summer and having an outdoor kitchen and dining area is great for the grown-ups in summer, but what about when the weather is cooler - what do you do then? How about adding a DIY fire pit to your outdoor area? You can design it around whatever you already have in the garden or make it a central feature where friends and family to gather during autumn and winter. It doesn't even have to be a large fire pit, just one that heats up the surrounding area and set the ambience for a night surrounding the fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

While the idea behind this article is to encourage you to build a fire pit from scratch, there are many easy ways to do this without having to give up your valuable free time. I know that Builders and other larger hardware stores stock a variety of steel, concrete or stone options for a fire pit that make it even easier to set one up in the garden. If you already have the brazier or fire pit surround, all this is left to do is decide on where and what seating is needed and to establish the area around the fire pit.

 

 

If you don't already have a spot for entertaining, design an area that includes a fire pit to enjoy the outdoors throughout the year.

 

 

 

 

The first steps when deciding to install a fire pit are to determine the size, location, and purpose of the fire pit you plan to build. You can establish a small, cosy space for two with a small fire pit or go all-out for one that will allow you to cater to larger groups of family and friends and where everyone can gather around the fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Budget will obviously factor into your decision but, like I always say, you don't have to do everything in one go and can always add more elements as and when you can afford to. Doing it over a length of time also allows you consider how you want the fire pit to look and give you the opportunity to save more for finishing touches.

 

 

 

 

A basic fire pit needs to be nothing more than a brick or stone surround or it can be a concrete square or bowl, either purchased or done yourself, or you can simply pop into Builders to purchase the brazier and build everything around this. The style of fire pit should be determined by the landscaping that it needs to blend into or to make it a stand-out feature, or to complement the style of the house. Even a basic fire pit will bring comfort and warmth to a garden during the colder months of the year, and it won't cost that much to set up.

 

 

 

 

With the exception of brick, concrete is the next affordable solution for a DIY fire pit. You can build a frame or form using plywood or chipboard and design it to the shape and size that you want.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concrete and brick, and particularly reclaimed bricks, are the most affordable way to set up a fire pit in the garden and you can also use these materials to build fireside seating.

 

 

 

 

A stone fireplace may be the more expensive option, but it is a solution if you are looking to tie the fire pit with existing features in the garden.

 

 

 

 

If building your own fire pit is not for you, there is still the option to look at purchasing a steel fire pit. These can be bought from as little as R879 at Builders for a 580mm diameter fire pit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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