Greeting from Victoria, Canada

[robvious]

Hi all,

My wife and I just moved into a nice house in Victoria, British Columbia. The house sits on just over a 1/4 acre with a gorgeous and very private backyard --perfect for a brick oven in so many ways. We promised ourselves two things when we moved:
1. a hot tub
2. a brick pizza oven

Just trying to convince my wife the oven should come first

I'm a bit intimidated by the prospect of planning and building this although I'm handy, that handiness leans more towards the mechanical side of things. A few years ago I built a paved patio and retaining wall at our old house, at the time I thought masonry work looked so simple --I mean really how hard could it be? Yep I learned my lesson.

The most important lesson I learned is it's all about planning --this site looks like a great resource to help me along the way.

Cheers,
Pete

[brokencookie]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

Hi all,
this site looks like a great resource to help me along the way.
Pete

Welcome to the forum. I think this forum has the highest member to oven completion ratio of any I have seen. You will find a huge wealth of information by using the search function and lots of members ready to answer questions. Warning, if you get George off topic you will have to send him your dental x-rays to shock him back into Pompei speak.

Bruce

[gjbingham]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

Sorry 'bout that Bruce. I'm back to the living.

Welcome from the near south. I love Victoria. The entire Vancouver Island is a wonderland.

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

Welcome! I spent a few days in Victoria last year. My wife had garden envy!

Drake

[james]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

We spent a week in and around Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler two summers ago. We kept trying to figure out how to become Canadian citizens and move there. Beautiful spot -- and a great quality of life.
James

[robvious]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

Thanks all,

I'm just trying to get used to the weather here. It's been sunny and warm --got a bit of a sunburn while working in the backyard today!

So many likely spots to locate a wood fired oven in this amazing backyard. A bit worried about placing too close to one of the tall cedar hedges --is there a general rule of thumb I should consider while scoping things out?

Guess I better check with the municipal government too...

Cheers,
Pete

[waynebergman]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

Hi Pete
Hope your planning goes well. I started last september and wish I had started in the spring. Start early and get it done if you can. I am on the sunshine coast and in the last 6 months I have sourced out mortar and what not for my oven. If you are going to be shopping for things in the Greater Vancouver area I can give you a few tips on were to shop and what worked for me. You can email me and I can try and help out.......wayne

[dmun]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

The general rule is that you want your chimney to be two feet above anything flammable within ten feet.

You also want to think about how far from the kitchen your oven is: having it closer makes for an extended cooking season.

[SpringJim]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

Where will you prep and serve your food?

The closer, the less running you have to do.

Good luck.

Vic is a great place!

[robvious]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

Thanks all!

James, once I figure things out I'll give you a shout...sourcing materials is bound to be an issue here on Vancouver Island. reckon it must have been the same for you on the Sunshine Coast.
Vancouver is probably the best bet eh?

Soon I'll be running around the backyard with a tape measure to try to balance the aesthetic and practical needs.

The idea of hosting pizza parties for my wife's Italian relatives has her reconsidering the hot tub priority...now if I could just manage both oven and spa, I'd be in heaven.

-Pete

[crowtrapper]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

Hasn't there got to be some way to combine the hot tub AND the pizza oven? All that wood heat, gotta be a bit of synergy there. One firebox, 2 cookers (one full of water, the other full of baking dough). The mind boggles!

[robvious]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

My god, you're onto something!
Back to the drawing board...sigh.

[nissanneill]

Re: Greeting from Victoria, Canada

Hi Robvious
and welcome aboard.
In see your a videographer, so you would be more than familiar with a digital camera.
Get a few pics ans attach them for us to see the problem (s) you have. Remember that "a problem shared, is a problem halved" as we say down under.
I see that you are also an avid espresso fan, a man after my own heart.

Neill