River rock for fire pit (2024)

FAQs

Can you use river rock for a fire pit? ›

Crucially, don't ever use river rocks. There are several reasons why you should never use river rocks for a campfire, with one of the most obvious being that they are often more porous and can contain water. When this water gets hot it creates steam and the rapid expansion can cause the rock to explode.

We typically use ¾” clean crushed limestone for the gravel fire pit patios we build. We recommend crushed limestone around fire pits because of its excellent drainage. Plus, it compacts well, giving a solid base for seating and other heavy items.

okay, you really don't need to do that. With all seriousness though, it is very dangerous to use the actual river rocks! The real ones do, not just can, but do explode and shatter when exposed to constant and high heat.

While attractive for other landscaping uses, basalt is generally not a rock you want in your fire pit. The main reason is because of the possibility of explosion with exposure to high heat due to the water that often accumulates inside.

Not all rocks are suitable for use in a fire pit, so make sure you check the type of stone before using it. Porous or wet stone, such as sandstone or river rocks, may crack or explode when they reach high temperatures. Hard rocks like granite, marble or slate are suitable for use in fire pits.

River rocks can be a convenient mulch option in dry rock gardens and xeriscapes. ✗ Not ideal for high-maintenance gardens which require lots of digging. The rocks will create more work for you. Tip: River rocks retain heat and dry up moisture.

What Do You Put in the Bottom of a Fire Pit? To create a safe, sturdy foundation for a fire pit, we use a gravel paver base. Other common materials used for the bottom of a fire pit are sand, lava stones, dirt, fire glass and concrete slabs.

Putting concrete pavers under your fire pit will protect your grass. If you're using a fire pit on grass, it's important to use a fire pit mat. This will help protect grass from the extreme heat of the fire pit.

Non-flammable material, bricks and mortar,or concrete or rock are best. A clear area away from any structures make sure the area around the fire pit is clear.

Slate is a rock composed of quartz, mica, and chlorite. These minerals do not ignite with increasing temperature, they do not burn, although they do reach a point where they become liquid, they melt.

Can you put river rock in a fireplace? ›

Adding river rock to a fireplace isn't a safe choice, which is why many designers avoid suggesting this to homeowners. Instead, you should choose stone fireplace materials that can safely absorb heat.

They're large and some have a helpful bevel to them, but they're not made for high heat. They will crack and spall over time. If you make a somewhat larger fire pit with the pavers, but then make a lining of one layer of fire bricks on the inside of the pavers, the pavers will last a lot longer.

Fire Pit Safety

Never burn anything without a protective layer of lava rock on the fire pit bottom. If burning wood, place a layer of lava rock at least 4-5 inches deep.

In an outdoor living space, the stones demark the fire and cooking zone, which is often a pit in the ground. Having a circ*mscribed area keeps the campsite clean and safe — free from ash, burnt coals, grease, hot cinders and sharp sticks. Stones hold heat and block the wind. Hot rocks warm food and dry socks.

The texture of River Rocks will often be either smoothed and non-porous or semi-polished and slightly porous. This is attributed to the parent rocks being more or less porous, to begin with.

For gas fires, fill the fire pit with enough lava rock to at least cover the fire ring. Do not use rock or gravel of any kind in place of lava rock; it can potentially explode when heated. There are, however, some special glasses and ceramic “stones” that you can use.