As the heatwaves are over and summer begins to draw to a close, it’s time to start thinking about an al freso autumn.
It’s a shame to head inside and hibernate until next summer, so why not enjoy the great outdoors even when there’s a nip in the air?
You can do just that with the warming focal point of a beautiful firepit. But if you don’t want to fork out money on this luxury, why not make your own? It couldn’t be easier and it’s not too expensive either.
You’ve got this.
The expert: Georgina Burnett, aka The Home Genie, is This Morning’s DIY, upcycling and interiors expert. Her advice can also be found on Instagram @burnett_georgina, her vlog thehomegenie.com and in her book The Streetwise Guide To Buying, Improving And Selling Your Home.
The reason: Bonfires are great if you live in a stately home, but for people with lesser gardens a firepit is all the rage. Plus they make that outdoor area useable even as the nights draw in a bit.
What you’ll need: The right bricks; spirit level; gravel.
Your step-by-step guide
Step 1 – Design your fire pit
When building your own fire pit, don’t be tempted to rush in all guns blazing just because you have a few mates coming over. A simple sketch will suffice, but you want to think about the shape, size and location of your firepit.
This will also help you to choose the appropriate quantity of materials. When deciding where it’s going to go, make sure it’s not too close to buildings, trees and bushes.
Step 2 – Choose and order your materials
Depending on the size of the firepit, you can use ordinary bricks for outer edges, but for the inner area, and anything that will come into contact with the fire, you need fire brick or refractory brick, which is kilned to withstand high temperatures.
Other stone that is unlikely to crack is granite, limestone and concrete. Remember to purchase 10 per cent more than you need to avoid getting caught short.
Step 3 – Mark out the shape
Take your bricks or stone slabs and lay them out in the shape you’ve designed. Use this as a template to then dig out turf or a few centimetres of soil.
If you’re building this on a patio, remember to bear in mind the ground material and its resistance to heat. Leave around 5mm in between bricks or stone slabs to allow for airflow.
Step 4 – Dig out the area
Remove the bricks or slabs and dig out the area, using a spirit level to make sure it’s flat.
Step 5 – Create a centre drainage area
You then need to dig a central hole around 30cm deep and 30cm wide. Fill this with gravel and this will allow for rainwater drainage.
Step 6 – Build your ring
Stack your brick or stone ring or square. Keep checking with a spirit level and tread it down if there is any tilt. Each layer of bricks should be placed a different way, i.e. perpendicular to the row below for stability.
Three or four rows should be enough, but if you are using thinner stone slabs you may want more.
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