techo-bloc RAFFINATO User manual

RAFFINATO
FIRE PIT
INSTALLATION GUIDE
AND OWNER’S MANUAL

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
COMPONENTS .................................................3
OVERALL DIMENSIONS........................................ 4
POSITIONING REFERENCE PER LAYER ..........................5
FOUNDATION PREPARATION
PAVER SURFACE OR CONCRETE SLAB..........................................5
COMPACTED GRAVEL BASE....................................................5
INSTALLATION OF BLOCKS .................................... 6
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ...............................7
WARRANTY .................................................. 8

3
GENERAL INFORMATION
PLEASE SAVE THIS OWNER’S MANUAL FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
Check with your municipality for regulations on the installation and use of outdoor
fire pits. We also recommend that you contact your home insurance company and
advise them of the acquisition of your new Techo-Bloc fire pit.
IMPORTANT
This fire pit is for OUTDOOR USE ONLY. NEVER build a fire pit for use in a house,
warehouse, gazebo, garage, or any other indoor setting.
Check with your municipality for minimum clearance distances. Make sure that there
is nothing directly above the fire pit area that can be a potential fire and/or injury
hazard (e.g. tree branches, awnings, patio umbrellas, electrical wires, transformers,
cantilevered roof structures, etc.).
When selecting the location of your fire pit, make sure that it is located at least 20
feet away from any structure or building.
IF YOU WISH TO CONVERT THIS INTO A GAS FIRE PIT, A GAS OR PROPANE INSERT
& WIRING WILL BE REQUIRED. CONSULT YOUR LOCAL FIRE PLACE STORE TO
PURCHASE THE INSERT & TO HIRE A CERTIFIED FIRE FEATURE TECHNICIAN FOR
INSTALLATION.
COMPONENTS
A. Raffinato 90 mm
corner block (with
colour accent)
(x10)
B. Raffinato
180 mm corner
block
(x20)
C. Cap unit (with
colour accent)
(x8)
D. Steel insert
(x1)

4
TOP ELEVATION
ELEVATION A
ELEVATION B
OVERALL DIMENSIONS
Below are the overall dimensions of the fire pit. The height shown is the total height
(including buried portion). Unless installed directly on a paver surface or concrete slab,
the fire pit should be buried about 2" or 3" below finished grade.

5
POSITIONING REFERENCE PER LAYER
FOUNDATION PREPARATION
PAVER SURFACE OR CONCRETE SLAB
If you are building the fire pit on an existing paver surface or concrete slab, drill through
the pavement to provide a 2" diameter drain hole at the lowest point. This will allow the
rainwater to infiltrate into the ground. Fill the drain hole with clean stone. Go to step
“Installation of Blocks”.
COMPACTED GRAVEL BASE
Mark out the area of the fire pit and excavate to accommodate 6" of well compacted,
dense-graded aggregate base, a 1" layer of sand setting bed, and about 2" or 3" of fire pit
wall that will be buried below ground. The aggregate base should extend at least 6"on
all the sides of the fire pit walls.
It is recommended that a geotextile be laid on the top of the soil surface and up the
sides of the excavated area.
Place and uniformly compact the aggregate base. The aggregate base should be
compacted, for best results, using a vibratory plate compactor, or hand tamper.
Spread 1” concrete sand setting bed and level using two 1" diameter pipes and a straight
edge (such as a 2"×4"). Keep in mind that the 1" setting bed will be reduced to 5⁄8" once
the wall blocks will be set into the sand setting bed with a mallet.
NOTE: if the fire pit is being installed along with a paver installation, the aggregate
base course and setting bed of pavers can be extended to be used for the fire pit
installation.

6
INSTALLATION OF BLOCKS
LAYER 1
Place the first course of blocks as shown on the drawing. Verify that no gaps are left
at the outer face of the blocks. Once the first course has been aligned, use a soft-head
mallet to set the blocks into the sand setting bed. Make sure that the blocks are leveled
from front to back, side to side, and from block to block.
LAYER 2 TO 3
Install the next courses as shown on the drawings and using the steel insert as a
template for each layer. Use a heat resistant concrete adhesive to glue every course to
the blocks beneath it. All units should be dry and dust free before applying adhesives.
Any alignment adjustments should be done quickly as the adhesive will set up in a short
amount of time and the block will set in place.
LAYER 2
LAYER 3
LAYER 1

7
LAYER 4
LAYER 4
Dry lay the cap units and place the steel insert in the center of the opening. Make sure
that the insert flange rests evenly on top of the cap units and that the cap units overhang
the fire pit wall in a uniform way.
Take out the steel insert and lift up each cap unit individually leaving the others in place
to act as a guide. Apply adhesive to glue every cap unit to the blocks beneath it. Put
back the steel insert with the flange resting on top of the cap units.
Fill the inside of the pit with 3⁄4" (20 mm) clean stone to a depth of 4" (100 mm). This
will allow the filtration of any water that may evacuate through the walls of the fire pit
following a rainstorm.
Do not light a fire for at least 48 hours to allow any adhesive to cure properly and for
potentially flammable fumes to dissipate.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
• The fire pit is not designed for large fires. Use only a small amount of dry and clean
hardwood for burning.
• Allow the fire to burn out on its own unless it is an emergency case. Extinguishing
an active fire with water or any other liquid may cause the metal components of
the accessory kit to warp and will encourage the formation of rust.
• Do not burn charcoals, leaves, trash, paper, cardboard, and softwoods such as pine,
cedar and plywood.
• Do not use lighter fluid, gasoline, or other fire accelerants to start or maintain fires.
• Never touch the steel insert and flange while a fire is lit. The steel insert and flange
will become extremely and burn the skin on contact. Wear fire resistant gloves
when maintaining the fire.
• The fire pit area must always be clear and free from any combustible materials such
as gasoline, propane tanks and/or any other flammable vapors and/or liquids.
• Always have a fire extinguisher or garden hose nearby for any potential emergency.
• Avoid using the fire pit in windy conditions.
• At each use, before starting a fire, remove all accumulation of ashes, wood and
debris from the fire bowl and inspect the overall fire pit and accessories to ensure
that it is in safe operational condition.

8
CANADA 5255, Albert-Millichamp street, St-Hubert, Québec J3Y 8Z8
USA 852 Pennsylvania ave, Pen Argyl, PA 18072
Toll free: 1-877-832-4625 | Fax : [phone] | www.techo-bloc.com
REDEFINING LANDSCAPE PRODUCTS
• Children and pets should NEVER be left unsupervised when the fire pit is in use.
We highly recommend that good fire safety measures are practiced and that you
and your guests maintain a minimum distance of 3 feet away from the fire pit to
avoid potential injury.
• Do not sit, lean on or stand on the fire pit wall.
• Ensure that the fire pit area is always clear of toys, clothing, etc.
• Do not use the fire pit for cooking purposes.
• Never leave an active fire unattended.
• It is recommended to replace the clean stone at the bottom of the fire pit annually
to maintain proper water filtration.
WARRANTY
For warranty details and exclusions on TECHO-BLOC PRODUCTS, please visit our
website at: https://www.techo-bloc.com/contact-us/about-us/