Interesting to hear your experience with landscaping blocks. I'm actually in the middle of planning my first fire pit, and I've been going back and forth on this exact issue. Fire-rated bricks seem like the safer bet, but they're definitely pricier. Good to know regular landscaping blocks can hold up if built properly.
One thing I'm curious about though—have you noticed any cracking or discoloration over time? I've read a few horror stories online (probably shouldn't have Googled that late at night...) about moisture trapped inside regular blocks causing them to crack or even explode when heated. Maybe that's just rare or exaggerated, but it did make me pause.
Anyway, I appreciate the common sense reminder. Sometimes I think I overthink these things, but better safe than sorry, right?
I've had a regular landscaping block fire pit for about five years now, and honestly, no explosions or dramatic cracking yet. A couple blocks have minor hairline cracks, but nothing alarming. Discoloration is definitely a thing though—mine have darkened quite a bit around the inner edges. I wonder if climate plays a role here...maybe moisture buildup is worse in wetter areas? Curious if anyone in rainy climates has had more trouble.
"I wonder if climate plays a role here...maybe moisture buildup is worse in wetter areas?"
That's an interesting thought—moisture definitely can affect materials differently. I'm in the Pacific Northwest (rain central, haha), and my fire pit blocks have held up pretty well overall. A bit of discoloration like you mentioned, but nothing major. Maybe drainage or airflow around the pit matters more than just rainfall? Curious if anyone's tried adding gravel or something underneath to help with moisture control...
I've seen gravel used underneath fire pits a few times, and it does seem to help with drainage. But I'm wondering if the type of gravel matters—like would larger stones create better airflow compared to finer gravel? Also, maybe the depth of the gravel layer could be important...too shallow might not drain enough, too deep might trap moisture longer. Has anyone experimented with different gravel sizes or depths to see what's most effective?
"would larger stones create better airflow compared to finer gravel?"
You're on the right track with this thinking. From my experience, larger gravel definitely helps with airflow and drainage. I've found about 3-4 inches deep works well—too deep can indeed trap moisture longer. Good luck with your setup!
