Trying to build a simple fire pit area turned into a huge mess last Tuesday

I figured I could just dig a circle and line it with some spare bricks from the old patio. The ground was way harder than I thought, and after about two hours I hit a huge tree root. I tried to cut through it with a hand saw, but that just made a bigger hole and the whole side started to cave in. Now I have a weird, lopsided pit and a pile of dirt in the middle of my lawn. Has anyone else had a project go sideways like this and managed to fix it?

4 comments

4 Comments

miles_hall2mo agoMost Upvoted

Remember my buddy trying to build a deck last summer.

jamie9401mo ago

Oh man, that deck story still cracks me up... @stone.brooke I think he actually got it about 80% done before realizing the measurements were off by like 6 inches on one side. He just left it that way with a weird little step up in the middle. It's like a permanent tripping hazard now, but he swears it adds "character." I remember him saying he'd rather have a wonky deck than start over, so I guess that's the final verdict...

stone.brooke2mo ago

Did it ever actually get finished?

dakota4152mo ago

Honestly that sounds like a win to me. A lopsided fire pit has way more character than a perfect one. Just roll with it and call it rustic.