A Step-by-Step Guide To Building Your Own Fire Pit

It's no secret that Australians love their backyards. Apart from the kitchen, the backyard is the heart and soul of an Aussie home and it is used to the fullest in summers and also in the cold winter months.

However in winter, functional and aesthetic backyard fire pits are becoming increasingly popular to utilise outdoor spaces. Essentially, a fire pit is the new water feature; it’s a great addition to the backyard, transforming the outdoor area into a cosy and inviting space - perfect for those chilly winter evenings.

So today we have landscape expert, Jason Hodges from Better Homes & Gardens and brand ambassador for Adbri Masonry, showing us how to build our very own fire pit to make the most of our gardens and backyards in the winter months.

“The ambience a fire pit brings is worth the investment alone, providing an enjoyable feature for the garden and a natural gathering spot for socialising and entertaining. It’s a great focal point, I like to describe it as nature’s TV and people are naturally drawn to the campfire-like atmosphere,” explains landscape expert and Adbri Masonry brand ambassador, Jason Hodges.

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So here's a simple step-by-step DIY guide by Jason Hodges to build your very own fire pit:

What you need
- AB® Courtyard York Blocks x 56 - AB® Courtyard Caps x 28
- Tube of Masonry Adhesive x 2 - Metal Fire Ring (opt) x 1
- 20kg Bags of Crushed Rock x 10 - 20kg Bags of Decorative Rock (opt) x 6

Excavation
After you determine the location of your fire pit, you will need to excavate the area. Lay the first course of Adbri AB® Courtyard York blocks so you can mark the location of where the blocks will be. Remove the blocks and dig a level trench 75mm deep and 178mm wide or excavate the full circle.

Creating The Foundation
Fill the trench with a weak mix of sand and cement, about 6:1 (6 parts sand and 1 part cement). Take your time to ensure the foundation is level. Place 4 x AB® Courtyard blocks at the cross points of the circle and use a straight 2x4 and a level to check the entire trench is level. Make adjustments by adding or removing the sand and cement screed.

Laying The First Course

Place the base course of blocks on the foundation pad, check the levelling each time a few blocks are laid to ensure that they are all level from front to back and side to side before placing the next block. This will ensure a level base course.

Second Course
Stack the next course of blocks, making adjustments as necessary. Once installed, remove sod/vegetation from the centre of the fire pit area. Lay approx. 6 x 23 kg bags of clean rock within the circle to cover the bottom of the fire pit. Then using a shovel, rake smooth.

Finish With Wall Caps
Place AB® Courtyard Caps on top of the fire pit, securing them with a tube of masonry adhesive.

Finishing Touches
Install decorative rock to line the interior of the pit. Place a steel bowl or metal fire ring in the centre to contain the flames and get the marshmallows ready.

Watch the full DIY instructional video below.

What a quick and simple DIY! And not to mention a fire pit will mean hours of campfire fun for the kids and a fabulous place to lounge by with friends and family and enjoy a glass of wine!
Do you have a fire pit in your backyard? Share with us in the comments below.

Till next time... get your backyard winter ready!

xox

Rani

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About Adbri Ambassador Jason Hodges
Jason Hodges is Australia’s well-loved celebrity landscaper, most notably seen on the Channel Seven lifestyle TV show Better Homes and Gardens. Jason and his Greenart Gardens team won The Royal Horticultural Society’s prestigious Comeadow Award at the Melbourne International Flower And Garden Show (MIFGS 2013), with their entry of an inviting entertainment space, complete with an alfresco kitchen, dining area, and an edible landscape of vegetables and herbs. Jason is also a brand ambassador for Australia’s leading masonry manufacturer Adbri Masonry.

About Adbri Masonry
Adbri Masonry is Australia’s leading masonry manufacturer supplying quality concrete bricks, blocks, pavers, retaining walls, erosion control products, architectural masonry solutions and reconstituted stone veneers throughout Australia’s East Coast, South Australia and Tasmania. To talk to an Adbri Masonry representative, please call 1300 365 565, or for more information please visit www.adbrimasonry.com.au.