In this second of a three-part series, I’ll describe how I transformed our backyard dining and entertainment area from this…
To this…
This post is dedicated to how I replaced the bar-height barbeque into a coffee-table-height fire pit. Please see my other posts about the pavilion and kitchen.
Our home came complete with a bar-height barbeque island covered by a shady pergola. Unfortunately, time and weather were not kind to either one. The builder did not use outdoor deck screws on all the 2×2 shade boards, so they rusted and stained the patio beneath. And the barbeque was literally falling apart with huge cracks between the cinder blocks. Something had to be done.
From kitchen to lounge area
My son was thrilled to take a sledgehammer to our old outdoor kitchen. Given that it was falling apart, I was too. The previous owner ran a gas line and power under the concrete patio so I had everything I needed to make a great fire pit.
Like many of my more complex projects, I started this one with drawings to work through the various components, the process, and to avoid any surprises…
The patio slopes away from the retaining wall to a couple storm drains, which complicated the masonry required to make a level fire pit. So I started by forming a short wall to fill with concrete to level it up. Melamine is a great break-away form material so that’s what I made the frame out of, which I anchored to the patio and across a few of the spans to keep it from moving during the pour.
With a level base, I then added a row of blocks, which provided a shelf for some cement board to prevent heat from damaging the electrical beneath. The cinder blocks were then filled with concrete.
I then stacked a row of cinder blocks on top, being careful to leave room for the gas line, shut-off valve, and electrical elements. I used waterproof conduit to shield the power lines going to two outlets beneath the counter and inserted the outlet boxes inside two of the hollow cinderblocks.
Above this lay sheets of cement board. Above this layer I cut holes through two of the cinder blocks to provide needed ventilation beneath the fire pan.
I wrapped this entire structure using the same pine tongue and groove boards that are on the pavilion ceiling and coated it with the same clear satin water-based Varathane Spar Urethane.
I added LED string lights around the perimeter of the based, tucked up under the counter, which creates a nice glow at night. These are connected to a dimmer on the main control panel.
With the base complete, I mounted cement boards that provide the base for the concrete counter. For the countertop form, I used Z-Forms from Concrete Solutions. This is an amazing product because they leave a two-inch thick edge even though the rest of the counter is only 1-5/8″. Simply screw them into the perimeter of the base, fill it with concrete and break it away, leaving a smooth face.
I used Surecrete Procast for it’s extreme durability. With a 9-inch overhang that welcomes people to sit on, I had to be sure it was bulletproof. This stuff has tiny fibers running through it to prevent cracks. I also used basalt rebar and fiberglass mesh to prevent cracks. I tinted the Surecrete with their gray tint and sealed it with their XS-327 two-part sealer in satin for a luxurious finish.
I left a 1-inch shelf of cement board around the inside of the pit that provides a shelf to lay the pan. For that, I bought a sheet of 18-gauge stainless steel and cut it to an exact fit. I purchased the race track 2-ring burner and gas lines from RoyalFirePits.com, then filled it with broken glass from Amazon. Incidentally, the glass is pretty expensive, so we filled the bottom layer with cheaper lava rock first, also from Amazon.
I couldn’t find a standard control panel that served our needs, so I made one. I bought a piece of steel at Lowe’s and cut it to size, then drilled holes for the components. The igniter and key came from RoyalFirePits.com while the dimmer came from Lowe’s.
We love sitting around the fire with friends. The counter is the same height as our couches, which makes it perfect for kicking our feet up, eating and drinking. And the counter is deep enough that our dog doesn’t wag is tail into the flames.
And the ceiling fan above spreads the heat from the fire out to those sitting around it, making the whole space nice and cozy.
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