Fire pits are rapidly gaining popularity. They extend the time we can spend on outdoors providing comfort and warmth on chilly evenings. People have always been drawn to the safety, heat, atmosphere and culinary possibilities that a campfire provides. The use of fire pits in gardens is a modern and more convenient alternative to conventional fires.
How fire pits are used
Today, people use garden fires for gatherings with family and friends, for grilling food, and as an unusual object to emphasize the originality of landscape design.
Sometimes the bowl is placed for ease of movement between the main areas of the garden. For example, guests will be pleased to move from the dining area or pool to the firepit and back.
If you decide to build a fire pit in your backyard, think carefully about the size and location of the firebox. Although you can make the construction quite voluminous, the average diameter of a bowl used in the garden is about 1 m. These dimensions include both the outer rim of the fire bowl and the burning area. The most comfortable distance from the fire to the legs lying on the edge of the outer wall is 25-30 cm.
If the bowl is designed in such a way that it is flush with the ground, people will have to squat around it to feel the heat. Therefore, if you want the outer wall of the fire bowl to serve as a seat at the same time, make it about 50 cm high.
Don't make the bowl too high, as it will be uncomfortable for people to lean on the edging, and the hearth will not be able to radiate enough heat to heat the seating area.
Location and weather
Further recommendations for building a hearth bowl relate to the distribution of free space around it, as well as weather features:
- the size of the area around the bowl;
- Rose of Wind;
- Fire safety.
How big should be the area that you allocated for the chairs? Some owners of fire bowls believe that a distance of 2 meters is enough for people to be able to move away if they get hot. In the case when the diameter of the structure is more than 1 m, we recommend leaving up to 5 m of free space around.
Check the wind rose for your area. It is not recommended to install a fire bowl where the wind is constantly blowing: firstly, it will be difficult for you to kindle a fire, and secondly, guests will have to constantly dodge smoke flying in their faces.
If you're planning on making stationary benches or chairs, don't place them too far away from the fire. Arrange them so that you are comfortable and warm.
Please note that open flames are prohibited in some areas to prevent fire or air pollution. You'll probably need a permit from the fire department as they want to make sure you don't set up your firepit on a wooden porch or too close to flammable overhanging branches or foliage. 
Fire bowl ideas
There are many types of garden fire bowls. The easiest and cheapest option is to buy a finished structure at a local store. As a rule, it is made of light metal and equipped with a grate with a spark cover. The structure is mobile and can be easily moved throughout the garden.
If you decide to make a bowl yourself, nothing can limit your imagination. You can use brick, concrete, stone, metal, or a combination of all of these materials.
A hemispherical smooth concrete bowl is also a popular option. They look modern and expensive. 
You can also make a table with a fire bowl in the middle. This design has a fire zone and a wide edging around, on which plates and cutlery are placed. The table can be square, rectangular, round and even L-shaped. You don't need a wood burning stove. There are all kinds of gas and propane options that are great alternatives and are easy to use. 
Many landscape design experts specialize in building garden firepits. They know all building codes and how to make the structure safe for you.
If you decide to build a fire bowl yourself, you must be extremely careful not to allow flames and sparks to fall on surrounding objects. Use fire brick and fire retardant caulk on the bottom and sides of the bowl. Follow the drawings and instructions drawn up by professionals, then your creation will become a source of warmth and comfort, where you want to return again and again.
Everyone who has a house outside the city or a summer cottage wants to ennoble the adjacent area, to make it a place to relax. And what kind of rest is it without the opportunity to sit near the fire, admire the play of flames, and maybe, at the same time, cook a delicious dinner on the fire? In order to realize this desire, you can build a hearth in the country. It can be done different ways, and such a process will not take much time. It is important to follow some guidelines to make it safe and beautiful.
Basics of work
The work to be done in the process of building a hearth in a country house has a single essence, no matter which version of the fire pit is chosen for the device. Initially, it should be said that the material for manufacturing can be anything, the main thing is that it would be refractory, for example, it will do:
- stones of various sizes;
- bricks;
- concrete blocks, etc.
In the process of designing a hearth in a country house, several stages can be distinguished:
| Stage | Characteristic |
| Pouring the base of the fireplace | Whatever the hearth, you should always take care of its base, which will ensure not only safety of use, but also convenience when cleaning the hearth from burnt wood residues. |
| Material selection | Such a moment determines the further level of strength of the erected walls. How much will be needed in order to fold the hearth depends only on its diameter and height. It is recommended to make the walls of the hearth of large bricks. |
| Wall laying | The laying process itself can be different depending on what type of fire pit is being built. Can be laid with a solution, you can exclude its use. In some embodiments, the use of cement mortar on the walls is simply not necessary. The main thing is to be convinced that everything is installed securely, tightly and cannot be destroyed by someone else's influence. |
| Campfire site | The core of the hearth is a fire. You can leave it as it turns out after pouring the base and laying the walls, or you can make an additional fixture for a fire or for cooking. It is possible, during the laying of the walls, to install an iron beam of the required size in them, on which there will be a special grill for frying in a suspended state. You can make such a grate removable and simply put it on the fire. Everyone will determine which device is better, based on their desires. |
Types of suburban areas
You can build a hearth in the country with your own hands different type. Depending on what is acceptable for the owners, what exactly is needed from such a structure, you can make a choice. Foci can be deep and external. It is worth understanding what each of them represents.
Buried foci
You can make a hearth in a recessed type cottage according to the following principle:
Additional work to be carried out in the construction of the hearth:
- The equipment of the inner space of the summer cottage can be made using a metal screen, which needs to be shaped into a cylinder. The thickness of the sheet should be up to 2 mm;
- The gap that remains between the walls of the fireplace and the soil must be filled with the soil remaining after digging the hole;
- You also need to take care to make a protective platform that will surround the hearth. With its help, you can not only protect the nearby space from fire, but also additionally decorate the hearth;
- Such a platform is made using conventional laying from a selected and more suitable material, for example, brick, stone, paving stones, or you can simply fill it with concrete;
- Further on, you can equip the resulting area with benches or other places to relax. When installing them, you need to remember that the minimum distance from the hearth should be 80 centimeters;
- To make a place for cooking, you can build a tripod that fits in the diameter of the fire and hang a metal grate on it.
Reference: another option for building a hearth in a country house of this type can be the principle of a cone-shaped hole that needs to be dug before starting work. It is only necessary to concrete the dug cone and veneer it with decorative material.
External type of focus in the dchnoy area
This type of country hearth can be constructed according to two principles: with an open fire and a closed fire. In terms of security, the second option is better. To make an outdoor hearth with an open fire you need:
- having decided on a place for the hearth on suburban area, remove a layer of earth, which will be 10 centimeters thick;
- the diameter of the fireplace can be 1 meter;
- the hole that turned out after digging should be covered with rubble, stone or any fine-grained material of this kind;
- along the circumference of the formed hole, lay out with pebbles, not less than 10 cm high;
- be sure to make a platform around it to protect against fire.
If there is a desire to build a safer structure, then this can be done as follows:
Options for building a hearth in a summer cottage
There are a lot of options for building a hearth in a country house with your own hands. The simplest, most popular and proven ones can be called those that are given in the tables below with instructions for constructing them.
metal hearth
The hearth has a closed fire. The installation itself is a welded metal strip between them. The material can be used for such a structure - pieces of steel with galvanization.
| Stage | Characteristic |
| Pouring the base of the fireplace | Even considering that such a hearth is an independent structure, you should still take care of pouring the base, even the simplest one, on which the structure will be placed. |
| Campfire facility | To make a fire pit, you will need a sheet of steel from which you need to cut two ribbons, the width of which will be at least 30 cm. This must be done in such a way that the resulting ribbons can form a cylindrical figure with an intermediate gap of 15 cm. The ribbons should be bent into a circle, secure the ends with nuts. Cylinders are fixed in the ground, the gap between which must be filled with gravel, no more than 10 cm thick. |
Hearth in a hole
| Stage | Characteristic |
| Pouring the base of the fireplace | The base of the fireplace is made in the way already indicated above. |
| Material selection | A brick is suitable for such a hearth. |
| Wall laying | The location of the brick should be vertical when laying, the material should be placed sideways. This should be taken into account when a hole is dug, it needs to be made wider by a few centimeters to fit a brick. |
| Campfire site | No special fixtures or structures are required in the campfire site; if desired, a metal sheet can be laid on the bases, which is fixed before starting to lay out the walls. |
The method is very easy to perform. A place around such a hearth can be equipped using various remnants of tiles from the sidewalk or the same brick.
stone hearth
To make this kind of hearth is very simple. The essence of the process is simple masonry, for which pavement tiles or bricks are suitable. When laying out walls elevated above the ground, a mortar must be used to fasten the stone material. The base is made for the fireplace in the same way as in the previous versions.
Such a hearth can be made of any shape, the walls that are obtained after laying can serve as a support for the grate, which can be put in case of cooking. Around you can also decorate with paving slabs, where the table and chairs will be located.
Reference: It is possible to make a masterpiece hearth if you use purchased stone material for laying, which has the texture of marble.
Round stone hearth in the country
The essence of this type of hearth is that it is possible to overlay a ready-made reinforced concrete hearth or one made of iron around with a stone.
| Stage | Characteristic |
| Pouring the base of the fireplace | Filling in this embodiment of the hearth can be omitted. |
| Material selection | Well satisfy both practical and aesthetic functions for such a fireplace - a refractory wide stone. Another option for lining will be ordinary boulders of different sizes. You will need a bonding solution. |
| Wall laying | The walls are stacked in a simple way, row by row, the solution is used in this case. From boulders various shapes and size, you can design the original hearth at your discretion. |
| Campfire site | The place for the fire will be a reinforced concrete hearth, which remained inside the stone walls. It is also easy to clean and cook food on it. |
The place around can be the most diverse. It can be laid out of the stone with which the platform is laid, and benches. Other accessories are optional.
In such a hearth, it is possible to install a special device for frying meat, which is held on a bracket. The grill grate is removable, which allows you to remove it if you want to enjoy just the view of the fire. The device can be made from a simple metal pipe, which is bent, taking the form of the letter "G". A grate is hung on the chain for the protruding part of the pipe.
Country hearth from a finished flower girl
| Stage | Characteristic |
| Pouring the base of the fireplace | Filling is also not required, as in the previous version. |
| Material selection | For materials, it will be necessary to purchase a flower girl and the material that will be used for laying the walls of the fireplace. You can choose a flower girl of any shape. In this case, you can give free rein to your imagination, because you can cover such a flower girl both along its perimeter and leaving it inside in such a way that there will be a space between the walls and the flower girl, which will then be filled with mortar or gravel. |
| Wall laying | The walls are laid with any material made of stone. You can combine variations by layers. Laying is carried out using a solution. |
| Campfire site | The campfire site is directly the space of the flower girl. It is possible to equip such a hearth with various options for devices and devices on which meat is fried. |
Hearth of rings
| Stage | Characteristic |
| Pouring the base of the fireplace | The base must be done in the usual way. |
| Material selection | For the walls you will need two rings, which are used in laying wells. Such rings should differ in diameter, namely, the distance between them should be half a meter, the smaller ring in diameter is chosen so that there is a place where the fire will burn. |
| Wall laying | A small circle in diameter, which is equal to the base, is placed, deepening a little. Next, you need to put a ring of a larger diameter, deepening it in such a way that the upper parts of the rings are flush. The next thing to do is to fill the space between the rings with crushed stone, gravel or mortar. In this case, you can combine materials: just make an embankment to the top of the empty space, or mix it with concrete. The main thing is to make sure that the top of the fire is even. |
| Campfire site | The place for making a fire is obtained by itself, it can be supplemented with various facilities that you like, which will provide convenience in preparing a barbecue. |
A log instead of a hearth
The most original version, however, a one-time hearth can be obtained from a log. You just need to take a wider log, use a saw to make cuts crosswise. You need to cut a little more than half the length of the log.
Starting a fire in it will be as easy as shelling pears, you just need to set fire to a piece of paper and place it in the core of the cuts. After that, you can put the dishes for cooking and start the process. The only thing you should be careful about when using this type of hearth is not to miss the moment of burning parts of the log, because you can turn everything possessed out of the dishes onto the ground.
Another handy option to make a hearth or barbecue can be building it from a gas cylinder. Those that are installed in cars are best suited. To construct a hearth, you only need to cut it and weld small legs to it. Further, you can already fantasize with a lattice, which is attached to it without any problems, and also put a lid on the hinges. You can use such a cut-off balloon as a base for lining with a stone, as is the case with a ready-made hearth or a flower girl.
Conclusion
There are a lot of options for building a hearth. You can take the principle of construction of any of these and come up with your own combination of materials, masonry, a place for a fire and appliances for frying meat. The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment, and a pre-planned algorithm of actions will save you from mistakes.
Landscape designers, who have worked with the elements of earth and water for centuries, set about taming the most dangerous element - fire. Thus, the fire bowl returned to summer cottages and home gardens, as well as to public spaces - a well-forgotten old one, until recently more often an archaeological artifact than an element of garden design.
The hearth for a fire allows you to maintain a safe fire where it does not belong at all - next to residential buildings, in the beach area, on a wooden terrace. But the energy of an open flame is so attractive that the temptation to "plant" low-temperature plasma in a metal cage or a stone bag is irresistible.
Until recently, landscaping specialists preferred to design a fire zone in place - with filling the site, installing stationary stone and metal elements, laying out monumental outdoor fireplaces and barbecue ovens. But fire bowls appeared, and now each owner of a plot of land can independently create a recreation area in any place, and move it to another according to his mood.
Types of street foci
A fire bowl is a metal, cast iron, stone or ceramic product in which it is possible to maintain a long burning without the risk of the fire spreading outside the fire pit.
The design usually includes the bowl itself, or elements for laying it out in place, as well as a stand, which can be sold separately or integrated into the case.
To any bowl, you can buy a spark arrestor lid and grates, skewers, braziers for cooking. You don’t need to buy anything for spherical products - they are less utilitarian and are created for aesthetic pleasure. Laser cutting masters turn 4-mm metal into thin lace, populating the "fiery cage" with mystical animals, plants, heroes of fairy tales and cartoons. When the fire burns, the characters seem to move and captivate the audience for a long time.
The range of our online store includes:
- Exclusive fire bowls are carved spherical and hemispherical metal structures made by plasma cutting from prefabricated blanks.
- Forged hearths for a fire - a variety of "half-sides", including those decorated with through carvings, decorative elements, twisted legs. For safe use and protection from precipitation, it is better to purchase a cover.
- Cast iron fire bowls are cast directly into the mold, have a minimalist design and a lifetime manufacturer's warranty.
- Stone bowls for fire are stationary small architectural forms that are assembled from individual elements at the installation site.
- Fire spheres are hollow metal balls, the surface of which is covered with through threads to provide traction. The cost depends on the complexity of the ornament and the thickness of the metal.
- Fire rings are the simplest and most mobile devices for organizing a safe fire, consisting of two or more elements that can be quickly removed from the case and installed on any surface without prior preparation.
- Gas fireplaces are tables in which a metal container for biofuel is mounted. The shape of the table and containers can be absolutely anything. Since biofuel burns without soot and soot, the structure can be installed both outdoors and indoors.
Shape and diameter
The shape of the fire bowl can be any, as long as air is blown to maintain combustion. The very name of the product also contains the main form factor - a bowl or bowl of a round or oval shape, less often - a rectangle or square.
It is believed that the minimum safety zone around the outdoor hearth should be equal to two of its diameters: that is, for a bowl with a diameter of 50 centimeters, the “exclusion zone”, where there is no place for people, animals and combustible objects, should have a diameter of 1 meter.
- Small bowls and spheres with a diameter of up to 70 centimeters require a minimum of space for installation and can be transferred even to an unprepared site, placed on a terrace or podium.
- Models with a diameter of 70-90 centimeters can gather around the whole family or a small company, so you need to think about seating in advance.
- Massive and, as a result, heavy bowls with a diameter of 90 centimeters or more are designed for a large equipped area where there is a flat area for installation. Under such forms, a safety zone is usually created, covered with gravel, pebbles or other non-combustible material.
materials
Fire bowls are most often made from hot-rolled black steel, which is highly formable, inexpensive, and lasts until rust and fire take their toll. To extend the life of products, manufacturers use various flame retardants, paints and coatings. Advanced models are made from alloy steel with more high temperature scale formation.
Cast iron is the oldest, proven and reliable material for contact with fire; doors and grates of ordinary stoves are made from it, and “eternal” bowls for an open flame are cast.
Concrete and ceramics also “know how” to withstand fire for a long time without changing their properties, so some companies have learned how to cast very stylish and functional outdoor hearths from concrete. Ceramics is a more plastic and malleable material, so collapsible bowls are made from it, which are mounted in a metal basket base.
Stone is a natural companion of fire, not subject to high-temperature corrosion, oxidation, environment. Outdoor fireplaces made of stone are assembled from separate elements in a permanent place and are not intended to be carried.
Accessories
Most manufacturers offer, in addition to the main product, many additional elements that increase the comfort of use and expand the functionality:
- Roofs and spark arresters - protect from precipitation and make the fire completely safe.
- Wood splitters and wood chips - allow you to quickly chop chocks into smaller dies, convenient for laying in the hearth.
- Grills, braziers, skewers are designed for cooking, although there are models with flat steel sides on which you can fry meat and fish without any additional devices.
- Firewood racks are special boxes, baskets, containers for storing fuel, made in the same style as the main product.
Delivery
Most fire bowls, outdoor hearths and fireplaces are of considerable weight and can even be classified as small architectural forms. Therefore, we offer a special service for the delivery of such products in the Moscow region and Russia in any convenient way: to the door, to the warehouse, to the pickup point. The bowls are securely packed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and will not be damaged during transportation.
Decorate your yard with a fire pit! Firstly, it’s beautiful… But seriously, such an element of garden design will definitely become a center of attraction for family and friends, as well as bring a lot of aesthetic pleasure and warm you up on cool evenings.
In the country, you probably have a place for a fire - a fireplace, perhaps there is a barbecue, grill or some other brazier for cooking meat and fish on fire. We offer a great idea on how to make a do-it-yourself fire bowl from a broken washing machine drum.
“There would be no happiness, but misfortune helped” - this proverb can be applied to our project. Owners of a hopelessly broken washing machine can reuse the drum for a makeshift campfire site. If your machine, fortunately, is in excellent working condition, you can look for an old drum in repair shops, flea markets, acquaintances, or household appliances junkyards.
To make a bowl for a fire with your own hands, you need:
- angle grinder;
- nozzle-brush on a grinding machine;
- steel corners;
- heat resistant paint.
Remove all plastic parts from the drum, the central axis, thoroughly clean it from scale, dirt, soap residue. To do this, it is convenient to use a hard brush and a machine, but, of course, you can clean it manually. Actually, you can finish the work on this, put it in the yard and try it out.
An optional step, but you can still lift the drum off the ground. Thus, the fire in the bowl will feed the oxygen from below. To do this, the authors of the project welded steel legs with a flat square base to the bottom of the drum so that the hearth does not sink into the ground. If desired, you can simply put the fire bowl on the stones.
The fire bowl today is increasingly used in the formation of landscape design. She perfectly complements general form, and an extensive selection of different options allows you to find the optimal model. Products are made of galvanized steel, differ in a practicality and quality.
Kinds
The most popular variety is the stone fire bowl. It is made from natural material and suitable for any outdoor environment. The surface may have a rough natural or highly polished texture.
Ceramic products are characterized by mobility and compactness. Due to their small size, they can be easily placed in any part of the local area. The material used belongs to the category of fire-resistant and is additionally covered with a special composition.
Galvanized steel elements look elegant and original. Their main advantage is a small mass, which allows you to freely move products. They have sufficient durability due to the polymer protective coating. Models are equipped with special devices and nozzles for cooking various dishes.
There are also options made of cast iron and decorative fire-resistant bricks.
Advantages
The fire bowl is a universal addition to the site and has many advantages, among which the following are worth noting:
- Practicality and original appearance. In stores you can find an option that will become a central element of landscape design. You can also cook food on it thanks to the built-in frames.
- Compact and light weight. Most products can be easily moved to the desired location. Their operation is simplified by equipment in the form of a mesh cover and special stands.
- Safety. The design is created in such a way that the flame under any circumstances cannot go beyond its limits. If there is a lawn, you should not worry about it either, since gas fire bowls stand on stands and small legs.
stone products
As noted earlier, bowls made of natural stone, for example, from granite. According to the manufacturers, most of the elements of landscape design are formed manually: the necessary shape is cut out of a granite slab, after which it is carefully polished. That is, we can say that each model is unique.
Stone and various products from it are suitable for any style direction, and fire bowls for summer cottages are no exception. They can have a different appearance and be equipped with various accessories. It is also possible to add in the form of gas equipment or stands.
The hue of the granite used determines the color scheme of the product, which can be smoky grey, graphite or black.
A fire bowl made of any material is used not only for heating and lighting, but also for decoration. personal plot due to its distinctive decorative properties. Regardless of the external design and design, it is easy to use and absolutely safe.
Self-manufacturing
Before starting work, you need to choose the optimal location. It is worth noting that fire cannot be made near wooden buildings and other objects that are characterized by rapid ignition, trees and shrubs.
With the help of a rope or lace, a circle appears on the ground. In the center of the future location of the product, a peg is driven in, one end of the rope is fixed on it, the other must be tied to a spray can of paint. The circle should have a diameter of about 1.5 m. Then, in a similar way, you need to draw two more circles: for the recreation area and the fire itself.
In the inner ring, formed between the circumferences of the bowl and the fireplace, a pit is dug with a depth of 15-20 cm to create a foundation. Then it is poured with a cement-sand mixture, as a result, a flat and smooth surface should be obtained.
Material laying
The best option for arranging walls will be natural stone, it has sufficient fire resistance and attractive appearance. A combination of several types of material is possible, elements with an interesting texture and pattern are selected for finishing the upper part of the wall. The inner edge of the base is laid out after the completion of the first row, while stone can be replaced with brick for its facing.
The material is laid in rows. After the formation of walls with the required height, the resulting space between the stones is filled with cement-sand mortar until a homogeneous surface is obtained. It is worth noting that do-it-yourself fire bowls are also made from other materials. One of the non-standard options is to use an old drum from a washing machine.