MAKE YOUR OWN FIRE PIT IN 8 EASY STEPS

There’s nothing quite like a good fire to bring people together – whether over a braai in summer or just a roaring blaze to warm the bones in winter. Follow these steps to make your own fire pit that will be the envy of the neighbourhood.

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What you need

• 750 common bricks
• 16 x 40kg bags stone
• 23 x 40kg bags building sand
• 7 x 40kg bags plaster sand
• 14 x 40kg bags river sand
• 10 x 50kg bags cement
• Extra sand to fill bench cavity (garden sand is fine)
• 20 m landscape fabric
• 5 L concrete stain
• 5 L abe Brixeal
• 4 short pegs
• 1 x 250 mm peg
• 5 m builders’ line
• 22 mm steel pipe
• 3 x concrete railway sleepers
• Pebbles

TOOLS
Brick-laying trowel, plastering trowel, wooden float, corner tool, rubber mallet, 4 lb hammer, 5 m tape measure, spirit level and a sponge.

1. Clear a site that is approximately 5 m in diameter. Find the centre, knock in a peg, tie builder’s line to it, and scribe (draw) a circle with a radius of 1 450 mm. Let out the line and scribe a second circle with a radius of 2 300 mm. These lines will give you an indication of where you can choose to site your two benches that will face the fire pit, between the inner and outer lines. Refer to image 1.



2. See the diagram, which shows how you should now mark out the precise places for the benches, using builders’ line and pegs. We recommend you site them opposite each other, to create a more cozy space around the fire pit.

3. Dig out foundations between the lines marking the benches, to a depth of 100 mm. Take 1 part cement, 3 parts stone and 2 parts river sand, and combine them and slowly add water, until the concrete mixture attains the consistency of thick yoghurt. Pour it into the foundations and ensure it is level. Let it cure for 24 hours. Refer to images 3A and 3B.



4. Combine 1 part cement and 6 parts building sand. Slowly add water until the mixture attains the consistency of thick yoghurt. Then, following the outlines of your two foundation slabs, lay bricks to form a double-course wall at the back of each bench, and a single-course wall at the front. The front and side walls must be 500 mm high; the back wall must be 900 mm high. Leave the walls to cure for 24 hours and then fill the cavities with sand, compacting it to the level of one brick down, so that seats can be laid using bricks, cemented together with mortar. Leave the bricks to cure overnight. Make a plaster mix by combining 1 part cement to 6 parts plaster sand. Plaster all surfaces of the benches and allow to cure for at least 48 hours.



5. To make the fire pit, tie the builders’ line to the central peg, let it out 70 mm, and scribe a circle. Lay eight bricks sideways in a star shape, pointing outwards from the circle. Then lay two circles of bricks around this star shape and mark the outer line of this circle. Remove the bricks and dig a cavity in a bowl shape. Replace the peg with the 22 mm pipe, using the 4 lb hammer.

6. Combine 4 bags river sand with 1.5 bags cement. Layer the cavity with some of this mortar and then replace the bricks in the starshaped pattern, surrounded by two concentric outer circles. Set the bricks evenly in the mortar, using the rubber mallet. Then fill the gaps between them with mortar, compacting it as you go along.

7. Place a mortar border around the outside and smooth the surface of the entire structure with a float. Then clean the bricks with a sponge. Allow the pit to dry and then apply your concrete stain, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Allow to cure before applying the Brixeal, following the manufacturer’s instructions.



8. Lastly, scribe an arc between the two benches to find where you want to place your sleepers, which will help complete the circular structure of this fire pit area. Dig out the arc, insert your sleepers vertically, and secure them with mortar. Lay the landscape fabric between the benches and cover it with small pebbles.

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