In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada and mason Mark McCullough help a homeowner with the first phase of her small backyard landscaping project: a stone fire pit for her and her husband.
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Jenn Nawada takes us on a trip to Georgia to help a homeowner add a fire pit to their small backyard. With the help of mason Mark McCullough, the two find the perfect place for the pit and get to building.
Small backyards can be difficult to landscape. Every aspect of the design has to be intentional and serve a purpose, and there isn’t much room for careless feature placement. In this Georgia backyard, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada and mason Mark McCullough help a homeowner find the ideal spot for the first phase of her backyard project: a stone fire pit.
Difficulty: ⅕
Cost: Between $250 and $600, depending on the chosen kit
Time: One day
Where to find it?
Jenn and Mark help a homeowner create a landscape plan and install a fire pit. Special assistance was provided by Jordan’s Legacy Landscaping [https://www.jordanslegacylandscaping.com/].
After the homeowner shares her ultimate goals for her backyard, Jenn discusses an overall plan that can be executed when time and budget allow. Mark advises to be sure not to position fire pits in a hazard-prone areas. When choosing a location you should avoid wooden sheds, bushes, and low hanging trees. Once a good location has been selected, contact the local utilities companies to be sure it’s safe to dig.
Install Fire Pit
1. Lay out your first layer of blocks on top of the level gravel base. Be sure the sides of the blocks are touching.
2. Place the blocks one-by-one around the perimeter of the hole, pushing them together and using a level to make sure the height stays consistent.
3. If necessary, add leveling sand beneath low blocks or tap high blocks down with a rubber mallet to keep everything even.
4. After finishing the first row, check the layer in several places with a long level to be sure the
structure is even.
5. Then, temporarily assemble the second level of blocks, making sure to stagger the joints between rows.
6. After temporarily laying out the second row, test-fit the fire pit bowl to make sure the lip rests fully
on the edge. Remove the bowl and adjust the positioning of the blocks if needed.
7. Use construction adhesive between the layers of blocks to secure the concrete block pavers as you build the fire pit walls.
8. Remove the second row of blocks that were temporarily placed.
9. Add beads of construction adhesive to the bottom layer to bond everything in place.
10. Refit the second layer of blocks and continue the process for the third row of blocks.
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Materials:
Stake or rebar [https://amzn.to/3JcYUOT]
Crushed stone [https://bit.ly/3iLhVwQ]
Sand [https://bit.ly/3CUrLn8]
Fire pit kit [https://bit.ly/3CUrZdY]
Construction adhesive [https://amzn.to/3kpHGU1]
Marking paint [https://amzn.to/3HdE5Bs]
Tools:
Tape measure [https://amzn.to/3XkwarB]
Mason’s or landscaping string [https://amzn.to/3kn5aJn]
Shovels [https://amzn.to/3WhjBfo]
Tamp [https://amzn.to/3ZM6a9Z]
Level [https://amzn.to/3GHVvoa]
Rubber mallet [https://amzn.to/3iO63dC]
Caulking gun [https://amzn.to/3iDMDIo]
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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home.
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22 Comments
Diameter Mark, not Circumference of fire pit. Lol
Diameter of the pit. Not circumference.
Cold outside… Georgia 😂
Should probably be the last thing to do in the yard. Redo the yard then decide on the fire
You don't subtract the circumference. You subtract the diameter. circumference is diameter x 3.14
Watched this on 2x speed. Didn't notice the rest of the back yard remodel.
I can't imagine wanting a fire pit this close to my home.
This is not a small back yard.. come on.. 😂😂 come to my house and you will see a small backyard.
No offense but burn pits are soooo 1970s. IMO they make the yard smell repulsive. Here it's illegal to burn yard waste so I'm actually actively fighting against burn-culture.
I'm not sure I'm sold on these manufactured kits the fit and finish is so so
Why doesn’t TOH help people who can’t afford to hire someone?
😂 👌👍
In my experience with fire pits they are awesome but best if you have the extra vented variety. The ability to draw in air from underneath really makes them less smokey and more enjoyable. Even just having a grate underneath the fire can help a bunch. Everyone loves sitting around the fire but no one likes a face full of smoke. This type of ring will likely smoke a lot because its difficult to draw in air from the sides/bottom of the pit. Years ago I had a really nice freestanding steel pit that had airvents and a nice ledge. Unfortunately it's ling since rusted/gone but I preferred it to most pits because it breathes and burned cleaner. Before putting in a pit I might shop some other designs for ones better ventilated.
Also if you have one of the steel pits be cautious of allowing them to get covered in snow and rain because they rust out easier than you might expect.
BEUTIFUL
the trees are quite close
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next project for mam is the landscape with designer walls and lights
😛pay cut.hehehe . that a nice joke.really it will take 2 days episode for that landscaping.
I solved this by just buying an huge above ground firebowl with a swing grate for cooking etc. Just some nice patio blocks with a design for the base embedded into the ground. Ive done it this way before as well, but if I ever move, I can take my Pit with me at least. Plus it wasnt as time consuming as this. But this works just as well
Or Jen, you can move the chair.
Everytime this show features 'digging', or other laborious tasks, it is apparent to me, that off camera, other than those shown, do the actual work. JMO
Why do these new episodes look like they were filmed from a mile away?