Fire Pit in Sheepleville

[Jeepnut22]

Tried searching, no dice...

So, I live in suburbia outside of Washington D.C. and my back yard faces one of our neighborhood's community areas. Mostly woods behind us with a small walking path that goes by.

Thinking about putting in a small fire pit in the backyard. Something small enough not to catch the attention of the HOA, but big enough to have a small fire in the back yard to hang out at with the wife and kids. Smores, Hot Dogs and just watchin' into the night...

Thinking about sod'ing out a 3' diameter area, about 6" deep. Lining it with stones or those garden border scalloped thingies or something similar. Anyone else do this? Got any pics or suggestions or any other kids of advice/statements?

TIA!! :thumbup:

 

[Fonly]

Yeah, making an attracive set-up is the key, many people enjoy a nice setting and wont bother you, thats what I do, a brass square shaped gig with cast rion legs, has a nice pantina now and very rustic looking.

Keep it simple but nice looking and you shouldnt have any problems.

 

[Bob W]

Thinking about sod'ing out a 3' diameter area, about 6" deep.

The depth seems fine. But if you're trying to remain inconspicuous the diameter could be much smaller. The perfect size, slightly smaller than a circular BBQ grill grate.

 

[kgd]

I agree with Fonly. Use of those fire trays you purchase - they are a round basin in brass or painted metal. They have a domed shape grate that you can place overtop if you need to, like when the wood starts sparking. They tend to be very acceptable in neighborhoods that have fire codes. For example, our local firecode specifies that a backyard fire is acceptable if it can be contained in such a basin and enclosed by a metal grate. Keep it attractive and your fire small and you shouldn't have problem. Try not to load up wood that throws a lot of sparks.

Also, try not to have AC/DC blaring from a crappy portable stereo while wearing a white t-shirt with a cigarette pack rolled up in your sleeves while gratituously swearing and pondering out loud where you can get more money to replenish your drug stash---- oh wait that is my neighbhors from my last house. I can deal with the AC/DC if they actually played it on a decent stereo

 

[Fonly]

Also, try not to have AC/DC blaring from a crappy portable stereo while wearing a white t-shirt with a cigarette pack rolled up in your sleeves while gratituously swearing and pondering out loud where you can get more money to replenish your drug stash---- oh wait that is my neighbhors from my last house. I can deal with the AC/DC if they actually played it on a decent stereo

Or the smell of dope airating, that gets annoying.

Another thing I forgot was the actual laws for the fire, where I am I need a permit and the pit has to be 10ft from cumbustable materials(ex. sheds, wood, decks)

 

[akabu]

http://www.walmart.com/search/searc...fire+pit&Find.x=19&Find.y=6&Find=Find&ic=48_0

 

[m. wohlwend]

Native rocks gathered up in a circle... with the crew gathered around!

 

[shecky]

HOA? Homeowners association? If you voluntarily live in such a place, I'm not sure you've earned the right to legitimately call anyone "sheeple". I hate those places with a passion.

 

[myright]

I live in a neighborhood also and we sometimes gather around my buddy's fire pit and noone has ever said anything. He's got one of those raised basin fire pits with the top. I like it a lot because we can move it around depending on where we are hanging out.

 

[Diomedes Industries]

I used retention bricks from Home depot. Buried one deep and built a reflector with the rest - looked great.

TF

 

[Jeepnut22]

HOA? Homeowners association? If you voluntarily live in such a place, I'm not sure you've earned the right to legitimately call anyone "sheeple". I hate those places with a passion.

I hear ya, but sometimes schools and affordability force one into situations less than perfect.

Charlieridge, this is EXACTLY what I was thinking about...

Great suggestions everyone... Keep 'em coming if you have any!

 

[Jeepnut22]

I agree with Fonly. Use of those fire trays you purchase - they are a round basin in brass or painted metal. They have a domed shape grate that you can place overtop if you need to, like when the wood starts sparking. They tend to be very acceptable in neighborhoods that have fire codes. For example, our local firecode specifies that a backyard fire is acceptable if it can be contained in such a basin and enclosed by a metal grate. Keep it attractive and your fire small and you shouldn't have problem. Try not to load up wood that throws a lot of sparks.

Great points. Maybe I will look into one of those trays. May modify one so that it is as close to the ground as possible.

Also, try not to have AC/DC blaring from a crappy portable stereo while wearing a white t-shirt with a cigarette pack rolled up in your sleeves while gratituously swearing and pondering out loud where you can get more money to replenish your drug stash---- oh wait that is my neighbhors from my last house. I can deal with the AC/DC if they actually played it on a decent stereo

Nope, not gonna happen. Point is to step away from all that stuff... Talk... Listen to the wood burn... Etc.. :thumbup:

 

[j williams]

I agree with Fonly. Use of those fire trays you purchase - they are a round basin in brass or painted metal. They have a domed shape grate that you can place overtop if you need to, like when the wood starts sparking. They tend to be very acceptable in neighborhoods that have fire codes. For example, our local firecode specifies that a backyard fire is acceptable if it can be contained in such a basin and enclosed by a metal grate. Keep it attractive and your fire small and you shouldn't have problem. Try not to load up wood that throws a lot of sparks.

Also, try not to have AC/DC blaring from a crappy portable stereo while wearing a white t-shirt with a cigarette pack rolled up in your sleeves while gratituously swearing and pondering out loud where you can get more money to replenish your drug stash---- oh wait that is my neighbhors from my last house. I can deal with the AC/DC if they actually played it on a decent stereo

Or the smell of dope airating, that gets annoying.

Another thing I forgot was the actual laws for the fire, where I am I need a permit and the pit has to be 10ft from cumbustable materials(ex. sheds, wood, decks)

Man, Canada sounds rough!!!!

 

[OldPhysics]

Woof -- remember, we live in Virginia, buddy.

In addition to all the local governmental institutions, make sure your HOA or Homeowner's Association doesn't have some rule about this.

For those who don't live in Virginia -- it's just not worth bucking your local HOA. Their crazy sets of rules and regulations always seem to stand up in local courts.

No place is perfect.

 

[kgd]

When times get a little too good, people get so bored that they start dreaming up ways of making laws that decrease personal freedoms so as to box the entire world into their own narrow point of view. Anti-dog by-laws, anti-weed by-laws, my mother in-law even moved to a place that had a color by-law. Yes the whole damn sub-division was three shades of brown, even McDonals had brown arches (this was in Minnesota).

As a side note - for those interested in Frank Herbert, the author of Dune, he had a series of books about this agency called the BuSab. It was the Bureau of Sabbotage, whose mandate was to stifle the beaurocracy and the over-maturing of governments through planned kaotic actions. This was the only way to maximize human creativity using an intermediate disturbance type program - very similar to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis of ecology for maximizing biological diversity.

 

[Swampdog]

I use a fire ring that I bought at Tractor Supply down here in Florida, it is 3 feet in diameter and about 24 inches deep. It is basically made of corrugated metal pipe. I dug a hole about one foot deep, the same size as the ring and then placed the ring over the hole. I plan to surround the fire ring with rocks (short supply down here). Campfires are legal in our area as long as we use it for cooking. Just use common sense and don't build too big of a fire that could draw the attention of your local fire department or police. Pay attention to wind direction if the smoke could cause complaints from neighbors. Have a fire safe time!

 

[kris79usa]

I'm kinda in the same position as you Jeepnut, minus the HOA. I've got an old charcoal grill I'm probably going to cut the legs off, bury till it's level and throw some rocks around it. Probably be easy to pick up and dump the ashes from if you don't pack the soil around it too tightly, then you could just drop it back in.

 

[inspecto]

for those that live in HOA type my condolences. by the way your garage door has been open too long!!!

 

[m. wohlwend]

I'm kinda in the same position as you Jeepnut, minus the HOA. I've got an old charcoal grill I'm probably going to cut the legs off, bury till it's level and throw some rocks around it. Probably be easy to pick up and dump the ashes from if you don't pack the soil around it too tightly, then you could just drop it back in.

This also works when you are camping out. Contains your fire, but still gives the feeling of a campfire. You simply replace the dirt you dug up when you are done.

 

[Fonly]

Man, Canada sounds rough!!!!

You think thats rough, we have a train crossing the blocks the entrance to the hispitol, not lieing at all. Might I add that its block at LEAST once a day.