I have noticed that one of the most common search terms I see is "how to build an outdoor fireplace?"  Well, you have found the answers.  The good news is building an outdoor fireplace is simpler  and safer than building an indoor fireplace.  You don't need to put a hole in your house, install a damper, and if you have a chimney fire, there is no risk of your house burning down.  That being said, you should always consult a professional before you attempt to build a fireplace in your backyard (or any yard).

STEP 1: EXCAVATE AND POUR FOOTINGS.
Once you have decided where to put your outdoor fireplace, the first step is to excavate (DIG) for your footing.  While this is not fun, it is very important that you construct a solid footing because your fireplace will be REALLY HEAVY.
I recommend placing rebar at intervals of 1-2' to increase the strength of your footing, then pouring concrete 8" thick.  Consult your local building codes for the appropriate depth of your footing.

STEP 2: BUILD A BASE AND FIREBOX
Once your concrete footing has cured for 24 hrs or more, you will need to build a level base on which to construct your firebox.  I suggest 4" solid block for this purpose.  Next you will build your firebox to whatever size you have chosen using firebrick and refractory cement from your local masonry supply.  It is important that you keep all surfaces of your firebox level, plumb and square for it to look correct..

STEP 3: BUILD THE THROAT.
Once you have completed the firebox and allowed the mortar to set, it is time to set your block around it and build the "throat" (where the firebox tapers in to the size of your flue liners).  This involves the difficult technique of "corbeling" (overhanging the brick so they step out at each course).

As you can tell this is really MESSY.  So if are a a neat freak, I wouldn't try this.  I wouldn't even WATCH someone try this.
But here you can see all the components are in place to build the flue and set stone.  You will want to use a steel angle iron to carry the weight of the masonry over the firebox.  Also, place galvanized wall ties in the joints between the block because its way easier than drilling holes and attaching them later.  As you step each row of brick in over the firebox, build masonry above it to counter the weight of the overhang.  Repeat until you have reduced the opening to the size of your flue liner.

STEP 4: BUILD THE FLUE
This is the easy part.  Set your first liner in a bed of mortar, then slide a flue block over it.  Repeat until you reach the desired height.  And keep it plumb.

STEP 5: STONEWORK.
This is the fun part.  By this point you have chosen your stone and the style of stonework.  I recommend building your stone veneer 6-8" thick to accommodate a variety of shapes and sizes.  Set each stone in a bed of mortar, and fill the spaces between and behind the stones with mortar.  Once the mortar dries (1-4 hrs) rake it from the joints and brush it smooth.  Follow the principles of 1 stone over 2 and 2 stones over 1 for best results.  Look for a long stone to be a "lintel" over the firebox, or learn to build an arch (future post).  Or you can put a piece of steel to support the stone.

I hope you have enjoyed this lesson on building an outdoor fireplace, and contact me if you have any questions, or to find a professional near you, visit http://stonefoundation.org/membersusa.html.

Have you ever wanted a stone retaining wall to replace your ugly, rotting railroad tie or pressure treated wall?  Nothing can compare to durability and beauty of natural stone, and when built correctly, stone walls will last a lifetime maintenance free.  I will provide you with the underlying principles to build your own natural stone retaining wall.

This lesson is for informative purposes only.  Please consult a professional before digging up your yard and ordering 100 tons of stone!

STEP 1:  EXCAVATION
The Excavation is the least fun, least glamorous part of building a stone wall, but it is crucial to build your wall on undisturbed soil, preferably below frost line.  And that means digging.
If your site is accessible with equipment, you can rent an excavator to do the heavy lifting for you.  This includes demolition of a failed wall, if necessary, and removing excess soil to create a flat workspace and digging a footing of the appropriate size.

The amount of dirt you will have to remove depends on how much flat area you are trying to create, how steep the hillside is, and the frost line in your particular area.

The above picture shows a properly prepared footing.  In this instance, we were unable to use equipment, and the excavation took 3 men more than 2 full days to complete.  Our footing is filled with 3/4" washed gravel and about 18" wide and 4" deep to accommodate a wall 3' tall.  Taller walls will require exponentially wider bases, and walls built with larger stones will also require a wider base.  For example, if your deepest stone is 3' deep, you would dig a 3' wide footing to be able to accommodate this stone and any stones up to that size.

STEP 2:  FOOTING STONES
Once your footing is prepared, you will need to select appropriate footing stones.  A good footing stone is first of all, large.  You will want to use your largest stones on the bottom course for the stability they provide.  In addition, this is a good opportunity to utilize stones that have irregularities on one side by placing those down in the gravel, which will shift around as you level the stones.  It is important that you footing stones are as level as possible in both directions.  Once you are satisfied with the placement of you footing stones, you can check them for stability by standing on them .  There should be little to no movement.

STEP 3: STONE PLACEMENT
There are 3 basic rules to stone placement in a drystone structure.  If you can follow these principles, your wall won't fall down.

1.Length in.
This sounds simple enough right?  Use the stone with the longest side going into the wall.  However, there is a great temptation with novices to "trace" stones (to use the longest side facing out), but this creates areas of instability and is to be avoided whenever possible.

2. 1 stone over 2, 2 stones over 1.
Again this is a simple concept, but the rule is often ignored by both beginning and experienced masons.  Another way of putting it is to always cover the seam between two stones with another stone.  This helps to distribute weight and force evenly throughout the wall.

3. Level.
This rule might be the most difficult one because because no matter how they might appear, stones are never perfect. A small lump here and a little bump there can cause your drystone wall to be crooked and unstable.  The challenge is to use the stones in a way that the irregularities will complement each other instead of compounding to form a problem spot.  You should try to keep the stones as close to level in both directions as possible.

STEP 4:  BACKFILLING/HEARTING
This is one of the most neglected techniques in wall building because of the the simple fact that it is not visible once the wall is completed.  After you place each stone or course of stones, you should fill the spaces between, behind, and below the stones with "hearting"  (chips of stone or gravel).  The pieces should be as large as you can fit in the space, and if it fits in your mouth, it is too small.  The problem with using small (1/4-3/4") gravel behind the wall is that it will migrate to the face of the wall, spill out, and make your wall look bad.  It could also compromise the structure of the wall by creating voids.

STEP 5:  CAPPING/COPING
This is the most important step, visually speaking, because the top of the wall is the only part of the wall where you see the whole length of the stone.  Stone selection and fitting is paramount.  I suggest you set aside potential capstones throughout the project to make capping easy and fun.  A common mistake is to use all the best stones first, so that when it comes time to cap all thats left is the stones nobody wanted to use.  In my part of America flat capstones are standard, but in the UK vertical coping is the norm.  Either style is fine, just choose which works for you aesthetically.

Besides having the proper stone selection, there are two things that will make capping fun and easy.  The first is to set up your final course of the wall to accept capstones of the size you have on hand.  This sounds easy, but it takes some planning to achieve.
The second is ALWAYS USE A STRING!  No matter how many walls I build, my eye is never as accurate as a simple string line.

I hope you have enjoyed this lesson, and if you have any questions about wall building, feel free to contact me, or to find a stonemason in your area, please consult the Stone Foundation's online directory: http://stonefoundation.org/membersusa.html