Since moving into our new home, Jeff and I have been trying to find new ways to get outside, especially as we only have a few more weeks where it’ll be warm enough to do so. We recently bought a projector and moved our adirondack chairs to the backyard so that we could watch a movie or a game outside. But for years, we’ve been looking into building a firepit that we’d use ALL the time for backyard fires, roasting s’mores, griling hotdogs, etc..
Just a few weeks ago, Swenson Granite Works, a family-owned business that has been around since 1883, reached out to partner on a DIY firepit project. They’re a granite quarrier and natural stone supplier with nine locations in New England. At first, I was a bit hesitant… unsure if we’d be able to build this ourselves. But after taking a look at the install instructions, and of course, a few photos on their website of the firepit once complete, I knew it would take little convincing to get Jeff on board for the project.
To start, Jeff and I scoped out our backyard to see where the firepit would fit best. We ended up choosing a spot right near our outdoor patio so that if we had friends over, we could all easily spill over onto the lawn where the firepit was located. Plus, with the right placement of our adirondack chairs, we could kick back and relax with perfect viewing of the wall where we project our movies and sports games.
Once the weekend arrived, Jeff made his way to Swenson Granite Works (there’s a location right near our home in Hanover, MA) and picked up the kit, which included all of the pre-cut granite blocks and a cast iron ring with a tilt back cooking grate. We have an SUV, so he was able to pick up all the granite in one trip — but did want to note that it hit his car’s weight capacity. I recommend either doing several trips if you live close enough OR better yet, just get the product delivered. Once the materials were dropped off at home, Jeff swung by our local hardware store and picked up the crushed stone needed as well.
From there, start-to-finish, it took roughly an hour and a half, from measuring and excavating the area, filling in the stone, leveling out the pit area, placing the granite blocks in their proper place, and filling in the perimeter with stones for a more polished look. And then from there (you’ll need two people), we placed the grate into its designated slot.
All-in-all, it was super easy and quick and much more manageable than we had initially thought for this project.
A few hours later when at the grocery store, we picked up some firewood + wine, and enjoyed the last day of summer outside in our backyard!
To order your own kit, Swenson Granite Works locations are based all throughout New England (MA, CT, NH, ME)!
For my CT friends + family, the closest location is in Newtown, CT.
And for my Boston friends + family, the closest location is in Hanover, MA.
Thank you Swenson Granite Works for providing the complimentary product for this partnership. All opinions are my own.