Just did this, this past weekend. I subbed the retaining wall for 10x7 paver block. 12 around, 3 levels high. Came out great. Fires are ragers. I’m from New England so this guys accent is at home for me. Cheers all!
People, if you build a firewell, always leave a breathing hole at the bottom of the wall. Also center bottom of the pit is better to be left flat, easier to clean remains, ashes. Also the bottom breathing hole van be used to scrape out the ashes and dust.
Nice job and instructions. I used these to construct a flush fit fire pit that turned out great. For those wondering about clean out, the ashes will drop and compact within the fill gravel (3/4" stone) leaving it quite flat. Just clean up ashes until you hit the gravel. Wood ash is essentially nothing but carbon dust. It's a somewhat rustic style, but works just fine. Instead of using a ventilation tube (or gaps in stone block if it were above ground), you can just buy and use a traditional firepit round iron standoff that will allow plenty of oxygen and make lighting everything up much easier too. We paid about $15 for ours.
Can you link an example of a traditional firepit round iron standoff? When I google this, it seems like it's just a traditional above ground firepit. Seems counter productive to build a permanent firepit only to sit a firepit on it? Or are you referring to something else?
I liked this video not because i will ever do any of the projects they show but because it makes me happy to know how easy it is to do and how awesome my life could be if i would just get off my fat ass and stop watching videos
every other video i've watched in comparison to this old house is always less work involved lol they always have an elaborate process in comparison to other diy vids
How to make a fire pit. Step 1: Dig a shallow hole. Step 2: Put rocks around hole. Step 3: Make a fire in previously mentioned hole surrounded by rocks. Step 4: Miller time.
I would have bought the bricks, laid out a circle of them on the grass, and called it a day. It would have been a big mess with the rain but Kate would have helped with the cleanup.
Keep it simple! You were done with the pit at 3:42 ...By adding the second and third layers of block you create an obstacle to mow around... Also, the tall sides of your pit block the flames and heat from warming the people sitting around the fire. My fire pit is two blocks high, flush with the lawn. I can mow right over the blocks without the need of a string trimmer 👊😎 The steel ring is not necessary either. “Protect the block”? Mine has been in use for many years with no steel ring; no sign of degradation.
They're using it for grilling. I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to bend all the way to the ground when grilling. The ring is also used as a spacer to provide insulation so your blocks don't explode from absorbed moisture reaching the boiling point. Those aren't fire bricks. I've seen it happen. 🔥💥🤕
I was looking forward to this moment after reading your comment, but after watching it, she's the last one to touch the ring.. Am I missing something? 😅😅
Roger how deep and round was the center whole for water drainage? Thanks for the video. Moving an old fire pit and the original builder used an auger, and I'll use a shovel like you did.
This guy is pretty spot on. I suggest digging 6 outside of your walls rather than 3. Also highly recommend laying a thick plastic geo-fabric before laying the base. No dirt should be exposed.
When cleaning out the pit after a few fires, is it best to just use a shovel? I would think that a shovel would pull out the 3/4 in stone but I can't think of any othe way.
How do you get the ash out with all those rocks as the base ? I’ve made several fire pits and Id change a few things . I do like the hole for drainage tho. Maybe the base could be patio blocks ? Plus take a few of the bottom blocks out so it’s a bit like a smokeless.
Where did you purchase the fire ring? How many of the blocks were purchased? How much of the rock/packing material was needed? And what should I expect the total cost to be? Thanks
The one thing they should have done was leave out two blocks in the middle for air flow. This would help with the draft and the wood or what ever would burn fast and hotter.
Why does the top brick sit out more than the two rows under it ? People also need to check their local fire codes. Ours says a fire pit needs to be 20' or more from the house. Great Video!
if you make fire pit with lid grill and screens you can have bbqs even in fire season. i wouldnt have added the the gravel causes you have to clean out the ash once in awhile . thats does look pretty pro .
What would be the packing material you used, by name. And what kind of "rock" did you use to fill in the pit? Its my understanding "river rock" can't be used as it "explodes"....so I was wondering what rock it was. Thanks for the video.
Great video. I'm curious why you need the loose stone base; why can't the fire just sit directly on the clay (assuming you still maintained the drain hole). Also, how do you clean the ash out of the loose stone? Do you just let the rain wash it down to the lower levels?
I get rocks for the drainage but how do you shovel out the crud after you burn a fire without digging out the rocks? Many people said leave it dirt for easy shoveling/clean out.
I put a few stone pavers in the bottom so it's solid bottom, along with a metal grate in the bottom to improve air flow (has vent pipe to outside)- clean up time you lift the grate out, shovel it out, put grate back in and fire in the hole!!!
I been looking and looking trying to find out how I can take my old round charcoal grill and making a fire pit out of it ......do I dig a hole in the yard around my old grill......if so what do I do after that plz help trying to build me a fire pit
Just did this, this past weekend. I subbed the retaining wall for 10x7 paver block. 12 around, 3 levels high. Came out great. Fires are ragers. I’m from New England so this guys accent is at home for me. Cheers all!
I like the fact that this video shows you the finished product for a whole 2 seconds.
pause button
+pia erkan Yeah but then it's a static fire, not the same effect.
Karate
ok
Yea good point. Would of like to have seen more.
I must say thank you. My wife and I made a fire pit in our back yard using this video step-by-step. It looks great! Thanks again.
+Jesse Givens Where did you find the SRW Concrete block adhesive?
I thought the same thing I just use a washer tub half in the ground with rocks around it and a garbage can lid to keep it covered
People, if you build a firewell, always leave a breathing hole at the bottom of the wall. Also center bottom of the pit is better to be left flat, easier to clean remains, ashes. Also the bottom breathing hole van be used to scrape out the ashes and dust.
That drain pit in the center is a great idea!
I love how these people sound perfectly normal to me and then I read the comment section and remember I'm from Boston.
Bahstahn!
😂❤
I trust This Old House with my life.
Nice job and instructions. I used these to construct a flush fit fire pit that turned out great.
For those wondering about clean out, the ashes will drop and compact within the fill gravel (3/4" stone) leaving it quite flat. Just clean up ashes until you hit the gravel. Wood ash is essentially nothing but carbon dust. It's a somewhat rustic style, but works just fine.
Instead of using a ventilation tube (or gaps in stone block if it were above ground), you can just buy and use a traditional firepit round iron standoff that will allow plenty of oxygen and make lighting everything up much easier too. We paid about $15 for ours.
Can you link an example of a traditional firepit round iron standoff? When I google this, it seems like it's just a traditional above ground firepit. Seems counter productive to build a permanent firepit only to sit a firepit on it? Or are you referring to something else?
Can't wait to get this stahhted!
I liked this video not because i will ever do any of the projects they show but because it makes me happy to know how easy it is to do and how awesome my life could be if i would just get off my fat ass and stop watching videos
Lol, Me too Fizbinsfire !
They make it seem a lot easier than it is.
@@dw2843 Exactly. It was because they have the right tools and prepared before the project :]
This is my favorite comment ever.
My life
Great video, I'd be very confident building my own after watching this, thank you
i used a old bus rim and cut the center out,painted it with engine paint and it turned out great for the center ring
why did you cut out the center? Im thinking of using the rim the way it is...
Just say someone use the cylinder from a washing machine... That is some recycling.
@@turnipsucks6416 dryer drum works well too. All of the holes give the fire some air
I'm glad I stumbled across this video, I'm building one like this but didn't know about the drain hole in the center!
5:15 “I’m just gonna take pieces of grass and fill in the void” same dude
Nothing like an honest hardworking woman - and a cutie to boot!
every other video i've watched in comparison to this old house is always less work involved lol they always have an elaborate process in comparison to other diy vids
This is way better than the one I made. I just dug a hole in my back yard and lined it with crushed roofing tiles.
it's notta fiyah pit wittout a fiyah... :P
+Cleve Carpenter Love it! lol
Yankee Doodle
...so we're gonna put this rayte in the middle... I heard that at least 3 times.
Let's get this potty stotted!
Hey I cant tawk uma New Yawka
It's nawt a fiyah pit without a fiyah
Leelz247 bruh literally what I was saying 🤣🤣
Don't forget the rubba hammah!
How to make a fire pit.
Step 1: Dig a shallow hole.
Step 2: Put rocks around hole.
Step 3: Make a fire in previously mentioned hole surrounded by rocks.
Step 4: Miller time.
I always love This Old House for the southern accents.
And by southern I mean southie
😂😂
That's not a southern accent. That's northern. I live in the south and that accent is way, way, way north of here.
@@jtltet woosh
@@jtltet Boston area, I think.
Two words... RUBBAH HAMMAH , 😂
make a MAAAK
@@MrCoder101 BANG IT IN TIGHT!
I think he bangs all of the chicks in these videos 'cause of that accent.
You think he went to Havahd? He has a serious Bawston accent.
Wish I could have seen more than 2 seconds of the finished fire pit in action.
Can't you hit pause?
I would have bought the bricks, laid out a circle of them on the grass, and called it a day. It would have been a big mess with the rain but Kate would have helped with the cleanup.
bg147 I could not determine how the circumference,as defined by the curved bricks,so perfectly fit the size of the fire ring. Maybe sold as a kit?
Yep, I sunk 5 bricks half way and set metal ring on top,. Works great, no flooding, and air can get in underneath aiding the fire.
"Doesn't it look great?!"
I wish I knew...
😭😄😭😄😂😂
Keep it simple! You were done with the pit at 3:42 ...By adding the second and third layers of block you create an obstacle to mow around... Also, the tall sides of your pit block the flames and heat from warming the people sitting around the fire. My fire pit is two blocks high, flush with the lawn. I can mow right over the blocks without the need of a string trimmer 👊😎 The steel ring is not necessary either. “Protect the block”? Mine has been in use for many years with no steel ring; no sign of degradation.
Yea but you can't prop up your feet and burn your toes if you do that
Perfect for setting the lawn on fire.
They're using it for grilling. I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to bend all the way to the ground when grilling. The ring is also used as a spacer to provide insulation so your blocks don't explode from absorbed moisture reaching the boiling point. Those aren't fire bricks. I've seen it happen. 🔥💥🤕
Hey *****, the approximate cost would be $200 to $300, for an average-size fire pit. Thanks for watching!
+This Old House Where can I purchase the exact fire pit ring
I want to know where can I purchase the exact same steel ring and not the total of the fire pit
Cabela's, now owned by Bass Pro Shops ...
I saw the insert at Menard’s. They have several choices.
This Old House:
Wow! It took 2 years for a reply and it wasn't even answer by the creator of the film. "Thanks for watching." 🙄
How to build a fire pit.
1. Dig hole.
2. Light fire.
Kill all the grass for 20 feet in your yard.
Go big or go home
@@apphifanygreen4454 but you are at home, what are you saying light your house on fire
Burn baby burn yolo
@@mistersinister2043 Bonus points for no grass cutting!
you need to space the lower bricks about a 1/2 an inch apart so that you have airways for the fire to breath.
No. Because the ring doesnt have holes so that wont help.
@@BRETTVARG The ring sits on the top layer of bricks and does not extend down to the lower level, so spacing the lower bricks would help
most people forget one ingredient - air. need air holes in a fire pit to help with a cleaner burn and a fire that does not need continuous tending
Went down behind the TJ Maxx and found me some pallets. Threws dem down in a circle an soaked dem with tiki flyud.
Boom, fire pit. No mo skeeters !!
I wonder if any adhesive is rated for the kind of heat a fire pit will generate ? I'd be worried about fumes .
Love this guy. Great teacher. 👌🏾👌🏾
“...wiggle it a little bit...how’s your front look?” Roger bustin’ a move.
"pack it in there tight". . . . that's what she said. . lmao
How’s that look?
Maybe a little this way *moves it toward her
Ok *moves it right back 🤣🤣
I was looking forward to this moment after reading your comment, but after watching it, she's the last one to touch the ring.. Am I missing something? 😅😅
The second course of block.
Roger how deep and round was the center whole for water drainage? Thanks for the video. Moving an old fire pit and the original builder used an auger, and I'll use a shovel like you did.
I like how she grabs a handful pack & shows it to Roger lol
He should of regraded the hole with transfer shovel juts eye level that would of made things much tighter now I know how to make a perfect 🔥 fire pit
That came out wonderful!
Just love that Massachusetts accent!!
How's your front look?
Its great 😉😁
This guy is pretty spot on. I suggest digging 6 outside of your walls rather than 3. Also highly recommend laying a thick plastic geo-fabric before laying the base. No dirt should be exposed.
Cant clean out the ashes very well on that gravel, I cemented the bottom smooth for easy sweeping.
fudgedog Does it flood at all when it rains?
+Tyson Murdock I would think to build a cover for when it rains. That way it won't flood it.
This is what I was thinking about what a pain the cleaning would be...
never use concrete it can pop a air pocket in pour and send chunks flying
@@kenwise2122
That's the purpose of the ring
No draft pipe, this will be great for sending smoke signals and the neighbors are gonna love you.
When cleaning out the pit after a few fires, is it best to just use a shovel? I would think that a shovel would pull out the 3/4 in stone but I can't think of any othe way.
Roger is pretty awesome.
Very professional.
Overkill for a fire pit. You don't need to do all that.
"Bang it in real tight, there you go" 😂😂😂
How do you get the ash out with all those rocks as the base ? I’ve made several fire pits and Id change a few things . I do like the hole for drainage tho. Maybe the base could be patio blocks ? Plus take a few of the bottom blocks out so it’s a bit like a smokeless.
Wicked Lawge Bahstin accent!
Where did you purchase the fire ring? How many of the blocks were purchased? How much of the rock/packing material was needed? And what should I expect the total cost to be? Thanks
The one thing they should have done was leave out two blocks in the middle for air flow. This would help with the draft and the wood or what ever would burn fast and hotter.
Woahh way to make a easy firepit project wicked haaard
Do the fires burn good without ventilation holes between the blocks ? Thank you
fdc313 the rock base is pourous and creates ventilation. Lava rock works great above your gravel/Rock mixture
The fire ring is only 4 inches below the surface of the rocks so it shouldn't affect it as far as airflow
Is it necessary to add the rocks at the end? Great job btw
Why does the top brick sit out more than the two rows under it ? People also need to check their local fire codes. Ours says a fire pit needs to be 20' or more from the house. Great Video!
if you make fire pit with lid grill and screens you can have bbqs even in fire season. i wouldnt have added the the gravel causes you have to clean out the ash once in awhile . thats does look pretty pro .
Nice
Nice fiyah and wicked good Walburga. LETS GO JETS!!
Very good instruction
1 of my favorite episodes
Awesome project video I love it
I want this in my backyard too
thanks king this was really helpful love u
What is the purpose of the pavers being half into the ground?
What would be the packing material you used, by name. And what kind of "rock" did you use to fill in the pit? Its my understanding "river rock" can't be used as it "explodes"....so I was wondering what rock it was. Thanks for the video.
i thought you needed to have spaces between the bricks so the air can move into the pit.
You don’t have to but it smokes a lot less if you do
I miss Roger.
Is that adhesive fire grade ? I’m building a pit and I want to use fire bricks what’s the best adhesive to use ? It’s a custom fire pit square
Aww Roger cook...watts guy.....stay safe
Love the video!
Very professional!!
She’s very happy to be participating lol
Hey Kate, I could use some help building my fire pit. Are you free this weekend?
That's right Kate, you're a good girl.
Reinchhakolindrotanishorik III perv.
It's perfectly fine to get hahhd every once in a while.
is it really aerated? seems like some holes on opposite sides of the pit would allow for a column of air to billow upwards from the center
Just finish mine thank you for all the great details
How come things come out perfect with them....? I'd still be working on leveling the first course when they are all done.
It's tv, however, they're great at their job and have been doing it for decades.
Great video. I'm curious why you need the loose stone base; why can't the fire just sit directly on the clay (assuming you still maintained the drain hole). Also, how do you clean the ash out of the loose stone? Do you just let the rain wash it down to the lower levels?
I've been waiting for a response to your question too 🤣😷
What did you call that material at 1;20,sounded like "pack"?
Looks like a nightmare to clean old coals out with.
Great video.
You forgot the ventilation holes on the side
they filled it with stones ? its so shallow now theres no need for ventilation
I would have added an adjustable air vent at the bottom as well
I said the same thing fire pits with no lower intake vents are a Smokey mess that won’t burn like it should, I’ve fixed a few before like this
With the stone in the bottom how hard is it to clean the ashes and much out after the rain turns the ashes to crap?
I know this might sound dumb but when you turn off your fire pit do you just pore water or let the flame burn out? Lol
How do you clean ash out? Seems like it would become a caustic mess when it rains.
That's Good Kate...Just like that Kate...
SourceFed1 “hows your front look”....
That made me so hahhd
anyone else notice in the beginning when they were digging the 3 inches around the blocks his 3 inches was WAY different than her 3 inches🤔😄
I get rocks for the drainage but how do you shovel out the crud after you burn a fire without digging out the rocks? Many people said leave it dirt for easy shoveling/clean out.
That's what I have, a dirt bottom, works perfect.
I put a few stone pavers in the bottom so it's solid bottom, along with a metal grate in the bottom to improve air flow (has vent pipe to outside)- clean up time you lift the grate out, shovel it out, put grate back in and fire in the hole!!!
How many total inches of pack did you put in? It looks like about six inches of pack?
How do you get the ashes out with all that gravel in the pit? Why not use fire bricks?
I would have liked to see them clean it out ? LOL
Where did you get the fire pit ring with the sliding grates? I have been looking for it all over!
Amanda Franco me too . Link in discription doesn’t have it
Where can I find the curved cement blocks? I can't find them anywhere!
Puuurfect
How do you clean the ash out?
I use an old shop vac in mine.
Make a mock around the perimeter
No vent for airflow?
is the crushed pack you're using considered a paver base? I new to this. Would a paver base product work the same as that?
this video was fiyah 🔥
I been looking and looking trying to find out how I can take my old round charcoal grill and making a fire pit out of it ......do I dig a hole in the yard around my old grill......if so what do I do after that plz help trying to build me a fire pit
So what’d you end up doing?