How to equip a campfire site in the country

Making a fireplace out of brick or stone

You can equip a campfire site with bricks in different ways. There are simple and cheap ones, but which can quickly fall apart. There are more complex ones to manufacture, but they will serve for several years for sure. For the construction of a hearth for a fire, you can use an ordinary corpulent red brick, but it will not "live" for long. Such material can be used for country or garden hearths for one or two seasons.

If you need to do it quickly, you can.

According to the rules

For permanently decorated recreation areas, you will need to look for fireclay bricks. You will already choose the sizes yourself, but it is easier to lay out the smaller ones, even though it takes longer. But even for the largest fire pit, only four to five dozen bricks are needed, so masonry will not take so much time.

Fireclay brick is not a cheap pleasure, so when laying a hearth, usually the inside of the hearth is laid out of fireclay, which is in direct contact with the flame. The outer part can be lined with ordinary brick or stone.

One example of a small fire in the country

If you are already broke on fireclay bricks, then put it on fireclay mortar - it is sold in the form of powder in bags. Water is added to the composition, stirred. After a while, the solution is ready for use. After you fold the hearth, you will have to wait 5-7 days for the solution to dry out. Then you load the hearth with firewood in full and warm it up for a couple of hours. This is necessary so that the mortar and brick are sintered into a single whole, and for this the temperature must be high. So do not feel sorry for firewood here. But fireclay solution is used only for laying the inner part of the hearth - where the temperatures are highest. The outer row is placed on a cement-sand mortar. Fireclay is unacceptable here - it will not have enough temperature and it will simply crumble.

Ordinary brick can be laid on clay or cement mortar. In some cases, you can do without mortar at all - by filling the voids between the bricks with compacted rubble, sand or soil.

Simple and fast

It takes just a few hours to set up a campfire site. You only need a few flat granite stones or pebbles, rubble. They spread the bottom of the fire pit. You can also lay a brick at the bottom, and fill the gaps with rubble. To erect the walls of the hearth for a fire, you will need a dozen two or three bricks. That's all.

Such a hearth for a fire can be made of bricks in a few hours.

The procedure for arranging a fireplace is as follows:

1. We mark a circle on the ground.
2. We remove the sod and remove the soil to a depth that is equal to the length of the brick and the thickness of the base. The brick installed on the poke should at least slightly rise above the ground level - then the hearth will not flood or blow out.
3. We align and compact the bottom.
4. We lay out bricks or stones, tap them well with a mallet (or just with our feet).
5. We fill the gaps with rubble, which we also press well into the ground.
6. Along the circumference we expose "sticking" bricks. They stand on one side close to one another, and on the other side small gaps are formed. They are filled with previously excavated soil (if it is not clay or loam), sand or fine gravel.

Option with laying a row of bricks around the perimeter

That's all, actually. A simple brick fire pit is ready. It is not a fact that after a good rain, it will remain in its normal form, but it requires little time and money.

Reliable construction of a round brick fire pit

In order for a brick fireplace to serve for a long time, its walls must stand on a solid foundation. A reinforced concrete belt is usually poured on a crushed stone pillow. It is made in a circle, the thickness is not less than the thickness of the walls, the height is 10-15 cm. For greater strength, a reinforcing ring from a rod with a diameter of 12-14 mm is placed approximately in the middle of the height.

Arrangement of a round brick fire pit

The inner part of the hearth is lined with fireclay bricks, the outer part is ordinary, hollow, laid with bandaging of the seams (with an offset of half a brick). Fireclay brick is placed on clay or fireclay mortar, ordinary brick - on a cement-sand mixture.

Such a brick fire pit requires more materials and time to set up, but it will last for more than one year. And so that it is not flooded with precipitation and foliage, you can cover the fire pit with a shield. In this form, by the way, it can be used as a table.

A simpler option

In exactly the same way, a square or rectangular brick hearth is built. Technologists are unchanged, the only difference is in the form.

Options for arranging an open hearth

Diagram of a buried type fireplace.

The choice of a place for a fireplace should be approached very carefully. This structure is stationary, it cannot be quickly moved to a new location. It is also necessary to take into account the level of storm and flood waters. If you install a hearth in a lowland, then most of the time it can stand in puddles. After each rain, such a product will have to be cleaned of dirt and debris. It is best to choose a small hill.

There are no strict rules regarding the shape of the fire pit. This is a matter of taste for everyone.

You can make this structure with the following configuration:

• round;
• oval;
• polygonal;
• rectangular;
• square;
• triangular.

The size is chosen arbitrarily. The minimum size should be at least 50 cm. Otherwise, it will be difficult to put anything in the fireplace. But you should not make a combustion chamber more than 100 cm. It can be difficult to place skewers when cooking over a fire.

According to the method of placement on the ground, the fireplace can be above ground or buried.

Do-it-yourself fireplace in the country

It is not as difficult as it might seem, even a beginner can handle this task. You can generally go the simplest way and make a hearth from an iron barrel. This work will take you one day, and you will be able to use the fireplace the next evening. You will need a bayonet shovel, hammer, trowel, a container for mixing mortar, stone or brick, cement, sand, gravel, water

Important: do not deepen the hearth into the ground too much, so that the fire burns normally afterwards, it needs a flow of air!

Fireplace in the country, photo:

Stages of work on arranging a campfire site

• The surface of the soil is leveled and carefully compacted. Very often for this it is necessary to remove a layer of earth (about 30 cm).
• A recess is dug in the ground, according to the size and shape of the barrel.
• The top and bottom of the barrel are cut off (to make a metal ring), after which it is installed in a prepared pit.
• Crushed stone, pebbles or gravel are poured at the bottom, about 20 cm in a layer.
• The distance between the sides of the barrel and the edges of the pit is also covered with rubble.
• Concrete can be poured on top of the rubble, and the earth around can be laid out with decorative stone, pebbles or paving slabs.

If such a fireplace is located on a small elevation, then the protruding part can be beautifully overlaid with refractory bricks. In this case, you can use a standard cement mortar or purchase a ready-made kiln mixture for laying bricks or stones from the construction department.

A brick fireplace is arranged according to a similar pattern:

• The place is being prepared: the top layer of soil (about 20-30 cm) is removed, the entire working area is compacted.
• A pit is being dug, the depth of which is 50-60 cm.
• The sides of the pit are laid out with bricks, they are laid vertically. For a tighter shrinkage, do not forget to tap each brick with a hammer.
• At the bottom of the recess, gravel or crushed stone of a coarse fraction is poured, about a 20 cm layer.
• The gaps between the bricks can be filled with refractory clay (chamotte).
• The framing of the fire pit can be lined with similar bricks or other suitable material.

As for the design of the site near the fire pit, this is done not only for beauty, comfort and prevention of erosion of the ground by rains. A spark or ember can fly out of the fire in order to prevent accidental ignition, it will be better if the place near the hearth is protected by tiles or stones.

A stone fireplace is made according to the same principle as a brick fireplace, only materials are replaced and "norms" are observed: compaction of the earth, the depth of the pit, refractory mixtures for masonry, crushed stone pillow on the bottom, the presence of a blind area.

Furniture or benches should be placed at least one meter from the fire source. Concrete blocks can also be used as a building material, they are very convenient to work with, quickly fit, serve for a long time, are durable and look quite appropriate in this structure. Granite cobblestone is also an excellent solution for a summer cottage, and the platform laid out by it will look solid, expensive and stylish.

If desired, a removable grate can be installed on such a hearth, on which it will be convenient to put a cauldron or lay skewers with barbecue. You can also optionally order a large fireplace cover to keep rain or snow out of the way. There are a lot of options for building a campfire site, ranging from practical, budgetary modifications to complex, expensive design solutions.

Whichever camp site you choose in the country, it must first of all be safe, then it will bring only positive emotions to you and your loved ones.

Adding an article to a new collection

You can create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort on the site with the help of a hearth, which is easy to do with your own hands. It will certainly become a key element of the recreation area, combining such qualities as decorativeness and practicality.

You can look at the fire endlessly. It warms, soothes, creates a good mood. That is why, when leaving the city, we will definitely arrange picnics around the fire or light up the brazier to cook meat "with a smoke."

You may be surprised, but making a designer hearth yourself is much easier than it seems. Why not make the fireplace the main element of the recreation area? Benches can be placed around it so that on summer evenings the whole family can warm up by the fire, fry slices of bread and enjoy the crackling of logs in a self-made hearth. Imagine a picture? Then - get to work!

Design options

According to their main design features, campfires in summer cottages are divided into 3 types:

• open;
  Did you know? There are about 8 types according to the method of making fires (these are only the main ones). In addition, there are several other less popular types of fires.

• in-depth;
• closed.

To decorate a garden plot, we advise you to read about how to make a decorative waterfall, alpine slide, mixborder, rockery, dry stream, fountain, gabions, paths made of wood and concrete cuts, as well as a flower garden made of wheel tires and stones.

Manufacturers offer owners all kinds of models of portable hearths made at factories, some of which even run on gas. It is very difficult to imagine a nature lover who lays a gas pipeline through his section and then sits in front of a humming gas burner, but they still exist.

But the overwhelming majority of summer residents prefer the bewitching fire of a live fire and fragrant smoke from oak or birch coals.Many of them build wonderful fireplaces with their own hands. Fortunately, this is not so tricky business.

Did you know? Matches were invented by Jean Chancel in 1805, and 18 years later, chemist Johann Debereiner invented a lighter.

Aboveground

As a rule, to build an above-ground hearth, a round ten-centimeter depression of a meter diameter is dug in the ground and, after leveling the surface, a metal rim is installed in it. Usually, for this, a not very wide ring is cut out of a metal barrel or an old boiler.

Then a wall is erected around the rim of:

• cinder blocks;
• concrete blocks;
• paving slabs;
• granite cobblestones;
• decorative stones.

The gap between the metal rim and the decorative wall must be filled with sand.

Quite popular is another version of the aboveground fireplace, made of corrugated galvanized iron:

1. To do this, you need to take two sheets of metal, the width of which is the same and corresponds to the height of the planned hearth.
2. The length of the sheets will vary. In the first one, it should be such that it is possible to roll a ring of a meter in diameter from it (plus a few centimeters for the entry of one end of the sheet to the other to fasten them).
3. The second sheet is chosen smaller - it should turn out to be a ring with a diameter of 80 centimeters.
4. Then the smaller ring is inserted into the larger one so that their centers coincide.
5. The resulting space between the rings is filled with sand.

Video: DIY fireplace

In-depth

For this variant of the campfire, you will have to dig a hole:

1. Its diameter is arbitrary and depends on the personal preferences and needs of the owner, but the depth is usually about forty centimeters.
2. A fifteen-centimeter layer of fine gravel is laid at the bottom of the pit.
3. Vertical brickwork is erected along the walls of the pit using clay mortar.
4. A small layer of earth is removed around the edges of the finished fireplace to make a circle with a diameter of 4-5 meters.
5. The resulting circle must be paved with paving slabs.
6. The gap between the paved area and the fireplace should be covered with sand.

We advise you to read about how to properly arrange garden sculptures on the site, how to diversify your garden with your own handicrafts, how to make swans from tires, how to make a ladybug, how to ennoble a stump in the garden.

Variety of options for outdoor hearths

The street hearth, which until recently performed only a utilitarian function, today has become a rather popular element of landscape design.

The unusual design of the courtyard zone with the hearth and the original forms of the fireplace itself can transform any area

The fireplace, which does not attract attention in the daytime, with the onset of dusk becomes a "zone of attraction" - a center around which the whole family gathers with pleasure. To make the rest even more comfortable and pleasant, a playground with comfortable stationary seats and garden furniture is arranged around the fireplace.

The shape of the outdoor hearth can be any, suitable for the general style of the house. But from the point of view of ease of maintenance and access, most often the hearths are given a round shape.

An excellent technique for creating a picturesque place with a fireplace in the courtyard of the house will be the original covering of the site itself

The area around the fire can be paved with tiles, covered with gravel, or laid out with stones. The choice of materials and design methods is determined only by the style of the site.

One of the most convenient and interesting ways of zoning a site, when the site with a fireplace is located lower in relation to the adjacent areas of the yard

It is not at all difficult to equip a cozy multi-level area on the site. You just need to remove the soil layer and level the surface.

Recessed hearths, which are located below the level of the site itself around the fireplace, look no less impressive.

Recessed fireplaces are suitable for any yard with a variety of styles. The only requirement for arranging a fireplace is not to deepen the hearth too much, since the natural combustion process can only be supported by the flow of fresh air. To ensure the necessary air circulation, firewood in a recessed hearth is folded in a hut, leaving wide gaps between them and retreating a sufficient distance from the walls.

And in order not to have to carry firewood in your hands, you can make a convenient carrier for firewood. More about this:

We propose to consider a couple of options for arranging a fireplace, which, in addition to direct functional significance, will act as a spectacular element of landscape design. A hand-made outdoor hearth will become a source of pride for its owner and a favorite vacation spot for the whole family on cool evenings.

Equipment of the area around the fire

Making a hearth is only half the battle; it is also necessary to make a site according to the rules, and equip it with everything you need for a comfortable rest. For this:

• Throw the surface of the earth next to the fireplace with gravel, pebbles, or lay out paving slabs. Slabs of all kinds look very peculiar, with which they lay out a beautiful pattern.
• Garden furniture is installed on these slabs and thus creates a comfortable place in the natural environment. They install a circular bench or sofa near the fire, but it will be useful to equip the roof. The bench is decorated with pillows and decorative rugs.
• If brick or stones remain from the construction of the fire bowl, then lay out a supporting wall, which will replace the back for the bench.
• Not far from the site, they equip a woodshed so as not to go far for firewood. To maintain the overall style, it is decorated like a fireplace.
• From the cottage to the site with a fire, a path is made, the sides of which are supplied with lanterns. In the evening twilight, their light will bring romance.
• In most summer cottages, a fire pit is made in the form of a sun with rays emanating from it. A fireplace in the shape of a moon crater or designed like a fireplace looks great and entertaining. Garden figures are also installed on the site.

Arrangement of the hearth

The center of the resulting area is intended for live fire. Arrangement of the place for the flame begins with it.

1. Dig a hole up to half a meter deep. The larger the diameter of the future hearth, the deeper the fireplace should be installed.
2. The sides of the recess are sealed with refractory bricks, and the bottom is sprinkled with large rubble.
3. Stones, paving slabs or refractory bricks are placed on the prepared soil around the hearth.
4. A little to the side, they prepare a place for firewood, brushwood, coal.

Do not forget about fire-fighting devices and devices. Keep a bucket of sand and a poker near the fireplace, if the place for an open fire turned out to be large, get a fire extinguisher.

One of the most economical ways to set up a fire zone in a suburban area is to use an old metal barrel as a primitive hearth. To do this, prepare the site as indicated above. The bottom of a metal barrel is cut off and installed in the allocated place. Gravel is poured inside (the layer thickness is at least 10 cm). The space between the outer walls of the barrel and the inner boundaries of the pit is also filled with gravel.

If a deep-type fireplace is chosen, a bevel is made around the barrel to the inside of the hearth. The backfill material is gravel or pebbles. After that, the bevels are densely poured with concrete.

If the barrel serves as the basis for creating an open-type hearth, its outer walls are lined with refractory building material and fixed with concrete mortar. The finished hearth looks approximately the same as in the photo below.

Since one of the main functions of a summer cottage is decorative, try to make the place near the fire as comfortable and cozy as possible.As a rule, this territory is given the outline of a circle, therefore, when arranging the site, it is advisable to use outdoor furniture and decor items of appropriate shapes. For example, in the recreation area, you can install soft semicircular benches.

Place a small table near each seat - after all, the family is going to not only look at the flame, but also to have dinner or drink tea.

If the hearth is made in the shape of a square, do not be lazy to choose the appropriate furniture. Incorporate solid wood chairs with well-defined corners into your burner design.

The pacifying green of living plants will help to emphasize the beauty of the bright flame. Perhaps a well-groomed lawn will serve as a frame for the fire.

If you can't find space for a grass carpet, you can set up a fireplace in a minimalist Japanese design. A few plants, skillfully planted near the hearth, will create the right mood and set the tone for the whole composition.

Don't forget that open fires are also used to prepare delicious dishes - from baked potatoes familiar from childhood to gourmet dishes baked on the grill or barbecue. To surprise guests with aromatic delicacies with a crispy crust, all you need is a refractory dish or grill. And for preparing simple homemade food, which is pleasant to enjoy in a narrow family circle, a pot on a tripod is suitable.

After finishing work, wait until evening and light the first fire in the fireplace. The result will exceed your expectations!

How to make a hearth from blocks

You can collect this option over the weekend. You don't need to be an experienced bricklayer, the main thing is to be careful and do everything in order. You should study well how to make a fireplace in the country with your own hands - instructions and photos of the building will help you understand the process even better:

1. Buy the materials you need. You will need blocks for circular masonry, choose the option to create a ring with a diameter of 90 or 120 cm. Make the mortar for masonry from the ready-made mixture to make it easier. Inside, the structure needs to be closed with a sheet of metal, you can buy a workpiece 2-3 mm thick and bend it on your own, or you can buy a ready-made ring for hearths.
2. Dig a hole 40 cm deep. Make the diameter slightly larger than the future structure. For simplicity, you can make a simple drawing or sketch, but this is not necessary. Pour a 15 cm layer of gravel on the bottom and tamp well. To make it more compact, first pour water over it.
3. Check the plane with a level. Align it if there are distortions. Lay out the bottom row of blocks. If they do not fit well, one or more elements must be cut. The joints should be roughly even around the entire circumference. Fill all voids with a solution, carefully distribute it and remove excess.
4. Lay the second row so that the vertical seams do not overlap. Apply the mortar to the bottom row and to the sides of the blocks. Carefully set, level and check the plane with a level. Lay out 3 or 4 layers, so you can build a place for a fire in the country with your own hands in a few hours.
5. Put a metal tab inside. Bend it yourself, make an overlap of 10 cm at the joint so that heat and ash do not penetrate under the metal.
6. To better equip the hearth in the yard, it is better to revet it with heat-resistant material. Lay it on the outside and on the top.

Important! Arrangement of the area around the fireplace should be done at your own discretion. Provide everything necessary so that the chairs do not stand on the ground, and the firewood is not scattered about anywhere .. In about the same way, you can make a fireplace with your own hands out of bricks

The step-by-step algorithm is no different, except that on the street many summer residents do not make an open hearth, but a closed one. In this case, you need to make a metal cover.

In about the same way, you can make a fireplace with your own hands out of bricks. The step-by-step algorithm is no different, except that on the street many summer residents do not make an open hearth, but a closed one. In this case, you need to make a metal cover.

Recreation area arrangement

Since one of the main functions of a summer cottage is decorative, try to make the place near the fire as comfortable and cozy as possible. As a rule, this territory is given the outline of a circle, therefore, when arranging the site, it is advisable to use outdoor furniture and decor items of appropriate shapes. For example, in the recreation area, you can install soft semicircular benches.

Place a small table near each seat - after all, the family is going to not only look at the flame, but also to have dinner or drink tea.

If the hearth is made in the shape of a square, do not be lazy to choose the appropriate furniture. Incorporate solid wood chairs with well-defined corners into your burner design.

The pacifying green of living plants will help to emphasize the beauty of the bright flame. Perhaps a well-groomed lawn will serve as a frame for the fire.

If you can't find space for a grass carpet, you can set up a fireplace in a minimalist Japanese design. A few plants, skillfully planted near the hearth, will create the right mood and set the tone for the whole composition.

Don't forget that open fires are also used to prepare delicious dishes - from baked potatoes familiar from childhood to gourmet dishes baked on the grill or barbecue. To surprise guests with aromatic delicacies with a crispy crust, all you need is a refractory dish or grill. And for preparing simple homemade food, which is pleasant to enjoy in a narrow family circle, a pot on a tripod is suitable.

After finishing work, wait until evening and light the first fire in the fireplace. The result will exceed your expectations!

How to make a place for a fire in the country with your own hands?

Obviously, everyone who likes to spend time in nature will like to sit next to an open fire in the country.

This mesmerizing performance can attract both adults and children, as it has a hypnotic effect on all living things.

In order for the place of construction of the hearth to be convenient, cozy and safe, it is necessary to observe a number of simple rules.

Basic rules for creating a campfire site

For the correct arrangement of the place of the hearth, where you will enjoy spending time, enjoying the company of people close to you, knowledge of the following rules is required:

It is important to observe the distance of the future hearth of the fire from buildings and plantings - the distance of the hearth from the house and other buildings is recommended at least 8-10 meters, the distance to trees is 5-7 meters, to shrubs 3-5 meters (it is necessary to provide for the cleaning of the roots located in the area of ​​the future hearth ).
It would be nice to provide drainage.
Think about how to shelter the hearth from possible rain, it is great if there is a shelter for seating around it.
The place of choice for the hearth of the fire should be secluded, away from prying eyes and, moreover, be located on a flat surface of the earth (a lowland or hillock is a bad option for choosing).
When choosing the material for the design of the hearth itself, use non-combustible materials, with refractory additives.
Make sure you have a supply of water and tools to extinguish a possible fire in the vicinity of the campfire site.

What to make a hearth from?

What material to choose for making a hearth, what will serve as its basis?

Probably everyone who builds a fire pit racks their brains over this question.

Very often, a used car disc, a washing machine drum, flower pots and gabions are mounted for these purposes.

In the event that your financial capabilities allow, then you can simply purchase an already manufactured factory hearth, choosing it of the required size, shape and material.

This option is also very convenient because it includes everything you need that you need.

You can choose materials from metal (cast iron or other alloys), ceramic, brick, etc.

Such hearths fit well into the design of any garden or home area, they can be equipped with special barbecue grills, covers and protective screens, tongs and other devices for turning coals, meat, vegetables, etc.

In addition, they can be portable and on legs.

The process of making a campfire site?

The most common options for placing a fire can be a site with an above-ground, in-depth or in-depth placement of the hearth.

Let's consider them in more detail below.

Overground placement of the hearth

1. Step 1. Choose the right place, it should be located on a flat area (lowlands and hills are not suitable for this purpose), clean the area from debris and unnecessary items.
2. Step 2. Remove the sod layer on the planned site in order to further refine the area around the hearth (mural tiles or other materials).
3. Step 3. Mark the location of the hearth itself and remove a layer of soil in this place, in order to mark the location of the hearth and maintain the strength of the edge, insert an iron rim into it.
4. Step 4. To ensure the strength of the hearth base, it is necessary to strengthen its walls with bricks, cobblestones or paving slabs using a special solution.
5. Step 5. To avoid the formation of puddles in the hearth after rain, take care of making a metal cover for it.

Deeper placement of the hearth

1. Step 1, 2 and 5 are the same as for the above-ground placement of the hearth.
2. Step 3. Mark the place of the future hearth and dig a small pit 30-40 centimeters deep. Put fine gravel on the bottom of the pit.
3. Step 4. To strengthen the strength of the hearth walls, insert a piece of sheet metal folded into a ring or lay it out in blocks (bricks).

What are the main dimensions of the fire pit?

As for the choice of the immediate dimensions and shape of the hearth, the classic shape of the hearth is a circle, the diameter should not be more than 1 meter, the bottom of the hearth is mounted at a depth of 15 cm.

The foundation is made 30 cm deeper and 5-10 cm wider than the structure, another 30 cm is left for filling the drainage under the walls.