Our fire pit is 8 feet in diameter with an additional ring of decomposed granite surrounding the fire pit for seating. This fire pit is a little bigger than standard, but our fire pit will serve double duty for burning brush when the need arises.
The stone I selected is called rumblestone in the color cafe. I really like the pattern of the trapezoid stones with the standard pavers turned on edge.
These stones were intended for building a smaller fire pit, so the gaps are wider than they would be if the circle was tighter. This is okay, because the cracks will allow plenty of air intake for the fire.
I wanted to add a capstone to cover the large gaps and create a nice surface for sitting, but the manufacturer does not make a cap for this particular stone. I planned to used a natural stone, then, my husband found this capstone in the color latte. After searching high and low for something that would coordinate well with cafe, I thought it was just a little cute that it turned out to be latte.
The latte capstones come in a rectangular shape. The stones have to be cut into trapezoidal shapes and pieced together to form a tight circle. A circular saw with a masonry blade is all that is needed to make the necessary cuts.
The next step in the project was to add the outer ring to hold in the decomposed granite. To prep the area two inches of top soil were removed and the stones were carefully leveled.
The fire pit and the completed ring are prepped and ready for the decomposed granite.
The decomposed granite is a good finishing touch to improve drainage and create a clean look. Once it gets packed down, it will make a nice patio surface for some comfy chairs. Bring on the smores!
