"Built mine near a maple tree, seemed fine until fall hit and dry leaves started dropping everywhere."
Yeah, same issue here. I thought I'd picked a great spot—open sky, no branches—but didn't consider wind direction. First breezy evening and sparks were drifting right toward my deck furniture... had to quickly rearrange things. Definitely pays to think about more than just overhead clearance.
Had a similar experience last summer—thought I'd nailed it by keeping trees at a distance, but didn't factor in the slope of my yard. First heavy rain, and suddenly my fire pit was a mini pond. Had to dig drainage channels just to fix it. Curious if anyone else overlooked ground conditions when setting theirs up... or am I the only one who got tunnel vision about trees and sparks?
"Had to dig drainage channels just to fix it."
Been there myself—easy oversight. Trees and sparks are important, but ground conditions can catch you off guard. One thing I've learned from experience: always check drainage before you build anything that could collect water. If your yard slopes even slightly, water's gonna find its way down there eventually. What I usually recommend is building up the base first—gravel and sand can help level things out and improve drainage. You might also consider a simple French drain around the pit area if pooling becomes a regular issue. It's not too complicated or expensive, and it saves you from digging emergency trenches when it's already pouring rain (been there, done that...). Anyway, good luck with it—hope your next fireside evening stays dry.
Yeah, drainage is one of those sneaky things that you don't really think about until it's suddenly a problem. Had a similar issue with my patio—thought I'd done everything right until the first big rainstorm turned it into a mini pond. Gravel and sand definitely help, but I ended up adding a small French drain like you mentioned, and it's been a lifesaver ever since. Sounds like you're on the right track though...hang in there, it'll come together!
French drains can definitely help, but honestly, they're not always the best fix. I've seen plenty of cases where people throw in a drain thinking it'll solve everything, only to find out later the real issue was improper grading or compacted soil underneath. Before investing too much into drainage systems, it's worth double-checking your slope and soil compaction—sometimes just tweaking that can save you a lot of hassle (and money) down the road.
