Photo by oneillbro via iStock
If your backyard lacks personality and functionality, building a round patio fire pit might be the perfect solution.
After all, with some elbowgrease, you can build a small patio with a fire pit as a weekend DIY project. Heck, you can even order a round patio fire pit (or whatever shape you want, I suppose) to get you started on the right foot.
As you can see in the video above by Bro Builds, building a round patio fire pit takes a lot of planning and prep work. But, when it comes to actually building the fire pit area, it’s really just muscling your way through a giant pile of patio pavers.
You can get the complete rundown of how to build a patio like this in the video above. I’ve summarized key points from the video in the article below for your convenience.
Table of Contents
- Measure the Patio and Remove any Grass
- Add a Gravel and Sand Base<
- Lay the Patio Pavers
- Build the Fire Pit
Measure the Patio and Remove any Grass
Photo by Darwel via iStock
The first step in the building process is to figure out where you want your round patio fire pit. You also need to consider the size you want, the materials you want to use, and how much material you’ll need to build the patio.
As you can see in the video, the patio is going in a backyard space with established grass. This means marking the area and removing the grass. If the area you want to build your round patio fire pit doesn’t have grass, be sure you remove any rocks, roots, and other debris before proceeding.
Note that you’ll need to dig down several inches to accommodate the gravel and sand base layers that will be added in the next step. You also need to account for the depth of the pavers or whatever material you choose to use, that way the finished product is level with the surrounding landscape.
Add a Gravel and Sand Base
Photo by Martina Simonazzi via iStock
Once the area has been cleared for the round patio fire pit, it’s time to add the gravel and sand base.
Start with 2-3 inches of gravel. Rake it out smooth so it’s spread evenly, then begin tamping it down, either with a hand tamper or a gas-powered compactor. Repeat this process as needed until the depth of the base plus the depth of the pavers is equal to the surrounding landscape.
Next, add one inch of sand. The best way to do this is to lay conduit or another material that’s one inch in thickness, then use a 2×4 to screen the sand to the appropriate thickness.
Lay the Patio Pavers
Photo by ozgurcoskun via iStock
Since we’re building a round patio fire pit, you need to find the exact center of the circle so you can place the center paver and work outward from there.
As you can see in the video, this required the Bro Builds guys to build a temporary walkway so as not to disturb the sand base.
From there, it’s a simple matter of following the diagram (if you opt for a round patio fire pit kit) and laying the pavers as instructed. Use a rubber mallet to set the pavers in place in the sand. Have a level handy so you’re sure that your pavers are nice and flat, too.
Once you have the round patio laid, cover it with sand and work it into the gaps between the pavers with a broom. The sand will help lock the pavers in place and lock them into one another as well.
Build the Round Patio Fire Pit
Photo by Mila Naumova via iStock
Lastly, it’s time to build the fire pit.
As you can see in the video, it’s a simple matter of placing the metal fire ring in the center of the round patio and then building out the fire pit from there.
In the case of this particular round patio fire pit kit, the fire pit is just three levels of pavers that form a ring around the metal fire ring.
After that, it’s a matter of doing some finishing touches – checking for high points and using a mallet to level out pavers, adding more sand to fill in the gaps between the pavers, and cleaning up!
From there, you just need some firewood, a few chairs, and you’ll be ready to enjoy your round patio fire pit!
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