We went with gravel too, but honestly, edging is key. Without it, you'll constantly be raking gravel back into place after heavy rain or even just regular foot traffic. We used wide, flat stones set flush with the grass line—looks clean and makes mowing around it way easier. One thing I wonder though... has anyone considered drainage underneath? Gravel alone might not always cut it if your yard tends to get soggy.
"One thing I wonder though... has anyone considered drainage underneath? Gravel alone might not always cut it if your yard tends to get soggy."
That's a really good point about drainage. Gravel can help, but if your yard is naturally damp or has poor drainage, you might still end up with puddles or muddy spots underneath. Have you thought about adding a layer of landscape fabric or maybe even a perforated drain pipe beneath the gravel? I've seen that work pretty well in some setups, especially if your fire pit area is on lower ground. Curious if anyone else has tried something similar and how it's held up over time.
We had a similar issue when we built ours last summer. Gravel alone definitely wasn't enough—ended up with a muddy mess after every rain. We ended up digging down a bit deeper and laying in some perforated drain pipe wrapped in landscape fabric, then covered it back up with gravel. Honestly, it's been night and day since then... no more soggy feet or standing water. Might seem like overkill at first, but trust me, it's worth the extra effort.
We're getting ready to put a fire pit in our backyard soon, and now you've got me second-guessing my original plan. I was thinking gravel would be enough too, but the muddy mess you described sounds like exactly what I'd like to avoid. I'm curious though—did you have any trouble with the landscape fabric clogging over time? I read somewhere that it can sometimes trap dirt and lose effectiveness after a while. Also wondering how deep you ended up digging for the drain pipe... I'm all for extra effort if it means dry feet and less cleanup, but I want to make sure I'm not digging halfway to China here, haha. Thanks for sharing your experience—definitely helpful as we plan ours!
I had a similar experience when I built our fire pit about three years ago. Gravel alone seemed fine at first, but after one rainy season, it was a muddy disaster. Ended up pulling everything apart and installing landscape fabric underneath. Honestly, I was skeptical about the fabric too—heard the same stuff about dirt clogging it up—but surprisingly it hasn't been an issue yet. Maybe it's because I put down a thicker layer of gravel on top, or maybe I've just been lucky.
As for the drain pipe, I dug mine about 18 inches deep and ran it out to a lower spot in the yard. Felt like overkill at the time (my back sure thought so), but now I'm glad I did. Haven't had standing water since, even after heavy rains. You probably don't need to go deeper than that unless your yard has serious drainage issues...no point digging halfway to China if you don't have to, haha.
Anyway, just my two cents from personal experience—your mileage may vary. Good luck with your project!
