Should you choose a custom-made fire pit or buy a store-bought model? Neither approach need be expensive, but what’s the best way to expand the use of your backyard?
A fire pit, or its taller version, the fire table, adds a feature to your garden that can warm up on a cold night. As the year goes on, the well can become a gathering place for family and friends well into fall and winter. In good weather, it can be the epicenter of marshmallow and sausage roasts. Properly located in your yard, a fire pit offers a safe way to start a fire in your yard and can even help you get rid of extra tree clippings that build up at the back of your property.
Fire Pit Basics to Consider
Both store-bought and custom-built wells rest on a fire-resistant surface, such as gravel, concrete, brick, slate, or composite. Since the embers can fly away, it is not advisable to place them on a wooden platform. Local fire codes vary, but pits must be placed at least 10 feet away from the house or any flammable structure. Check with your city first; you may need a permit, while some communities do not allow any open burning.
Fire pits can be fueled with wood, gas, or gel fuels; some wells even have remote switches to produce an instant flame. The wood fire gives the most warmth, along with the natural crackle and smoke.
Store bought or custom made?
For a quick fire pit, you can order online or pick one up at your local big box store. For prices starting under $100, you can pick up a very attractive unit in many styles that often include a screen to help control flames. You can set the hole in a gravel patch and produce instant ambience. Whether you like the look of store-bought pits, are too busy preparing your land for a built-in unit, or need one that’s portable, your choice is clear.
A custom pit offers you everything a tent offers, and more. For starters, building one for your home doesn’t have to cost more than what you’d buy. After laying out the area where the well will go, dig a trench and fill it with gravel and cement as a base. Then lay bricks or gutter blocks on top of the base to form the sides. After covering the sides with a thin layer of surface bonding cement, add a layer of fire brick foundation on top for a finished look, along with a screen.
Landscaping design for your garden
For many homeowners, a larger custom fire pit offers the opportunity to create beautiful backyard landscaping to complement decking, landscaping, retaining walls and other features. You can build it to surround the hole with a small round patio that could include built-in stone seating and use materials found in other parts of the patio for an integrated look.
The more extensive your fire pit project is, the more likely you will want to put it in the hands of a professional contractor. When you want to add a custom moat to your yard, entrust the design and construction to experienced landscape designers.