Hansen Horno

[dbhansen]

Re: Hansen Horno

Thanks Mike! Here are some pics of the polished concrete shelf that we had a local guy make for us, with some embedded petrified wood. I removed the fireclay from the cantilever (see above) and inserted 1/4" shims instead of 3/8", but I haven't "attached" the shelf yet. It overhangs the cantilever by 1/2" to allow for some tiles on the front cantilever edge. The shelf is 2" thick, and is reinforced with mesh and rebar.

I really like how it turned out, but I've discovered the problem with having someone else work on my oven - the color is not really what we expected. So, the burgundy bricks that we picked for the decorative arch don't really go with the shelf (you can see the bricks in the last picture). It took forever to find bricks that we liked! Maybe we'll have to find something a little more brown. I'm open to suggestions!!

Daren

[mfiore]

Re: Hansen Horno

Just getting caught up, Daren.

Let me be the first to comment on how awesome that counter top looks! I love the color variation, the exposed aggregate, the petrified wood. I would be seriously geeked if my counter turns out half that cool.

I recognize the chunk of petrified wood at the right side, but how did they get that streak across the front? Makes it look like natural stone!

[Frances]

Re: Hansen Horno

Wow that looks amazing! Beautiful colours!

And I don't know what everybody else thinks, but to my mind, and from the way the colours look on my computer screen, the bricks could tone in nicely with the darker reddish parts of the counter top. They're certainly nice bricks.

Maybe if you added some brown colouring to the mortar between the bricks? Just an idea...

Thank you for the pictures of the stand. Very cool, and I like the big corner stones, too. Getting all that in place really must have been quite a puzzle!

[dbhansen]

Re: Hansen Horno

how did they get that streak across the front?

Mike, they created the streaks with a concrete stain of some sort. I'm not sure what product they used, but I like the result. It's a husband/wife team; he does the grunt work and she does the artistry!

I found some commercial brown bricks to use for the arch, so hopefully this week I'll get a chance to secure the shelf with silicone and then start on the arch.

[dbhansen]

Re: Hansen Horno

I got the shelf and tiles installed over the weekend. I used silicone to secure the shelf and a premixed thinset mortar for the tiles. No grout yet. The tiles are natural stone, and I noticed the other day that Home Depot carries them (I got them from a tile store). They were originally an off-white color that I expected to be a good match for our eventual stucco finish, but they turned tan after I sealed them. We still like the color, though. They'll probably match the wood we plan to use for the roof trim and the door to the wood-storage area.

Daren

[mfiore]

Re: Hansen Horno

The shelf with the tile really looks good. I'm always amazed at how clean and organized your worksite looks.

Did you put the countertop down as described in you prior thread? How much pitch does it have? Is the fireclay/sand mixture still below?

I assume, then, that a decorative arch will be sitting on top of the counter, is that correct? Will there also be decorative bricks in front of the firebrick hearth? I've been debating what to do with that area. I've considered pouring some concrete to raise the level of my concrete entry way, so a countertop will be on the same plane as the oven hearth. I worry I'd be off an 1/8th inch or so, just enough to cause problems sliding things in and out.

[dbhansen]

Re: Hansen Horno

Thanks Mike! I've never been accused of being "clean and organized" before. You should see the sad condition of my garage!

The shelf has 1/4" shims under the back edge; I'm not sure what the pitch is, but I read somewhere that 1/4" per foot is about the minimum for runoff. I just used a few strips of 1/4" plywood for the shims and put a bead of silicone all around the perimeter of the cantilever (and over and under the shims). I removed the fireclay; the 2" concrete should be strong enough without it.

The decorative arch will sit on the shelf and will cover the whole firebrick face. The plan is to make it level with the oven floor. I'm dreading that step!

Did you mortar together some of the hearth floor bricks behind the base of your decorative arch (i.e., mortar firebrick-to-firebrick instead of just decorative-brick-to-firebrick)?

[mfiore]

Re: Hansen Horno

I mortared some (most) of the edge fire bricks (those odd shaped triangular pieces) to the others early in my build. I kept knocking them around in my clumsiness.

So your "floor" of your decorative arch will be level with the oven floor, but I the shelf will be a few inches lower, is that correct?

[dbhansen]

Re: Hansen Horno

So your "floor" of your decorative arch will be level with the oven floor, but the shelf will be a few inches lower, is that correct?

Yep, that's the plan. We decided we wanted to keep the cantilever a bit thinner, rather than having 8" of concrete. But I can see the appeal of having a smooth transition from oven floor to shelf.

[mfiore]

Re: Hansen Horno

Daren, what are you planning for your chimney? Do you have (or are you putting) cement board on the sides as well? What on top of that?

My chimney is similar. Do you think it needs to have flashing of any kind? A typical chimney that runs through the roof would, but this is unique, in that the chimney sort of sits on top of the roof. I really don't see how water could penetrate. What are your thoughts/plans?

[dbhansen]

Re: Hansen Horno

My latest progress. Added grout to the tiles on the cantilever, sealed the stones (really brings out the color!), and got started on the decorative brick arch. I also finished closing off the front and added the rest of the loose vermiculite insulation. Now to finish that arch and then it's on to the stucco. Might be a few weeks before that happens though....

Yes, I'm still using that old cracked door! How embarrasing.

[dbhansen]

Re: Hansen Horno

Daren, what are you planning for your chimney? Do you think it needs to have flashing of any kind?

I'm still undecided, but my current plan is to possibly get a custom "chase cover" (along with one of those metal weather-sealing rings) to cover up the whole "box" that I built around the top of the chimney. It would extend down under the roof tiles like flashing. Several online retailers make them. Another option would be to stucco that box and just seal the top really well. But ... I need to decide on my roofing material first, and I haven't yet. I may even end up removing that "box" and just use a sealant for the hole around the chimney, like others have done. But in any event, I'm leaning toward using flashing of some sort, just to be safe.

[mfiore]

Re: Hansen Horno

Daren, I really like your decorative brick work. So precise!

The color with the counter top worked out great. I'm looking forward to seeing how this wraps up!

[dbhansen]

Re: Hansen Horno

I think I've placed my last brick!! What a relief. This isn't the style of decorative arch we wanted originally, but I couldn't find any pavers (bricks with no holes) so I had to change plans. Instead of a keystone, I left the top middle brick sticking out a bit. The arch sits about 1/2" lower than the middle arch, which should help direct the smoke upward (I hope). Still need to clean the bricks with some acid. Is it best to do that ASAP?

I will be placing a thin layer of insulation board over the vent bricks that are visible above the new arch, then I'll put another layer of Hardiebacker over the whole face before beginning the stucco. Those vent bricks get super hot, so hopefully the insulation will tame that a bit.

[mfiore]

Re: Hansen Horno

I like the wide sides to the arch, Daren. It gives the sense of strength and substance to the entrance. Again, great brick work. Looks like you've been doing this your whole life.