DIY Fire-pit & Patio

Our very first home project we decided to tackle was to create a patio area and fire-pit, and level a portion of our backyard. The first step was to measure and mark off the area where we wanted to create the fire-pit. We used, Inverted Marking Paint which can be found at any hardware store, to decide on the dimensions of the space.

Probably the most important step after determining the area for the fire-pit is to call 811 before you begin to dig. Once you call and schedule a time, it takes about a week for all utility companies to stop by to mark off and flag the areas where there are buried lines. It is recommended that you give at least two feet allowance from any buried lines, so we modified the layout of our patio based on that.

The previous homeowner had a fire-pit, but because our yard is sloped so it made it difficult to sit around it. We wanted to create a leveled area that would be comfortable to sit around a larger firepit.

The first weekend of digging was tough! We quickly discovered that the ground is more compact because we live in the western part of the state, and it makes digging that much harder. After digging by hand for what seemed like forever; we decided to rent a mini-excavator. Renting the mini-excavator saved our backs and was significantly faster. It definitely felt like a small victory when we finally completed all the digging and the area was level!! Now on to the fun part, laying the pavers.

Before laying the pavers, we dug a trench around the perimeter to help with any potential drainage issues. We used drainage rocks and a drainage pipe around the perimeter. Once that we all complete we were ready to start with the first layer of retaining wall stones. It was important to make sure every stone was completely level before moving on to the next.

Moving right along we were able to complete the retaining wall fairly quickly. We laid out the weed barrier and paver sand before adding the patio stones. Our landscape rake helped level and evenly spread the sand throughout the patio area. This was for sure Oliver's favorite part. I think he thought we made him a large sandbox to play in, all he wanted to do was run and roll around in it! I'm sure he would've preferred keeping it as a sandbox instead of a fire-pit patio.

We added paver sand and swept it across the surface, after all the patio stones were laid and leveled. Finally, finished!!! When we initially started this project, I don't think either Stephen or I realized how much labor would be involved in this landscaping project. Once we finally completed the project we were definitely ready to sit back and just enjoy our yard! Creating a relaxing space was what we wanted, and it was worth all the hard work.