Backyard Remodel - DIY Fire Pit & More Deck Finishing

Hope everyone got a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather we had last week! We've been work on a lot of different projects this week which we will share later but first we wanted to share our DIY Fire Pit. We actually did this last weekend but it was so hot and humid we got a little sick from being out all day in it and took the rest of the weekend off. 

One of the first projects we ever did when we bought our house was a backyard fire pit. We found some tutorials online, bought some cheaper stones and then did a full metal insert to sit on top. It's one of our favorite things to have in the back because it's so useful during backyard clean up. But more importantly it gives us a place to relax and unwind with friends and families. We've definitely had our fair share of good times around the fire pit and it was a must when we decided to redo the backyard. 

After weeks looking at different stones and designs we stumbled on a DIY kit at Lowe's for $200. It seemed a little too good to be true so we ran up to take a look at it and we were sold. The color of the stones was perfect and it came with a metal, fire resistant ring - not an insert that could melt through which really does happen - right Davis? :) 

Unfortunately it wouldn't fit in the Escape, so we had to wait a bit (boo!) until we could borrow Sara's Dad's truck. We didn't have to wait too long because they headed out to Jackson Hole for a week so we picked up Callie and the truck and headed to Lowe's. Luckily they picked it up with a forklift and all we had to do was help guide them in.

It fit perfectly

Then we brought it home and crashed so we could wake up early and get started before it go too hot. Since our new deck comes out close to where our old fire pit was, we needed to move it farther away and we had the perfect spot. We used to have this beautiful snow ball bush surrounded by daffodils that bloomed every spring and summer until 2 years ago when we had the major extremes in weather during the summer and winter. 

The first thing we had to do was dig up all the bulbs for the daffodils so we wouldn't have anything trying to bloom in the middle of the pit. 

Nice place to start

 We had no idea we had over 60 bulbs to dig up...it took a bit longer than expected but we got them all up.

That's a lot of bulbs

 Then Brian got out the hoe to break up and level out the area.

Hoe'in it up

 Next we brought out the metal ring from the kit to mark the are we wanted to use.

This is the easiest part

 Next, put down a bag of sand mixture to hep level and help form the base.

Not an exact science

Now's the fun part. It's time to set the first layer of stones. Our kit came with 36 stones so we had 12 stones for each layer. Just set them into place in a circle and then work on fitting them together tightly. You'll need to make sure that all the stones are level, so get a 4' level and lay it across 2 stones and make any adjustments needed to get it as level as you can. That will help you have a solid base and make it easier for the rest of the project. We dug with our hands and used a rubber mallet to help level the stones.

Digging out some sand to level the stones 

First layer is level

Once the first layer is level, it's time to start setting the second layer by placing the stones in an of- setting pattern Use the level again to make sure everything is set and use the mallet to secure the stones in place. Some people glue the stones together but we didn't feel it was necessary.

Leveling the second layer

Then it's time for the last layer, and you will follow the same steps. We then took the rake and settled the rest of the ground around the pit. Some people put gravel or stones around the pit but we wanted more grass and we have a little digger so grass was the best choice for us.

Leveling out the ground

 Next, set in the metal ring...

Final touch

And you're done. It's an easy project that you can get done in an hour or so, depending on how much prep work needed.

Yeah, it's done!

 We added some sod to finish it off.

We love sod

Once the fire pit was in we started working on some of the finishing pieces of the deck. We wanted to stain some of the wood that was exposed to match. After an hour or so at Home Depot we finally took a chance on one of the colors.

I love painting when you don't have to worry about making a mess and staining an outside deck is probably the best way to messy paint. I was a little nervous that I picked out the wrong color but once I started painting I was so glad we went with the darker stain.

Putting on the first layer

 He used a weather proofing semi-transparent stain because it helps seal the wood.Here's a picture of what we used:

Stonehedge was the color we tinted it with

First layer - not too bad, but still needs more

It recommends 2 coats but after the first one I wasn't sure how many we would need to get it done. But after starting on the second coat, it was perfect. Take a look:

Second coat up

It matches so well that when I was doing the stairs and had a few drips, you couldn't even tell! I love the uniformity of the color.

We also wanted to start closing up the bottom of the deck. We both aren't big fans of lattice but we needed something to close off. We decided to space out the decking boards for the base. We framed it like we did the top of the deck:

Framing it up 

Once we got the first boards attached we spaced the other ones an inch down. Once the sides were up it really started coming together.

Almost done

Another view

We still need to get hinges to create a gate on the end near the house and we will cover the spaces near the stairs with either some bushes or planters, but we're getting there! And you can really see how close the stain looks with the composite up.

The pups seemed to like it

We have been really busy this weekend with a new building project that we will share as soon as we get everything completed. But here's a sneak peek into what we're making...

He's already loving it

 We'll keep you posted on our progress! Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

XOXO,

Sara, Brian, Tequila & Callie

Callie's favorite seat in the house