There's just something about hearing the crackling and watching the orange and yellow flames of an open fire dance against the background of Mother Nature's elements.

In a more primitive setting, the best part of a camping trip is the campfire, with or without s'mores and baked potatoes, although food is always a plus in my book. Fire affords a relaxing touch that soothes and calms as well as a physical warmth.

Not new in the realm of patio and deck planning are fireplaces, freestanding fire pits and other units that give off heat and create a cozy focal point to an outdoor setting in all seasons.

For a more permanent and do-it-yourself-friendly solution, manufacturers have come up with kits and separate components for the very easy construction of a dry laid stone fire ring that is more substantial than the freestanding units.

Back in the day when I was just a kid with a stick and marshmallow in hand, a ring of rocks found in the woods around our campsite and a few logs were all we needed. Neater in appearance and more solid in construction, a fire pit lined with a steel ring can bring that feeling home in a more user-friendly way just a few steps out the back door in a patio layout.

Sherm Guyer, vice president of Castlerock Landscape and Lighting, 605 Otsu Road, Willow Street, said the base will be 4 to 6 inches of crushed 2A modified stone like any other patio base.

"The best thing to do is lay out the first course and mark it three inches bigger than the actual size. This gives you the shape and size of the pit," he said. Continue to fill the excavated area with stone, tamping it with a hand tamper every 2 inches.

The dry laid stone circles are made up of slightly tapered rectangles measuring 8 inches deep and 5 inches high. When 18 of them are placed side by side, they curve to make a circle, John McGrann, vice president of Penn Stone, 190 W. Ross St, said.

Guyer suggests setting the metal ring in the center of the tamped stone area. Re-lay the first course around the ring, being sure to level each block, front to back and side to side. "That base course is the most important part of the installation," he said.

The ring is sized to be about 2 inches in diameter smaller than the first two courses of block, so don't expect the block to hug the ring. That space allows room for river sand, Guyer said, which will give the heat someplace to dissipate and hold the ring in place.

If the fire pit is being installed into a patio, it will sit on the same stone base as the patio pavers or other material, so it will appear to about an inch or so below grade.

Once the stone base, first course and ring are in place, place the second layer atop the first using the remaining 18 blocks, staggering the blocks so that each straddles a joint of the first course.

While it's not required, gluing the blocks into place is suggested, according to Guyer. After it's evident that the blocks fit properly, remove two or three at a time, and use concrete adhesive to secure the blocks in place. Run two ¼-inch beads of adhesive, one about 2 inches from the inside edge of the blocks and the other on the outside edge of the blocks. Continue around the course until all the top blocks have been stuck to the blocks below.

The top course will have a 1-inch reveal on the outside and a 1-inch overhang on the inside. "Because they are a chiseled product on the face, it's not an exact science. The overhang might vary as will the reveal," Guyer said. Temporarily lay the cap course in place to check for fit.

Before you glue that cap course in place, though, fill the space between the block and the steel ring with river sand. The cap course blocks are 10 inches deep, so they overhang the lower block by an inch in the front and the back.

"My personal opinion is to place one inch of river sand in the bottom of the pit to insulate the bottom and make the cleanup of ashes easier," Guyer said. "It provides a base."

McGrann said Penn Stone sells two colors of natural limestone in their fire pit kits. Blue River stone is a grayish-blue color; Cedar Ridge is warmer beige-gray. Deciding which variety of stone is a personal preference and is often selected based on neighboring stone or natural elements on the property.

The natural stone fire pit kit is around $1,000 for the 36-inch model, and slightly higher for the 48-inch kit, according to McGrann.

Manmade stones, known as nursery stones, also can be used to make a fire pit. By using retaining wall block, the price is often less and the color selections are more varied.

Components for the manmade variety of fire pit, McGrann said, will cost around $250 for nursery block and another $200 for the steel ring.

"Ideally, a fire pit is worked into a patio," McGrann Said, "but if it isn't, it would be nice to at least edge it with a couple inches of decorative stone or mulch."

Guyer said that if there is a retaining wall on the property, a custom fire pit can be fabricated to match the existing wall.

OTHER FIRE OPTIONS

Other natural flame decorative or functional structures or furnishings intended for outdoor patio use include the upper-end, more professional fireplace that can be purchased in kit form then faced with decorative stone or brick, as well as free-standing fire pits and chimeneas that afford a place to build a fire for heat, cooking or atmosphere.

Always remember that whenever fire is involved, think safety. Just like we were all taught as kids back in the old days, consider what's around, below and above the fire before lighting it.

E-mail: rmcroberts@lnpnews.com