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Fabulous Fire Pit

fire-pit-final.jpg

Materials
1 bag PPC Cement
2 bags building sand
2 bags river sand
2 m reinforcing wire (Brickforce)
64 fire bricks
24 cobbles

Tools
Bricklaying trowel
Float
Builders line
Pencil
Spirit level
Rubber mallet
Clever planning during a patio makeover left space for a fire pit – a great place for cooking and for bonfires. If one would suit your lifestyle, here’s what you do.

In our makeover, the old patio floor was still intact, forming the base, plus a border of cobbles had already been laid around the circle. You need to choose a site with a suitable surface, or prepare a concrete base first.

Fire-pit-1.jpg

STEP 1: Using the builders’ line and the pencil, draw a circle with a diameter of 800 mm, making sure it is in the centre
of the space.

fire-pit-2.jpg

STEP 2: Make a fairly firm mortar by mixing 4 parts building sand, 1 part PPC cement and water. Cement the bricks into place, standing them upright and following the circle marked previously. The inside edges of the bricks must almost touch while the gaps between the outside edges must be a little wider, although still uniform.

This ensures that they form a neat circle. Use the mallet to tap the bricks into place in the mortar, and use the spirit level to make sure they are straight. When the circle is completed use mortar to fill the gaps between the bricks.

fire-pit-3.jpg

STEP 3: Lay the second level of bricks on top of the first layer, first embedding the reinforcing wire in the mortar between the layers. Again fill the gaps between the bricks with the mortar.

Fire-pit-4.jpg

STEP 4: Complete the top by cementing a layer of cobbles in place.

Fire-pit-5.jpg

STEP 5: Create a bowl-shaped base inside the fire pit, using mortar made with 4 parts river sand to 1 part cement, plus enough water to form a stiff consistency. The sides of the ‘bowl’ should extend to near the top end of the first row of bricks. Allow the mortar to dry thoroughly before using the fire pit.

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The Gardener