Why You Should Put Sand in the Bottom of Your Fire Pit
Having a fire pit can be such a great way to relax and entertain during warm summer nights, but it’s important to take the proper steps to ensure that your fire pit is set up safely. Adding sand to the bottom of your fire pit is an easy and effective way to maintain its safety and performance. Here’s why you should consider putting sand at the bottom of your fire pit.
The Benefits of Using Sand in Your Fire Pit
Adding sand to the bottom of your fire pit has a lot of benefits. The sand acts as an extra layer of insulation, protecting the steel bowl, fire bricks, or ground below from the intense heat of the fire. This helps to prevent your fire pit from cracking or warping due to extreme temperatures.
The sand also acts as a cushion, helping to absorb shock if you accidentally drop something into the fire pit. Also, it’s much easier to clean out and replace sand than trying to clean the fire pit’s other materials.
Finally, sand helps to disperse heat evenly throughout the fire pit and can even help your fire burn more efficiently. This means that you’ll have a better chance of getting your desired flame size and also have a longer-lasting fire.
How To Choose The Right Kind Of Sand
Choosing the right kind of sand for your fire pit is important. We recommend sticking with standard, uncolored play sand. While most types of sand you can buy at the local hardware store are safe to use, you should make sure the sand doesn’t have anything else added, such as dyes or colorants. The heat from the fire will burn the dye, potentially releasing harmful chemicals into the air.
How to Add Sand to Your Fire Pit
Once you have picked out your desired kind of sand adding it is extremely straightforward: start by spreading about two inches worth of sand across the bottom of your fire pit. Make sure the sand is spread evenly across the bottom and pushed back against the sides for extra insulation. After you’ve done that, all you have to do is start your fire and enjoy!
Tips For Maintaining Sand In Your Fire Pit
To ensure the sand in your fire pit lasts as long as possible, we recommend scooping out as much of the ashes as you can after use. Some of the sand will inevitably come out with the ashes, but you can always add back in a couple of scoops of sand to top it up. This will keep your sand looking clean and fresh for longer.
We also recommend raking and mixing the sand regularly. This will ensure that the heat is evenly dispersed and your fire will burn better.
How Often Should You Replace Sand in Your Fire Pit?
Sand in your fire pit only needs to be replaced if there is more ash than sand or if you’ve lost some of the sand in your fire pit. The length of time either of those takes will depend on how often you use the fire pit and the weather conditions in your area. Generally, you should be able to get a few months to a year out of your sand before it needs replacing.
