Building a fire pit/bbq

[senormick]

Hi all,

I am about to begin building a fire pit /bbq in my garden. It will be sunk in to the ground about 50cm with brick coming out of the ground for about 30cms - to make a total pit of 80cm. This is to allow for pit cooking as well as bbq.

I intend to build the pit out of engineering bricks and start the structure on some paving slabs. The slabs will cover the base of the pit with a gap in them to allow for drainage (although it will normally covered).

I want to have adequate drainage beneath the pit - so was thinking about 30cm of gravel.

I wanted some advice on whether this structure is likely to be secure? Could I dig my pit, pour in the gravel, lay some paving slabs and then build bricks up the side? I expect it to be about 12 bricks high in total.

I also plan to have about 10cm of gravel around the structure to absorb any ground movements. This will then be turfed over up to where the bricks rise from the ground.

Any comment on this proposal? Do you think it would work? Novice so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

I am no expert but, The bricks/mortar/paving stone will soak up water so there is a possibility of small explosions when the fire is lit. How is the fire going to get air? Years ago I built a brick BBQ with lime mortar, the heat from the fire caused all the joints to fail but if you did not touch any of the bricks it was OK, I used it for over 10 years.
Frank

 

[senormick]

Thanks - I wasn't planning on air as I will also be using it for pit cooking (which needs to be air tight)

 

[hansPulesh]

Engineering bricks won't soak any water. You won't need to dig below the slabs and fill with gravel if you're not pouring any concrete as foundations.

Will it be high enough though? As a fire pit for lighting fires and sitting around on chairs, I think that's not a bad height. But as a fully usable BBQ, it may be a little low down - unless you want to sit and cook on it?

As a design, I'd dig down into your proposed site (about 2 inches deep), I'd then use shuttering board (or planks of wood that you have lying around) to make some moulds (approx. 4 inches in height) and place these around the edges of your dug out area. Place them so that one side is higher than the other to create some drainage. Then fill with about 4 inches of concrete.

If you're feeling up to it, create a small indent in the semi wet concrete at the lowest end so that any drained water can run down this line and into the garden.

Once dry, build on top of this - use a dpc below blocks or (non engineering) bricks if you use these.

 

[hansPulesh]

Sorry, just to add, the concrete slab will stick out of the ground by about 2 inches to aid drainage.