Clay Brick: Impress With A Fire Pit At Home

Summer is coming and that means more time outdoors. If you’re looking to create a special gathering space outside to entertain and enjoy the company of others, then a fire pit is a great idea. Here are some top tips to help you can make your own fire pit in your backyard and impress guests with your hard work!

Consider the many uses for your fire pit

If you enjoy the outdoors but don’t really have much space for an outdoor room or lounge, a fire pit takes up minimal space. In fact, you can use an under-utilised area of your garden and create a space to build a fire and gather with friends. Furthermore, fire pits cater to every kind of entertainer, effortlessly bringing people together to energise conversation and inspire memories.

However, fire pits are not only for those who love to entertain. They are a great way to encourage your own family to spend more time outdoors. So whether you’re spending a summer evening with friends or keeping the young ones busy in the backyard, light up your fire pit and enjoy hours of stress-free fun outdoors. You could roast marshmallows and even reminisce about camp days of old with campfire songs.

What design and layout will work best?

We suggest you do some research into the different sizes and styles of fire pits available. Mobile fire pits can be bought, but if you’re into DIY, then a sleek clay brick fire place is the perfect weekend project! We suggest you choose clay brick that blends into the surroundings and offers a streamlined look to your backyard. Have a look online for some inspiration and ideas to incorporate into your next fire pit project. Who knows, you may even want to build custom seating around your fire pit!

As for the layout, consider the overall flow of your current outdoor space to find the most suitable positioning for your fire pit. Ensure there is adequate distance between the planned fire pit location and any established walkways, as well as plants or trees. Furthermore, take into account the existing seating in your outdoor area and assess how you will use your fire pit, to decide how your space can be maximised.

What materials to use

Ordinary clay brick can withstand heat up to 900 °C. This means you don’t need special “fire bricks” or expensive “refractory bricks” to build your fire pit at home. Never use a concrete brick in a braai, fireplace or firepit. Concrete bricks are dried in the sun. As such, they may contain air bubbles and can shatter or even explode when exposed to high temperatures.

What about construction?

Level the ground before you start building a fire pit or braai. Dig into the ground at least 10cm. Once level, add a cement foundation and level again. If you do not lay down a foundation, it may become unsettled later from water, heat, and cold. This can cause your bricks to crack, making the whole structure unstable.

As you are constructing the bricklayers, use a level to be sure all sides are plumb. Having a side that is lower or higher than the others will cause your project to not only look odd, but can cause damage later from the pressure or tilt.

Although you will be tempted to fire up your firepit as soon as it is built, please wait for seven to 10 days. This is essential to help the mortar and cement to cure and harden. If you have a clay brick fit pit with no mortared joins, you do not need to wait. Clay bricks are kiln-fired making them ceramic.

Soon enough it will be time to fire up that fire pit and enjoy the evenings outdoors. If you need more info on Clay Brick and how to best build a fire pit of braai at home visit www.claybrick.org.

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