Fire Structures That You Put Into Your Fire Pit

• Fire pits are useful if you want to hold authentic barbecues in your backyard or if you just want a designated area to create a fire for warmth during the colder months. Fire pits are regulated by local standards, so review your local city and fire regulations before you design your pit. When you are ready to buy, examine the basic components of your fire pit structure and what will go into the pit itself before the coals.

Bases

• To create a proper, safe fire pit, you cannot build over the ground as it exists in your backyard. You need to provide a base for it. Start by digging down and creating the hole for your fire pit, usually a foot or two deep, and fill this hole in with gravel, which will stop the pit from burning into the ground and create a dependable base for you to structure the rest of the fire pit with.

Borders

• You also need to put a border in your fire pit. The outer portion of the border can be decorative; use a style that matches your landscaping. You can use bricks, stones or pavers. Whatever medium you choose, create a structure that you can mortar together for more solidity. For the inside, you should bind the inner wall of the structure with a heat-resistant metal sheet to protect the outer layer from the fire.

Racks

• If you want to cook anything over your pit, you will need to include a rack structure that you can place close to the coals. You can choose to install a rack into your border as you build it for stability, or you can find a rack that you can place on top of the pit border or into the pit. You can also choose to skip the ground pit and buy a standing form of a fire pit with a grate already included.

Chiminea

• A chiminea is a small chimney device used to channel smoke away from the fire pit. These devices, often made of metal flues, give the smoke rising from the fire direct access to the air far above the pit, high enough to diffuse the smoke above guests' heads instead of blowing it in their faces. If your pit may create annoying smoke drifts, add a chiminea.