DIY: Installing an Open Area Fire Pit

Materials & Tools:
• 112 tapered fire pit wall blocks
• 4 semi-circular caps for the top of the fire pit wall
• Copper fire pit bowl
• Grill
• Spark screen cover
• Measuring device
• Stake
• 30-inch string
• Marking device
• Shovel
• Geotextile (Mirafi 500) (optional)
• Stone
• Vibratory plate compactor
• Straight edge
• Level
• Pipes
• Sand
• Broom or mason’s trowel
• Rubber mallet or dead blow hammer
Choose a location: Select an open area on the ground away from any combustibles such as bushes, sheds or low-hanging branches.
Create a layout: Place a stake at the center of your desired location. The fire pit wall will have an inside diameter of 30.5 inches and an outside diameter of 48 inches. The wall cap will have an inside diameter of 32 inches and an outside diameter of 50 inches. Your base must exceed the exterior circumference of the fire pit by six inches on all sides, so you need a 30-inch string to mark your construction area. Tie your 30-inch string to the stake, and tie a marking device to the opposite end. Carefully swing the marking device around the stake, keeping it vertically aligned to mark out the circular exterior of the fire pit construction.
Prep the base: Dig your construction area 10 inches deep and make sure the soil on the bottom is smooth, level and compact. If desired, place Geotextile (Mirafi 500) over the soil and up the sides.
Shovel in stone for the base two inches thick and spread evenly. Compact the stone with a vibratory plate compactor. Repeat this process until the stone base is six inches deep. Before compacting the final layer of stone, use a straight edge and level to make sure the surface is smooth and level, then compact and check again. If the surface is not smooth and level, scratch the surface with a rake to smooth and level before compacting.
Lay two or more pipes with an outside diameter of one inch on the stone base. Place a couple of shovelfuls of coarse, washed, concrete sand between the pipes. Use a straight edge to push and smooth the sand by dragging it across the length of the pipes. Repeat this process until the entire surface is covered with a uniform layer of sand, one inch thick. Remove the pipes and fill in the void left by the pipes with sand, smoothing it with a broom or mason’s trowel.
BEFORE YOU DIG, CALL 8-1-1!
It is your responsibility to notify the utility companies a few days prior to digging so that they can mark out any underground lines.
Lay the first level of blocks: Lay the first level of fire pit wall blocks, setting each block tightly together and carefully lowering them straight down onto the sand to keep the base even. This level of blocks will be three inches below the ground. If any blocks become misaligned or the circle is distorted, tap the blocks into place with a rubber mallet or dead blow hammer. Once the first level is placed and aligned properly, set the blocks into the sand by striking them in a downward motion with a rubber mallet or dead blow hammer. Check the top surface of the blocks to make sure everything is level. The blocks should settle into the sand about 3/8 of an inch.
Continue laying the blocks: Set the next level of blocks in place. Position blocks on this level so they are centered on the joint between the two blocks underneath. Continue laying the blocks in this manner. Use a level to align the blocks vertically on the inside of the fire pit wall. The outside of the fire pit will vary due to the irregular face of each block.
Set the bowl and cap the fire pit wall: After the fire pit wall has been constructed to your desired height or the maximum height, place the copper bowl and grill in the center of the opening. Then dry lay the four wall caps around the bowl. The inside edge of the wall caps should slightly overlap the outer edge of the bowl, and the outside edge of the wall caps should overhang the fire pit in a fairly uniform fashion all around. Make sure the sides of the four wall caps fit tightly together.
Add a spark screen and enjoy!
Action Supply can help you carry out this DIY fire pit project in no time! Call Action Supply today and get your EP Henry Fire Pit Kit, providing you with all of the necessary materials to create a beautiful fire pit you and your family can enjoy for years to come. Action Supply is open Monday through Saturday and can deliver right to your home, even on Saturdays!
Action Supply
1413 Stagecoach Rd., Seaville
(609) 390-0663 • actionsupplynj.com