A Few Questions

[ItalianME]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the site and very excited about constructing my pizza oven. I've read the entire free booklet from FB on how to construct an oven, and as a result I have a few questions. I am building a deck next spring and would like to build my oven into my deck on the outer perimeter. Having stated that here are my questions:

1. FB shows the foundation 4 cinder blocks high. Since mine needs to be at the elevation of my deck is it ok to make it 6 or 7 cinder blocks high?

2. How close to my house can I put my oven?

3. For the floor of my wood storage area I was going to use more cinder blocks on the interior perimeter of my foundation and rest some plywood on them for my floor. Is this ok to do?

Thanks everyone in advance !

[azatty]

Re: A Few Questions

1. The block stand is very sturdy when you build it to the specs listed in the plans. Adding a couple courses of block is just fine. Make sure the rebar runs the entire height of the block cores and is tied to rebar in the footings.

2. Right next to it, provided that you leave sufficient space for insulation around it and you follow applicable fire codes for the chimney. You can even build one inside the house.

3. I'm not sure I understand what you're doing for wood storage, but the inside of the stand is isolated from oven's heat. You can put plywood down there.

[ItalianME]

Re: A Few Questions

[QUOTE=azatty;131971]1. The block stand is very sturdy when you build it to the specs listed in the plans. Adding a couple courses of block is just fine. Make sure the rebar runs the entire height of the block cores and is tied to rebar in the footings.


Ok, maybe I missed that, so I need to layout where my blocks are going and put rebar in with my slab for the blocks? The book shows the blocks just sitting on the slab??

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: A Few Questions

I lived in Maine for years. I would like to go back but those black flies keep me in Virginia. I lived in Phippsburg.

Keep us updated and we love to see pictures. Have fun with your build.

[Gene travis Bickford]

Re: A Few Questions

Hi ItalinME.
I too just found this site yesterday, and like you, I'm in Maine.

Being self-Employed and having owned a cordwood home, my first thought on any project is 'what is the Insurance company going to think'.

You might want to get their thoughts before building into your deck. You might find they will drop you, or not cover you in the unlikely event of it causing a fire.

[azatty]

Re: A Few Questions

[QUOTE=ItalianME;131982]

1. The block stand is very sturdy when you build it to the specs listed in the plans. Adding a couple courses of block is just fine. Make sure the rebar runs the entire height of the block cores and is tied to rebar in the footings.


Ok, maybe I missed that, so I need to layout where my blocks are going and put rebar in with my slab for the blocks? The book shows the blocks just sitting on the slab??

I tend to overbuild, so I drove the rebar into my foundation slab. When you add height, you also raise the oven's center of gravity. The higher the COG, the easier it is to push something over. Tying rebar into your foundation will compensate for the higher COG and stiffen up the stand. So if you run into it with a snowplow, it won't get knocked down as easily. The rebar tied to the footings also prevents horizontal movement of the stand. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles can do strange things to floating masonry.

[Lburou]

Welcome ItalianME and Gene Travis Bickford

Make the oven base as tall as you need....The rebar will tie the oven to the base. Personally, I might make that bottom slab a foot or two wider on four sides for increased stability, but that is probably more than necessary.

The key point for successful coexistence next to the house is the height of your chimney in relation to the roof of your house. There is a formula for a successful design. Send a personal message to "brickie in oz", I've seen him post the chimney height for a safe installation close to the house. You might encourage him to make a searchable thread with that information in it for future newbie reference.

Good Luck!