Oven Built into Deck

[K79]

Hello All,

Not new to this site, but new to posting. I'll be starting my oven this spring and I'm working on my design. My question:

I'm building my deck this April with an opening off one corner for my oven. My deck will be roughly 30" off the ground. I want an opening under my oven for my firewood. Do I pour my slab, build up my cinder blocks to roughly 30", pour another concrete floor (for my wood, if I don't my wood stack will be below my deck), then build up my cinderblocks to the correct height for the top of my table, then pour a third slab for the floor which my oven will be built on?

Is there another way of doing this? Am I looking into too much?

Thanks all !!

[dottavio]

Re: Oven Built into Deck

I poured 3 slabs for my build.

1st - footing below the frost line
concrete blocks
2nd - foundation at ground level (put the kids hand prints in this :-)
concrete blocks
3rd - oven hearth (I put the perlcrete on top of this under the oven only)

I found a concrete contractor that would mix on-site only what I needed to there was little waste. I could have never mixed all that cement by hand by myself. Well worth the cost

Doug O

[waikato pizza]

Re: Oven Built into Deck

Why bother with another foundation pour? Just build to the height that you need the hearth slab to be at in cinder block. Mount brackets on each wall and cut a piece of 1" marine ply for bottom of the wood store. If you leave an opening at the rear face of the stack (floor level, facing away from the deck perhaps) you would then have additional timber storage below. After all the height is not dissimilar to the wall of a building so it should happily take the weight, don't you think?
Regards Andy

[Lburou]

Re: Oven Built into Deck

Welcome k79

Look through the photo gallery for some ideas, there is bound to bo something to help you decide.

[K79]

Re: Oven Built into Deck

I poured 3 slabs for my build.

1st - footing below the frost line
concrete blocks
2nd - foundation at ground level (put the kids hand prints in this :-)
concrete blocks
3rd - oven hearth (I put the perlcrete on top of this under the oven only)

I found a concrete contractor that would mix on-site only what I needed to there was little waste. I could have never mixed all that cement by hand by myself. Well worth the cost

Doug O

So I wasn't planning on a footing below the frost line (I live in Maine). Is this necessary or can I pour a slab at ground level and be ok?

[K79]

Re: Oven Built into Deck

Why bother with another foundation pour? Just build to the height that you need the hearth slab to be at in cinder block. Mount brackets on each wall and cut a piece of 1" marine ply for bottom of the wood store. If you leave an opening at the rear face of the stack (floor level, facing away from the deck perhaps) you would then have additional timber storage below. After all the height is not dissimilar to the wall of a building so it should happily take the weight, don't you think?
Regards Andy

Great idea thanks Will that hold up to rain/freeze/thaw of Maine temps for the life of the oven... Not sure if that ever fell apart what I would do then.

[dottavio]

Re: Oven Built into Deck

I live in NY and originally did not want to go through the extra time and expense of digging and pouring so much. I had to rent a tractor with a backhoe. The yard was a mess (all reseeded now) and you need to have a place for all the extra dirt. I did not put gravel under my footing or run a drain line. I had to draw the line somewhere because of time and money.

My guess is if you have enough of a slope and put plenty of gravel under the slab (6-12") you might get away with a slab on grade. Perhaps, you have an area to run a drain line after setting it on gravel? You do NOT want to have any sitting water. This will freeze and heave the oven. Many posts here talk about digging below the frost line and any contractor worth his salt will tell you to do the same.

Why bother, it is the only way you can ensure that the structure will not heave, not crack and remain level.

The oven is a LOT of work, much more than I anticipated. Maybe I am just slow, but I m happy with my results and glad I built it so well.

That being said an outdoor kitchen is also part of my design and I built that slab on grade with about 8" of gravel underneath. I have a rasied patio and it just worked out that way. I was less concerned about the kitchen. A bbq, sink and counter. If it cracks, so be it, but the oven was my baby and was only getting the best.

Do some more research, look around, talk to people and do what is best for you. This is your project.

BTW - not sure about ME, but here in NY a deck is considered an addition to the home and building code says you MUST set the posts on concrete footings below the frost line. I would check with your town to be sure you don't run into problems with you deck. While your at it ask the building department about the slab on grade for your project

Good Luck

Doug O

[waikato pizza]

Re: Oven Built into Deck

Great idea thanks Will that hold up to rain/freeze/thaw of Maine temps for the life of the oven... Not sure if that ever fell apart what I would do then.

Maybe use some galvanised bracing straps at the height of the "mid floor" if worried about the walls parting company. In the UK, where temperatures are similar, low temps and freezing were not a real issues as long you protect the exterior of the structure, even by waterproofing, to prevent water ingress and hence the "frost attrition" that will happily destroy your bricks as time goes by.

The marine ply should be good for ages as they use it onboard ships that go into temperatures well below land based temperatures and the humidity is way higher - even than Maine! (so I am led to believe).

Being a kiwi we dont get anything like your winters, we get about a dozen frosts each year (sometimes 20 on a bad year ) with night time temps of around -3 degC at worst and daytimes up to 14 degC.

Either way, hope this helps you to solve your deck problem.