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The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

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Swansong said:
Thanks! The Breeo has a built-in pedestal, so that's taken care of. I'd definitely plan to get the big metal lid. I'm not super concerned with moving it (it weighs about twice the Solo versions), but even at 50 pounds it doesn't seem completely unrealistic.

I was considering the mid-sized option, which is approximately the Solo Bonfire at 19". I was sort of warned off the larger sizes as they really burn through a lot of wood. I also live in a city on a relatively small lot, so good to hear about proximity to the house.

Does yours give off much radiant heat? I'd heard mixed reviews.
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I thought moving it was fine and then messed up my arm after moving it (basically because it is a bit awkward given the size). The smaller one may be easier to move.

I do not think they burn that much wood, but my baseline was larger fires in pits. They burn efficiently so you have to add it more frequently, but I think as a whole, you use similar amounts of wood, since less is in the pit at a time.

Lateral radiant heat, not so much. Vertical radiant heat, yes. So if you are sitting on the side, you generally have to sit relatively close if it is cold out. Standing up near the pit, it can get quite warm. We had a tree go down in the winter, a 40 or so foot pine. We burnt all the brush in our pit and it only melted snow about 2 feet around, despite having a fire in it for 8+ hours and burning a lot of stuff.
 
I was looking into Breeos but it turns out the wife bought a solo stove as an early birthday/anniversary present. So, solo stove it is! It is the middle one, the bonfire.
 
Swansong said:
Nice! how do you like it?
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I wish we had the Yukon, but I didn't say that. It is nice. Like mentioned earlier, you've gotta be pretty close to it to feel much heat. If I'm standing a foot or two away I can definitely feel it on my chest and head, not much anywhere else. It is for entertaining in an urban experiment, though, so this is probably by design. I was a little worried about lights we have crisscrossing our patio, but it never got anywhere near hot enough up there to damage those. I'll still keep an eye on it though, as there was a little wind and it was 30 degrees. With this size I'd definitely agree that it doesn't use more wood, as you can't put all that much in at once. Overall I'm happy with it so far. I still wish we had the Yukon a bit, but again if anyone tries to tell my wife I said that, I'll deny it.
 
ha, thanks! I got the Breeo x24, which I think is 22ish inches? I think it's larger than the Solo Bonfire but not as big as the Yukon.

I'm hoping to open it up this weekend and do a test fire with some friends. My dad offered some of his cord wood (he barely uses his fireplace anymore so has lots extra), I just need to get around to going to pick it up and bringing it home.
 
What's best under a fire ring/pit: sand, gravel, pebbles (large or small)?

Californians need not respond.
 
burd said:
What's best under a fire ring/pit: sand, gravel, pebbles (large or small)?

Californians need not respond.
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Sand on the bottom and then top with lava rock or small gravel. Dirt even works honestly if you aren't concerned too much about looks. This is based off what I have seen personally and from a few different websites.
 
dxmnkd316 said:
Portable or fixed....?
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Fixed. I have a steel rim 12 inches high with 2" wide rim around the top so it can rest on a brick surround (also 12" high). I have trapezoidal bricks for that. Just wondering what to use inside the ring at bottom of the "pit" (and also under the bricks).
 
burd said:
Fixed. I have a steel rim 12 inches high with 2" wide rim around the top so it can rest on a brick surround (also 12" high). I have trapezoidal bricks for that. Just wondering what to use inside the ring at bottom of the "pit" (and also under the bricks).
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Basically what walrus said then.

I would recommend pea gravel with sand. Kind of like how you'd do a paver. You want some drainage.

but I've seen perfectly cromulent fire pits that were literally just dropped top top of grass or dug into the dirt a couple inches. It really depends what you want to do. If you're talking landscaped pavers around it or poured concrete patio, go the extra mile. But if you're talking a simple backyard setup with no dreams of making someone ooh and ahhh, dirt is what we were planning to do.

my neighbor did one of the most amazing DIY fire pits I've ever seen. Looks like a castle turret built into the hill because our backyards were so sloped. I can't remember exactly what he did, but Im pretty sure I remember he had a hole in the center so it wasn't on bricks.
 
dxmnkd316 said:
Basically what walrus said then.

I would recommend pea gravel with sand. Kind of like how you'd do a paver. You want some drainage.

but I've seen perfectly cromulent fire pits that were literally just dropped top top of grass or dug into the dirt a couple inches. It really depends what you want to do. If you're talking landscaped pavers around it or poured concrete patio, go the extra mile. But if you're talking a simple backyard setup with no dreams of making someone ooh and ahhh, dirt is what we were planning to do.

my neighbor did one of the most amazing DIY fire pits I've ever seen. Looks like a castle turret built into the hill because our backyards were so sloped. I can't remember exactly what he did, but Im pretty sure I remember he had a hole in the center so it wasn't on bricks.
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thx, dx
 
My only comment on backyard fire pits is you might as well have a trash barrel burning back there.
 
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