My fire pit project turned into a three week dirt moving job

I wanted a simple stone ring in my yard, but the ground was so uneven I had to move about two tons of soil to get a level base. What I figured was a weekend thing ended up taking me almost a month of evenings after work. Has anyone else had a simple idea blow up into a huge amount of prep work?

4 comments

4 Comments

flores.mark2mo ago

Man that's the story of my life right there. Every single time I think something will be simple, it never is. You start digging and suddenly you're an archaeologist finding old pipes and rocks the size of your head. That level base is going to make all the difference though, so at least the work pays off in the end. I bet that first fire felt amazing after all that.

wade_anderson2mo ago

How much did you hate that dirt by the end? That's the real test of a project. Sounds like you earned that fire pit.

bettymiller2mo ago

See that as a win honestly. All that prep means your fire pit will last for years without sinking or cracking. A solid base is the most important part of any outdoor project.

shane_morgan1mo agoProlific Poster

Did you see that recent video where a guy tested two fire pits side by side, one with a gravel base and one just sitting on dirt? The difference was crazy after a few storms. The one on dirt tilted so bad it looked dangerous. Your setup is gonna be rock solid for years while some other people are out there leveling theirs every spring. That prep work might be a pain now but it saves you from way worse headaches later.