Huge Thanks!

[Xene]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Just in case anyone is curious about the back side of the oven, since I didn't include a picture, I do have this one (sorry the quality could be better) but it does show that I didn't tile the entire dome. I didn't have enough for one thing and the process of attaching each one would have taken me a few days to accomplish. I'm completely satisfied with just the front. I simply stepped back as I worked until I couldn't see any empty areas from the front view to get the look I was after. This back shot shows the seating I have opposite the chef (me!) and how it looks from yet another angle.

I threw in the shot of laying the street brick around the slab too, just for reference in case anyone is interested.

Anyway, I thought these pictures might help anyone looking to recreate this effect should they stumble upon it in the future.

[Dino69]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Damn, I'd be happy just to get some sort of brick and stone on my exterior.

That looks ahhhhhhhhhh-Sum. A job well done. I love it when hard work pays off like that.

David

[SableSprings]

Re: Huge Thanks!

What a beautiful layout and finish on the outdoor kitchen! You certainly built one striking entertainment/cooking area. My only question is "With such a fabulous setup, how could you possibly get those pictures without a hoard of party people in front of the oven?"

Great job. Looking forward to reading about your exploration of "good eats from a stunning, hand-crafted, brick oven".

[Tscarborough]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Yes, unglazed it would be very difficult project. Up in the cold, you may want to consider a cover for the uninhabitable months, A tarp or something.

[Xene]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Worse case scenario, you can grout between them to bring the whole surface into one plane that will diminish the issue of frost heave or what ever you cold people call it.

Us 'cold' people? You meant "Rugged"?

The tiles aren't glazed, so grouting them would be...really awful, I know, I really wanted them sunk in, I considered grouting for a moment, then decided I was tired.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Worse case scenario, you can grout between them to bring the whole surface into one plane that will diminish the issue of frost heave or what ever you cold people call it.

[Les]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Wow, top 3? Thanks! I'm honored.

Pop off?! You had to go and say that? HA - well...okay, maybe a tad nervous for the weather but the stucco was still wet when we applied those, just not wet enough to press them right in, and I tried to apply the slip thick enough that it oozed out of all the edges, then I brushed it down the side of each tile (that was a labor of love, took several hours to apply them all) so that it had the best adherence according to what I had learned over these months of using mortar(s) and what I imagined happened in a freeze and thaw cycle....SO...no, I'm really not too worried. In shaking them to test how well they are on there, I have only pulled off one, I think that's a good sign, the rest would be very hard to remove. <fingers-crossed>

I put you into the top 3 because I didn't want to piss off the other 2 Great work and let us know if it survives your winter.

[Xene]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Beautiful oven. Wish i had those bricks.

Thanks! The bricks came from a recycled brick yard, same place I got the street pavers for the patio and the granite block. Lots of major cities have them, in this case, the fellow had a couple pallets of old mismatched bricks, and a few that weren't enough for an substantial project of any size. He was happy to clean up his yard (I literally scoured the yard for any laying around) and get rid of them and I was thrilled to do this patchwork look. The bricks aren't all the same size or thickness, might drive someone else batty, but it didn't bother me in the slightest.

I had only 32 whole brick done when I finished this fall. Phew, luck only, not an ounce of planning involved.

[Xene]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Xene,

Are you concerned that the leaves may "pop" off due to your weather. I pray that it won't because it is extremely clever and very artsy. In the top 3 of all the domes I have seen.

Wow, top 3? Thanks! I'm honored.

Pop off?! You had to go and say that? HA - well...okay, maybe a tad nervous for the weather but the stucco was still wet when we applied those, just not wet enough to press them right in, and I tried to apply the slip thick enough that it oozed out of all the edges, then I brushed it down the side of each tile (that was a labor of love, took several hours to apply them all) so that it had the best adherence according to what I had learned over these months of using mortar(s) and what I imagined happened in a freeze and thaw cycle....SO...no, I'm really not too worried. In shaking them to test how well they are on there, I have only pulled off one, I think that's a good sign, the rest would be very hard to remove. <fingers-crossed>

[Les]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Xene,

Are you concerned that the leaves may "pop" off due to your weather. I pray that it won't because it is extremely clever and very artsy. In the top 3 of all the domes I have seen.

[Xene]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Really nice, I am glad it worked out for you.

I owe you a personal thank you Tscarborough, you may or may not have put together Abouna was my husband, but your advice and time to help us work out our product needs was very much appreciated. I would never have attempted such a monumental project on my own, probably would have psyched myself out. Instead I bumbled through it knowing if I really hit a snag I had experts like you to talk me through it...so I just pushed onward and look where it got me! I built an oven!! WooHoo!!

Thanks isn't enough and sounds so contrived, but I sincerely mean it.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Really nice, I am glad it worked out for you.

[deejayoh]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Nice work! You have really come up with an original way of finishing the dome. The dome and surrounding area look fantastic.

[Xene]

Re: Huge Thanks!

I'm actually in Iowa, right between Zones 3 and 4, which means our freeze and thaw cycle is some of the most extreme in the nation and our roads show it! My husband and I did some research on stucco products and settled with using a waterproof first coat mixed with fiber for strength, we also added Acryl60 to every layer for flexibility. There are two thin coats over that first, my understanding being that cracks are most likely to form between layers, which is desirable vs. all the way through. The last layer is N type mortar with color added and the Acryl60. Of course we haven't yet made it through a winter, but I'm confident we have done all we could. Check back with me in May! I did also apply 3-inches of ceramic blanket under all that, completely cool to touch even when the dome hits 1200 degrees! WooHoo!

Thanks for all the kudos, means a lot from you all who really understand what it takes to get that far!

Oh- one more cool thing: it only cost $45 to create all those tile, bargain - and we made memories in the process!

[ATK406]

Re: Huge Thanks!

Breathtaking! I originally did not care for the igloo style when I was researching for my build. However, after building my own oven, I have fallen in love with the dome/igloo shape. The igloo style also helps to keep the size of the oven in scale with the rest of the architecture and offers so many opportunities for creative finish designs. Yours is one of the best I have ever seen. The only thing keeping me from finishing my oven with an igloo/stucco style finish is the harsh Michigan winter....apparently that has not stopped you in Utah. BRAVO!