We sometimes get questions like “Should I put sand in the bottom of my fire pit?” or “what is the purpose of using sand in my metal fire pit?” If you’re wondering about sand and your fire pit as well, then you came to the right place because this post is for you. So, some wood burning fire pit manufacturers recommend putting a layer of sand in the bottom of your metal fire pit. The reason is simple;
A layer of sand in your wood burning fire pit bowl is supposed to protect the metal from extreme heat. The way this works is that sand will absorb and distribute the heat evenly throughout the entire base of the fire pit as opposed to just concentrating it in one place, which would eventually lead to the metal burning through. Sand therefore acts as an insulator against extreme heat as well as a heat dispersion medium.
However, I personally would not use sand in my fire pit for the reasons below;
- Sand is good at retaining moisture so it is even likely to make your fire pit bowl to corrode further and much faster when exposed to moisture.
- Some metal fire pits come with holes for drainage as well as for air circulation so sand would clog them thereby hindering their purpose.
If your fire pit doesn’t have drainage holes and you don’t plan to expose your fire pit to moisture then using use sand in your fire pit should be just fine.
It is worth mentioning that sand cannot be used as a filler option in the fire pit. For that, crushed lava rocks, pea gravel or fire glass for gas fire pits .
If your fire pit’s assembly instructions recommend putting sand at the bottom of the fire pit, then perhaps its best to do so. However, you should know that sand won’t do much in the way of protecting your fire pit from rusting if you don’t do your part in properly taking care of your fire pit. One of the things you can do is to not leave your metal fire pit outside exposed to natures elements. Also, you should ensure your fire pit is always covered with a protective fire pit cover when it’s not in use. Regularly spray your fire pit with rust resistant high temperature spray. These measures will prevent your fire pit from rusting and deteriorating in both looks and functionality. Doing this will ensure your fire pit does not wear off prematurely, otherwise all that sand in your fire pit will be useless!
