Actually, I've found that finer gravel can sometimes offer more stability and a smoother surface around fire pits—especially if you have chairs or seating nearby. Larger stones might help airflow marginally, but the difference isn't huge enough to sacrifice comfort and aesthetics, imo. Plus, smaller gravel packs tighter and can reduce debris buildup underneath. Just something to consider if you're aiming for both functionality and a polished look...
Good points on the gravel size—I usually lean toward finer gravel myself. One thing I'd add from experience: make sure you put down a solid weed barrier underneath first. Nothing ruins your nice, smooth gravel area faster than stubborn weeds poking through (trust me, been there...). Also, keep seating at least a couple feet back from the pit edge—safety first, comfort second, aesthetics third. Or maybe aesthetics second, comfort third? Depends who's visiting, I guess...
Definitely agree about the weed barrier—learned that lesson the hard way myself. Curious though, have you thought about drainage at all? Finer gravel looks great, but I've found it can sometimes hold water longer after rain. Maybe mixing in a bit of coarser gravel underneath could help with that? Anyway, sounds like you're on the right track with seating placement...comfort and safety usually go hand-in-hand, right?
Good point about drainage—it's easy to overlook. I've seen finer gravel turn into a mini pond after heavy rain, not exactly cozy around a fire pit... Mixing in some coarse gravel underneath definitely helps, but have you thought about maybe adding a subtle slope too for runoff? Just a thought.
Drainage is definitely key—I learned that the hard way. Last summer, we built a fire pit area with fine gravel, thinking it'd look sleek and modern. First heavy rain turned it into a swampy mess... not exactly inviting. We ended up redoing it with a slight slope and some chunkier gravel underneath, and it's been dry ever since. Subtle slope makes a bigger difference than you'd think.
