which size oven

[lazydm]

i am way new to this forum and pizza ovens. would love to have an indoor oven-- possibly casa 80 or casa 90. i have an existing concrete pad that was once part of a chimney. pad is 72" wide and 45"deep. the only wall i need be concerned about is the backside of the oven which will be part of a wall for an adjacent room. i have space on either side of the pad and in front of the pad if i need it (no walls yet).
do i need to do a casa 80 because of the size of the pad ( i would love to have a bigger cooking area)? could i use a casa 90 instead if i used some type of steel leg assembly instead of a concrete block base?
as you can see, i'm not sure i really understand how much space is absolutely necessary and what you can do to cut down on the base footprint so i can get a larger oven--if anything.
of course, there is a lot more i don't yet understand but i will tackle that later. thanks. m

[james]

Re: which size oven

I have owned a couple of Casa90s, and I always say that if you can find the room to upgrade from an 80 to a 90 that you should go for it. 4" of space in a construction project isn't a really big deal, where 4" of cooking space makes a lot of difference. You can do more with a 90 than you can with an 80. Not just more pizza, but more space for roasting more things are a time.

One way of finding the extra space is to use 3" of all woven ceramic insulation on top of the oven, rather than 1" of blanket, and 4" of vermiculite.

Building a thin upper enclosure with metal studs and concrete board can also help.

Either way, you will really enjoy having an oven. Welcome aboard.
James

[lazydm]

Re: which size oven

james,thanks for the reply. can't wait to figure this all out. unfortunately, i am really uninformed. what exactly is all woven ceramic insulation? and would that cut the space by 2" for each side and 2" for the depth?
if i have a landing area adjacent to oven can can i take some space away from attached landing area in front of the oven too?

[james]

Re: which size oven

Lot's to learn, but it's all fun. You get some high school science, some construction, some masonry, some cooking, pizza and bread baking -- all with one hobby. Not bad.

Ceramic insulation is the high tech insulation that keeps the heat inside the oven; it replaces older fashioned insulators, and you can use a thinner layer, and still insulate your oven. High tech meets 2,000 year old oven design.

You can minimize your landing -- and I've done that myself. If you need the space, you can do that, though you will want a landing area somewhere nearby.

Keep reading -- there's a wealth of info in the installation guides, e-books and the forum.

James

[CanuckJim]

Re: which size oven

Lazy,

Do a search through the threads and galleries, particularly the modular installation thread, for pics of using welded steel stands in place of block. I've used them quite a bit; they're quicker, cleaner and easier than block and are just as strong.

Jim

[lazydm]

Re: which size oven

thanks so much for the replies. i'll try to follow your leads and see what i can find. before i begin though let me ask you one more question.
is the weight of the oven a real issue? can i use the foundation that i have (45" deep) and not worry about extending the base out as far as is necessary to support the casa 90? so much to learn!!!

[dmun]

Re: which size oven

Do you mean 4.5 inches? What kind and how tall a chimney are you planning?

[lazydm]

Re: which size oven

Do you mean 4.5 inches? What kind and how tall a chimney are you planning?

no,actually, i mean 45".
the spot where i plan to put the oven is a concrete foundation from an old chimney. the slab is 72" wide and 45"deep (front to back). it was once part of our living room (gas fireplace on an outside wall with an exterior chimney.
we tore down the chimney, took out the fireplace, walled in the outside patio and incorporated the space into a new great room.
i'm not sure how tall or what type of chimney. i guess if the oven is about
68" tall we will add steel pipe for chimney and go up through roof. probably cover pipe with stucco but ,as i mentioned, i don't quite understand all the nuances here yet.
if i am on the wrong track or i need to know more please don't hesitate to let me know. thanks so much for the help.

[dmun]

Re: which size oven

Masonry fireplace footings are seriously massive if they are built to code. They are supposed to be below the frost line, twelve inches thick, and extend six inches beyond the edge of the masonry structure. That should be more than enough support for a masonry oven, even if you rebuild the masonry chimney.

[lazydm]

Re: which size oven

Masonry fireplace footings are seriously massive if they are built to code. They are supposed to be below the frost line, twelve inches thick, and extend six inches beyond the edge of the masonry structure. That should be more than enough support for a masonry oven, even if you rebuild the masonry chimney.

thanks dmun. this may sound stupid but what i think i am try to understand is this: i know i can put a casa 80 on the old fireplace foundation because it is very close to the right size base for that oven. but can i use this same space to house the larger casa 90 which is longer (deeper) without building additional footings under the front part of the oven and landing. in other words, can i use a reinforced steel stand or add concrete block where needed under the oven to increase the base size (talking length or depth)
because most of the oven weight will be directly over the original footings?
i hope this makes some sort of sense to you. i definitely know zippo about construction. thanks

[dmun]

Re: which size oven

Yes. I would build up on the outline of the old fireplace, and then pour your support slab to the size you need for your oven enclosure. Your support slab can overhang, as long as there is substantial support under the oven itsself. Do a forum search for "cantilever" for more info.

[lazydm]

Re: which size oven

thanks dmun. i appreciate your answers. also following your advice, along with james', i am scouring the forum for info. beginning to understand just a teeny bit more. wondering what i've talked myself into. yikes!!!!