How deep should a fire pit be dug? And how should it be lined?

Question

I have a beautiful spot in the woods and I'd like to have a hole dug for a firepit. I see sitting around the pit on Thanksgiving with family and friends...maybe some snowflakes. So I'm high on the poetry but low on the nuts and bolts of building, and maintaining a pit.

Answer 1

I have found that a 20" (or larger) spokeless truck tire rim works well. I set it up on 4 bricks to allow for air and drainage. You can build quite a large fire in them and it also allows for a grate to sit on it if you want to cook. I don't dig at all since rain will fill up a hole.

Answer 2

There is no set depth. You really don't even need to dig a pit. Just pull up all flammables, ie grass, depending on the radius you want the area to be for the pit. You can use bricks to line the pit. Whether I dig or not (usually less than a foot) depends on if I want a bonfire or a semi-cooking fire (like roasting marshmellows or hotdogs), or full-blown cooking fire. I remember when I was younger and in boy scouts we never dug. We always just built the pit on what we had.

Answer 3

Deep Fire Pit

Answer 4

This is what I plan on doing for my pit. I plan on digging down about 1ft and layering several inches of gravel in the bottom. Then I want to place landscape stones or regular field stone around the inside edges and around the top at ground level. The gravel will give the ash somewhere to go and it should be deep enough to hold the kindling without it falling out. Just remember what Smokey the Bear says: "Never leave a fire unattended and make sure you put it out completely before you leave" ;) Hope this gives you some ideas. Have fun.

Answer 5

The Better Homes and Gardens website has step-by-step instructions:

http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jsp?catref=cat820080&storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/build_firepit_032604.xml

Another thing you could do is buy a fire bowl and use the curved landscaping bricks to go around it. A friend did a pit like this and it took them 15 bricks, 3 layers high. They then fit the fire bowl inside ... perfect fit! Also would make it easier to get rid of the ashes by simply lifting the fire bowl out and dumping it rather than shoveling the ash out of a pit from the ground.

*~Enjoy~*

Answer 6

generally fire pits do not need to be that deep. no more than 6" with some logs surrounding to prevent young children going into the fire. they create their own lining after the first fire but sand could be used.

Answer 7

When we build a firepit, usually we just take a bunch of good sized rocks and just make a ring, we never really dig a hole. My friend has one built on a concrete slab in his yard. He built the walls of firebrick, but didn't set them with mortar so that he can just take out one wall to clean the ash out when it needs it. I'd imagine that set up would work if the spot you want to put the pit is reasonably level.

Answer 8

I would go no more than a foot! Put a couple inches of gravel inside it also.
The deeper in the ground the less likely smoke will blow in your face.