Fireplace Kit Upgrades & Options

How to Customize Your Outdoor Fireplace

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Jake demonstrates how to turn an ordinary fireplace build into an extraordinary backyard destination using the Cornerstone System’s modular add-ons. This walkthrough covers the technical layout for centering wood boxes to the firebox, the structural benefits of “open-back” wood storage, and tips for orientation, allowing you to slide, mirror, or pivot your seat walls to fit your specific patio layout.

Transform your Barrington or See-Through fireplace into a “Deluxe Estate” centerpiece. By adding modular wood boxes and seat walls, you expand the architectural footprint of your outdoor living area, providing essential dry fuel storage and permanent social seating for guests. These components follow the same stack-and-glue logic of our main kits, making customization an accessible weekend project.

Project Duration: Half Day

Project Difficulty: Beginner

You Will Need:

  • Wood Box Kit: Includes tumbled blocks and heavy-duty capstones.
  • Seat Wall & Pier Kit: Includes tumbled blocks and oversized pier caps.
  • 4ft Level with Plumb Vial: For centering add-ons to the firebox and ensuring level caps.
  • Standard Caulking Gun & Adhesive: Included with every kit.
  • Dead Blow Hammer: For tight block alignment.

Video Timeline

Timestamp

Step

Description

0:38

Wood Box Layout

Centering the wood box blocks perfectly to the edge of the firebox.

1:35

The First Course

Setting the foundational row for a balanced wood storage wing.

4:00

Support Block Alignment

Special considerations for sliding support blocks to create a flush ledge.

4:29

Pallet Stains

Why temporary tanning from wood pallets is harmless and washes away.

5:10

Setting the Cap

Using a buddy to safely set the heavy capstone onto the ledge blocks.

6:08

The Open-Back Logic

Why avoiding a back wall makes for more storage and easier cleaning.

9:37

Install Your Seat Wall

Transitioning from the wood box to the permanent social seating.

9:51

Centering Tip

Using the "three-block method" to center walls without a tape measure.

10:52

Placement Options

How to orient seat walls and piers to fit your specific patio layout.

15:41

Hiding Chipped Blocks

Turning imperfections toward the interior "void" of the pier columns.

Pro Tip:

The Three-Block Centering Trick: To perfectly center your seat wall to the side of a wood box without a tape measure, use three blocks as a temporary jig. Lay them side-by-side against the wood box—once they are flush at both ends, remove the outer two blocks. The remaining center block is your perfect starting point for a perfectly balanced wall.

Building the Deluxe Estate Look

Once you have conquered the main fireplace build, adding wood boxes and seat walls is a “cakewalk.” These upgrades use the same tumbled masonry blocks and high-strength adhesive, ensuring your entire outdoor suite has a cohesive, professional aesthetic.

Engineered Wood Storage: The Open-Back Advantage

Cornerstone wood boxes are intentionally designed without a back wall. Jake explains the three primary benefits of this engineering choice:

  • Increased Volume: You get more storage depth under the heavy capstone.

  • Moisture Management: Since rain will blow in regardless, the open design allows for better airflow to keep wood dry.

  • Critter-Free Cleaning: Without a back wall to trap leaves and debris, you can easily use a leaf blower to clear out spiders, snakes, or frogs that might try to nest in the off-season.

Versatile Seat Walls & Columns

The seat wall and pier kits are the ultimate “social” upgrade.

  • Custom Orientation: While the video shows a centered layout, the modular nature of the blocks allows you to slide the walls back or push the columns forward to suit your home’s architecture.

  • The “Finger Trick” for Symmetry: When setting your 100lb+ pier caps, use your fingers to feel the overhang on all four sides. This manual check ensures the cap is perfectly symmetrical without needing to pull a tape measure.

  • Hiding Tumbled Edges: Tumbled blocks can occasionally have a corner that is “more tumbled” than desired. Jake shows how to simply flip these blocks toward the interior of the pier column, keeping your best-looking faces on the outside of the build.

Further Reading:

Ready for the Deluxe Upgrade?

Customize your outdoor paradise with these planning resources:

  • Fireplace Instructions: Browse the full library of technical guides for every model here.

  • Dimensions & Plans: Get exact footprints for wood boxes and seat wall extensions here.

  • DIY Fireplace Kits: See how different upgrades look on our Barrington and Estate models here.

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