My concrete block fire pit is a serious pit. I designed it for performance. I can do everything with this pit from enjoying a simple evening fire to using it as a big outdoor cook station. I wanted a fire pit that could do whatever I needed it to do. Those needs vary.
Concrete blocks are great. They’re cheap and versatile. I’ve made a concrete block raised bed garden before, and plenty of people have also used them for fire pits.
There are plenty of fire pit options available. You can buy the Solo Stove fire pit that many people like or you can just assemble some rocks in a circle. That has worked for centuries. I wanted something more.
I have cooked over a Solo Stove and over a fire in a ring of rocks. Both can be done, but I wanted a better blend between a fire pit and an outdoor cook station. I wanted options.
Not finding any fire pit close to what I wanted on the commercial market, I decided to design my own fire pit. One big, modular concrete block fire pit.
Concrete blocks are like Legos for men. They come in different shapes and sizes and can be stacked in various ways for many different projects beyond basic building construction. Given that they are rugged and fire proof, they are an obvious choice to build a custom fire pit.
Do they have their downsides? Of course. Everything does.
Pros and Cons of Concrete Block Fire Pits
Pros
- Concrete blocks are versatile. They come in different sizes. You can stack them in countless different ways.
- You can add or remove bocks to change the layout of your fire pit at any time.
- Construction is fast and cheap.
- Blocks and bricks can often be salvaged. Your fire pit could be entirely free.
Cons
- Concrete blocks are heavy. This may not be an issue for some, but for people with physical limitations or anyone with a small car who needs to transport the blocks, it could be a challenge (lumberyards often deliver for free).
- This fire pit is modular, but it’s not portable. Unlike a portable pit, you’re not going to pack your concrete blocks up and reassemble them at a campsite.
- Concrete blocks are known to crack around a fire.
My Design
The last con, concrete cracking around fire, was my biggest concern in building a concrete block fire pit. I believe my design gets around this, however. My pit is big enough that the fire doesn’t have to rest up against the blocks, reducing the chances the blocks will overheat. If a block does crack, it’s not a big deal or expense to simply swap it out for a new one.
I designed this fire pit for work. My design is for dry stacking concrete blocks. That means stacking…