Building a fire pit in your garden or backyard is a great way of creating a comfortable outdoor space. In addition to keeping you all cozy and warm, you can use the fire pit to cook up some hearty barbeques. You can also use it for s’mores, bonfires, and many other things.
A fire pit is a versatile tool. However, there are many factors involved in creating a fire pit, and you need to know the right materials to use in order to make the most out of it. The materials you use in making a fire pit play a key role in how effective the fire pit would be.
Should I put sand in the bottom of my fire pit? Interestingly, sand is one of the best materials to put at the bottom of a fire pit. If you are wondering if you should put sand in your fire pit and why you should do it, then keep reading.
Why Should I Put Sand in My Fire Pit?
There is a very simple reason why you should put sand at the bottom of your fire pit. The sand serves as a protective layer for the bottom of the pit. It helps to protect the metal at the bottom of the bowl. The fire produces extreme heat, which needs to be absorbed, and sand does an impressive job of absorbing the heat.
Desert sand is highly absorbent and can absorb extreme heat. In addition to absorbing the heat, it also helps with the even distribution of the heat across the base of the pit. Without sand in the bowl, the heat generated by the fire will concentrate in a particular place. When the heat is not distributed evenly, it could cause the base metal to deteriorate and burn through.
Sand plays an essential role in the fire pit. It serves as an insulator, as it absorbs extreme heat and helps with the even distribution of the heat across the base of the fire pit. It helps to prevent wear and tear in certain areas of the pit.
As you may already know, there can be no fire without oxygen. As a result, there are different types of fire pits you can build in your garden or backyard. Some fire pits have holes at the bottom, and they provide adequate airflow. Airflow from the top of the fire pit also helps the fire to light up properly.
Even when the fire pit does not hav
e any holes, there would be adequate airflow because of the fire pit’s bowl shape. Some people believe that adding sand to the fire pit would prevent the air from flowing properly. This might have a little effect on the buildup of the fire, which is why some people do not like using sand.
A few people do not use sand in their fire pit because they like using the ashes of the wood fire as a fertilizer. They spread that ash across their garden to enhance the quality of the soil. Hence, using sand in your fire pit might not be a wise idea if you are looking forward to using wood ash to enhance the quality of the soil in your garden. So, it all boils down to what you want and what you want to achieve at the end of the day.
Is Your Fire Pit Designed to Use Sand?
Before you use sand in your fire pit, you need to first figure out if it uses sand. To know if you can use sand, you need to read the manufacturers instructions for your fire pit. Going through the instructions of the manufacturer is important, as every manufacturer usually gives advice or instructions for their product.
For example, some manufacturers will ask you to use at least one or two inches of sand at the bottom layer. Whereas, some manufacturers will ask you not to use sand in the product. Reading the instructions will save you some time and money, as it would help you avoid some potential damages.
However, there are some downsides to using sand at the bottom of a fire pit. One of the downsides is that it retains moisture. Hence, even though sand offers some degree of protection, it can cause corrosion at a high rate at the fire pit’s bottom.
Adding sand to the fire pit could also cause the holes at the bottom to choke out, and this will affect the initial purpose for which the holes were designed.
Other Materials You Can Use In a Fire Pit
Dirt
Dirt is free, heat-resistant, and easy to use. It is one of the best materials to use at the bottom of the fire pit. The major downside with this material is that it can mix with the ash, which means you might not be able to use it on your soil. This mixture can also create a real mess if it gets wet. If you want to use this material, you would need to put some extra time into maintenance.
Lava Rocks
Lava rocks are one of the best materials to use at the bottom of your fire pit, as this material was designed specifically for that purpose. Lava rocks are extremely conducive to heat, and they look awesome as well. They are also safe to use, as you do not have to worry about them exploding, breaking, or cracking. However, they require a high level of maintenance, unless you have a gas fire pit.
Fire Pit Glass
The fire pit glass is a manmade, highly durable material that you can put at the bottom of your fire pit. This material is expensive, and it does not radiate heat like lava rocks. However, it is very beautiful and can make for an amazing light display.
Conclusion
There are a variety of materials that you can use at the bottom of your fire pit. However, sand tends to be the most popular, affordable, and one of the most effective. It is also easier to maintain than other options. Hence, if you are wondering if you can use sand in your fire pit, then the answer is yes. However, you want to make sure your fire pit is designed to work with sand. If the manufacturers advise you to avoid sand, then you should.