how to make a fire pit with bricks

November 20, 2021 -

Hi! I'm thinking about building a simple fire pit, i'll probably use it once every two weeks during winter, is it categorical to use fire-bricks? What's the dangers/problems with using normal ones? I ask because the first ones are very expensive, thank you.

Top answer

1 of 4

Go with the fire bricks. Use a stacked, circular pattern. When you stand next to it, they make a sort of parabolic heat reflector. It's crazy. Also, when stacking, you can leave gaps for added air-flow.

2 of 4

Refractory bricks are designed to be used in high-heat environments. Regular bricks can have small amounts of moisture present inside them, that if heated, could turn to steam causing the brick to explode. It’s unlikely to happen, but it can and does happen. It’s the same reason you don’t build fires on top of concrete slabs or in a concrete paver fire pit without an insert ring. Personally, I’d spend the few extra bucks to have the peace of mind that a brick isn’t going to pop while my family is gathered around enjoying a fire.

Lowe's

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How to Build a Fire Pit | Lowe's

Make sure the construction adhesive has completely cured before lighting a fire. With the blocks in place, you can start working on the interior of the fire pit. Line the inside of the fire pit walls with clay fire bricks.

Published August 29, 2025

Discussions

Fire Pit Bricks

r/DIY

November 20, 2021

Question: what bricks/stones to use for a backyard fire pit?

Doesn't matter what you use for the bricks. Do the bricks before the gravel. Don't need firebricks on the inside. Id skip the sand too. More on reddit.com

r/DIY

May 26, 2015

Are Fire Bricks Necessary when Building a Fire Pit?

I've had 40 years of fire pits built out of regular bricks. They've never "exploded", or "shattered". They do eventually crack. More on reddit.com

r/DIY

April 24, 2017

Tips on building backyard fire pit

My experience is that on Reddit when you ask questions like this, you get answers that are all over the board and it gets difficult to decide what you REALLY need to do. I wanted a fire pit and ran into the same warnings. Here's what I did. Can't tell you if it's right for you or not. I live where there's no danger of me starting some kind of underground fire ... water tables too high and it rains too much. I picked a place not under any trees I wanted to keep and cleared away the grass. I'm a cheap bastard. I read all the shit about exploding bricks. I went with these. . Dry laid them directly on the ground up to five courses high. Thirteen blocks to a course gave me a 24 inch interior area. I even went up-town hipster and put in a pipe underground to supply air to the fire when ash began to build up. Then I poured a bag of sand over the bottom inside. I've used it for years. Nothings ever exploded. Exactly two bricks have cracked and those two happened on the same night when a large diameter hardwood log was left resting directly on top of those bricks burning all night. I've burned hardwood fires in it for hours involving drinks, cooking meals, roasted-marshmallows, and shooting the shit afterwards... Hours ....and then covered it an let the rest of the fire burn out over night. Never a problem. Now.... I recommend that you don't do what I did 'cause everyone's gonna tell you that it's dangerous. But me? I took all the money I didn't spend and bought a nice bottle of single-malt. Goes good with a nice fire and a woman that loves you. More on reddit.com

r/DIY

October 11, 2019

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