| Author | Content |
MitchF
Oklahoma City, OK
(Zone 7a)
July 6, 2007
2:34 PM Post #3703646
| Has anyone already built an outdoor stove/firrpit out side? I have the bricks and the grill that I am going to use for the rack. I just wanted to know if there are any pointers out there - thank Mitch |
MerryMary
Ocoee (W. Orlando), FL
(Zone 9b)
July 24, 2007
8:56 AM Post #3772717
| Mitch, I hope you get a response. I want to build one *the tall kind* against the back wall of a cement slab in my backyard. Maybe 6-8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. I'm not sure if I will need certain materials to line it? |
MitchF
Oklahoma City, OK
(Zone 7a)
July 24, 2007
9:03 AM Post #3772741
| Good question.. I dont know.. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 27, 2007
11:26 AM Post #3785582
| Mitch, I built a pit of natural stone ... 100 lb boulders in a circle 3 ft wide. If I were to start over ... I'd bury the boulders down about 12-15 inches to be level with the ground and put a cement of even steel plate beneath the boulders to allow for near perfect cleaning or removal of the ash. You might want to consider a "skirt" of brick extending outward from the pit by about 2 feet. Our pit does not have a skirt so the lawn gets burned from the high heat in a circle close to 1 foot from the boulders. Our pit is about as simple and common as a campfire but umpteen times more attractive because the rocks are fitted together. Its quite nice. We sit around the firepit 3 times a week in our white wicker chairs beginning at 9 pm for an hour or more ... great way to relax ... sorta mesmerizing.
This message was edited Jul 28, 2007 6:46 PM |
MerryMary
Ocoee (W. Orlando), FL
(Zone 9b)
July 27, 2007
12:30 PM Post #3785795
| Photographer...Have any of your boulders split or cracked from the heat? I wanted to build an upright one out of cement block, and then stucco it, but someone told me the heat can make rocks and blocks explode if they build up moisture and then get heated. That's why I had asked about a heat liner above, like maybe the kind that goes inside a fireplace? Let me know if you've ever had any problems with cracking rocks. |
MitchF
Oklahoma City, OK
(Zone 7a)
July 27, 2007
12:34 PM Post #3785804
| I think it would matter the type of rock.. I am thinking of using crete bricks - so that should not be an issue. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 28, 2007
12:26 AM Post #3788151
| MerryMary, We have had a half dozen big rocks break over the last few years. Periodically I'll go searching along the stream looking for a replacement boulder w/ my 5 yr old in tow. We bring along his Radio Flyer wagon with an old cushion from our previous wicker set. I'll tip the wagon on its side and lean a large rock into the wagon bed onto the cushion then right it up with the rock inside. We push and pull the wagon home to the fire pit and I'll fit the new boulder into place. The rocks tend to be volcanic or basalt and are resistant to cracking from heat ... than other types of rock that have been wet in a stream bed. I also try to keep the fire in the center of the ring and not so large that it is right up on the rocks. The buffer provides some relief from the heat and less cracking. Our ring of boulders is nearly wide enough to allow for the fire to be in the middle and not directly burning the rocks. In the very near future I will add one more boulder to widen the ring.
This message was edited Jul 28, 2007 12:19 AM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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MitchF
Oklahoma City, OK
(Zone 7a)
July 28, 2007
1:37 PM Post #3789522
| That does look nice... maybe I need to use rocks... looks soooo nice.. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 31, 2007
2:36 PM Post #3801678
| MitchF, I'm not a landscape designer but natural stone is usually more pleasing to the eye than brick. The brick probably will crack more than stone unless they are the fireplace lining type brick. Even those may break or crack if there is moisture in or around them. I like the idea of a ground level skirting of rocks to prevent the surrounding grass from burning. By burying the large boulders that form the fire pit circle I could effectively create a skirting. Plus I could always add more rocks to widen the skirting as needed. On the other hand ... burying the top ring of boulders would probably cause them to absorb significantly more moisture ... leading to several times more loss of rock due to cracking from heat expansion and contraction. Maybe I won't mess with a good thing? I think I'll just add a skirting and put a sheet of 1/4 inch steel underneath the pit for easier cleaning. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
October 28, 2007
12:01 PM Post #4132077
| Mitch, I know its been a while but I have noticed more cracks in our rocks than before these past several months. I think a circle of steel from a barrel or culvert might be a better option. Lining the steel with sand about 3-5 inches and capping it with mortar or small flat stones. The boulders can be mortared to hold the sand in between. I really think having a heat buffer is the best means to extend the life of the large boulders on the exterior. Kelly |
creekwalker
Cole Camp, MO
November 30, 2007
7:31 PM Post #4248278
| Don't know if you are still interested, but we built an outdoor fireplace like this. It's hard to tell, but it's built on a slab of concrete and the rocks are cemented together. They were rocks found on our land.
This message was edited Nov 30, 2007 5:33 PM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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creekwalker
Cole Camp, MO
November 30, 2007
7:35 PM Post #4248290
| Here's another picture. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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MerryMary
Ocoee (W. Orlando), FL
(Zone 9b)
November 30, 2007
9:08 PM Post #4248609
| Cracks were my concern, from steam building up inside of rock, then heating up to extreme tempertatures. I'm still working on my design,lol. I'm sure whatever I do I will be happy with UNTIL I actually use it...then back to the drawing board. But...I'm willing to give it a try anyway... |
MUDCATSLIM
Chesapeake, VA
(Zone 7a)
December 5, 2007
6:59 PM Post #4265412
| Try granite or better yet basalt as this is metamorphized granite. It is really dense. I wouldn't use limestone or concrete as these can explode due to steam pockets forming inside. If you were building a barbeque you could line it with fire brick and refractory cement. This is the stuff that chimneys and boilers are made of. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
December 21, 2007
8:25 AM Post #4316067
| creekwalker, Your outdoor firepit is an improvement in at least one major way over mine. And I do like yours much better. Visually it is 5X more grand + you get the benefit of sitting on the side facing the rock wall to gain the visual aspect of the stonework. Mine does not limit the positioning of visitors to 50% of the pit ... a small +. We gain visually from the stone and the warmth from every angle or 100% of the circle. The visual impact of mine is about 20% of what yours provides. The truth is we seldom have more than 4 people viewing the fire. Having a circle is of little benefit. You half circle is huge upgrade. The wall you have also likely acts like a wind shield from 1-2 directions. I don't imagine folks can actually sit on the wall as they'd be too close to the heat. We get quite a lot of wind so having a wall is another huge enhancement. Your bar for potential cooking is a 3rd enhancement. We'd be able to do this with our pit but have yet to implement the option. Given your protptype ... I intend to make big changes next spring. We have an enormous 4ft X 4ft steel plate that is larger than our pit. I'll bury it a few inches under sand. I'll put the fire pit around the perimeter of the plate on the sand and enlarge the circle. This will add a foot diameter to the circle. I'll place flat rocks on the ground about 18 inches behind the circle beginning on the East & West sides and extend them South the same distance out. I'll construct a 2.5 ft tall semi-circle wall about 18 inches South of the firepit circle that will shield the firepit from wind in 1 + directions. I'll be moving my firepit between the house and the shop to shield it in from East & West winds. The stone wall will be facing the South so that will help in that direction and we'll have the cottage to the north that will basically reduce wind effect on the visitors by 75%. Thanks for the terrific idea and the motivation to get it done better. Once we have the new firepit in place I'll post a couple photographs. |
creekwalker
Cole Camp, MO
December 24, 2007
10:23 PM Post #4325339
| Photographer, you are welcome, and thanks for the praise. lol My dh was the one who built it so he gets all the credit. I love that fireplace and yes, the bar is great for anything we might want to hang over the fire. Good luck with yours and be sure to post pics! |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 17, 2008
4:22 PM Post #5275020
| So far I moved the fire pit and 7 or 8 of the 100 lb boulders ... about 100 feet ... all the way to the other side of the house near our picnic tables and umbrellas. Jeez they were heavy lifting. This side of the property is protected from winds from the east and west. We also added a couple more even larger boulders to the ring. The rocks are so tall and fat that the fire does not singe the ground outside of the pit like in the former location. A wall on the north side ... will have to wait till we get some more rocks and more cement. Kelly in Moxee
This message was edited Jul 17, 2008 1:26 PM |
