Fire Pit Upgrade for Under $25
I'm in the process of helping my sister spruce up her backyard and one of the things on her list was a fire pit. She had purchased a metal fire pit years ago but it wasn't in the greatest shape. She wanted to throw it away but I knew I could incorporate into a new pit.
Best rust removing sponge!
The metal fire pit had three parts - the legs, the bowl, and the screen. The legs were in pretty good shape; however, the bowl and the screen needed serious help.
I began by removing the rust using a stripping sponge of course grit. This sponge not only removed the rust, it also roughed up the entire piece which is important before you repaint anything.
For the screen, I used the stripping sponge on the frame. On the actual screen, I removed the rust with heavy duty steel wool.
The screen itself was really bent and misshapen. To reshape it, I placed my hands on either side of the screen and gently molded it back into shape. I didn't want to press too hard or it would tear the screen from the frame.
A - Another problem was the bowl had been dented.
B - I flipped it over so the bottom was facing up then using a rubber mallet, I pounded out the dent. Using a rubber mallet is gentler than a regular hammer as a hammer will leave marks in the metal.
C - You'd never know it was dented.
Once everything was sanded, I washed off each piece using a garden hose. I allowed everything to air dry.
Now it was time to paint. When painting a fire pit, you must use paint made specifically for high heat otherwise your entire fire pit will literally catch on fire.
I used thin, even coats of paint giving each piece two coats.
This is the area where she wanted the pit. As you can see, it's slopped so I would have to dig it out to make it an even space.
Do you like that faux flagstone patio? Here is the to create one yourself.
I laid the block for the little patio and using a edging shovel, I dug around the blocks.
Once the grass was removed, I tamped the soil down to make sure I had a hard, even surface.
I added crushed stone to the area and tamped that down.
Then I added a paver base and tamped that down.
I checked to make sure everything was level after each step.
I laid the block on top of the stone and checked again to make sure it was level. You can see that I had to dig down a bit.
And here is the fire pit.
I found some decorative stone in another garden so I added some along the edges.
Who doesn't love making smores?
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Comments
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Really? These questions that have nothing to do with this tip
of pavers and repainting a fire pit.
A round flower bed with a chimney, and a brick driveway?
Great Idea, no have the other's call a paver company for a driveway, or
get rid of your round flower bed around a chimney.
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i did same thing for my charcoal grill to stand on. Such a saver for surrounding area(s). Keeps ashes off the grass, and deck. Been about 20 years. Still there working great (same grill too). I keep patching grill as I can’t afford anything else in the style we enjoy. But yummy foods keep coming
Frequently asked questions
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I previously painted my stove (about 2 or 3 years ago) with regular spray paint. Have never used it. Do you think the whole thing will catch on fire if I try to use it now, after all this time? Can I repaint with high temperature paint to prevent or should I not use as a fire pit?
I have a 20 foot diameter of lillies in circle. In center I have a cast iron chimney and there is space to walk around the chimney. It's a job trying to mow in the circle with push mower and looks sloppy and uneven using weed whip. I decided last summer I would try to put pavers down so needed to educate myself on how to do this. Your video gave me insight to my project. Now, what to do with the square corners in round circle. Could set a pot of flowers in each corner but then it still leaves the work of trimming around each flower pot.
I have been unsuccessful making a two lane (old time) car parking area. The bricks move and turn up on edge when wet and I drive on.. What kind of tire lanes could I build that would remain stable.