Ditch Concrete & Blocks: Here's A More Creative Way To Build A Firepit

There are few things nicer than sitting outdoors with family and friends around an open fire while sipping on your favorite beverage and eating some delicious, flame-grilled food. A dedicated firepit is a convenient option, and there are a number of ideas for a cozy firepit on a budget you can consider. Concrete and block constructions feature regularly, but building them well demands a level of skill that not everyone has. The results are also likely to be something you've seen before. One creative alternative is to use something as simple as a gabion and a wheel rim.

For those who don't know, gabions are wire cages that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are filled with loose rocks and often used in construction projects as sound barriers or to help stop erosion. They also have residential uses — for example, as an eco-friendly wall for your driveway. Depending on the choice of rock, their appeal can be either rustic or industrial.

Building a firepit with a gabion is relatively easy and very affordable. Several gabion suppliers even offer specific wire cages for the purpose. If you can source rock from a local quarry, which has to follow strict guidelines, you also reduce your impact on the environment. Put your cage in place, fill it with rocks, settle a large steel bowl or a wheel rim on top, and you're good to go. Well, almost.

You can go out and buy a suitable steel firepit bowl, but most start at around a hundred bucks. Hence the wheel rim idea. If you don't have one, you should be able to find one cheaply at a salvage yard. Avoid aluminum rims. They aren't as durable as steel and might warp or even begin to melt in the heat of the fire. If you're unsure, do a magnet test — steel is magnetic, aluminum is not.

Even with a steel rim, you still need to take precautions. Something that's old and rusty likely won't last long outdoors, but if you have a ready supply, that's not a problem. If you pick up a rim that's relatively new, it will probably have a factory coating, and there's a chance it could release toxins when heated. So do a test fire, well away from people, to burn it off. Scrub it clean and take a look. If any of the coating remains, burn it again. This is particularly important if you intend to cook food on the firepit.

Additionally, gabions are a great way to add stone walls that look amazing in your yard. You might also want to surround your firepit with curved gabion seating. Apart from physically moving the rocks, these are quick and easy projects that ought to cost a lot less than concrete or blocks and look absolutely stunning.