Pizza Oven Build into Hillside Retaining Wall

[roknroll]

Edit: just realized I posted to wrong forum (not meant to be in Brick Oven forum). I'll see if a mod can get it moved)

Here's some photos of my build from Morgan Hill, CA. My dad's done a few ovens (1 at home and 2 at work), so his housewarming present was the oven and coming over with some guys to help build it over a few weekends. Pictures kind of show it all, but here's the overview:

• Casa 2G100 oven
• Base stand was laid on existing brick, and we used mortar between the brick and cinder block to get it level.
• Since we were cutting into the hill, the stand just came out 32" from the existing retaining wall.
• After cutting out the wall section and hillside, we broke up the removed retaining wall chunks and laid them into the hole dug into the hill. The dirt was dug out 4 inches or so below the level of the retaining wall cutout.
• The slab on top was 3.5" thick over the stand, and about 6-8" thick (on top of the broken up wall pieces) in the hillside.
• Framed and poured more concrete around the front of oven as a base for the granite counter. Height of the slab was set so the granite counter would be level with the floor of the oven.
• Note on the granite bull nose: it's only rounded on the top and then has a vertical front. We learned from my dad's first oven that if you do a traditional rounded bull nose, water will run around and get into the drawers. by having a vertical face, the water runs off a few inches in front of the drawers.
• Not shown in the last picture, we did stucco the front and inside of the base stand. The mini-pillars on either side of the oven (part of the rear retaining wall) were faced in granite similar to the front of the oven. We'll eventually run electricity there and mount some nice wrought iron lights.

[roknroll]

Re: Pizza Oven Build into Hillside Retaining Wall

[roknroll]

Re: Pizza Oven Build into Hillside Retaining Wall

[cook4fun]

Re: Pizza Oven Build into Hillside Retaining Wall

Wow...really nice job...."pool isn't so bad either...." :-)

[Laurentius]

Re: Pizza Oven Build into Hillside Retaining Wall

Hi Roll,

What did you use for insulation, especially under the hearth?
If water wick into your oven as it is your wall, its going to be a problem.

[roknroll]

Re: Pizza Oven Build into Hillside Retaining Wall

We weren't too concerned with that. The hillside we cut into was very thick clay, so not a lot of water. All the excess water more or less runs off. There was some gravel laid down (as well as the large chunks of broken up cinder blocks) before the slab was poured on the dirt. The retaining wall cinder blocks were all laid while the slab was still wet (which helped in getting them level), and then the walls, top of the slab around the oven, and the oven dome were all stuccoed.

We had a fair amount of rain this spring, and I was a little concerned too. I lit several test fires after a few days of heavy rain and didn't have any trouble with floor temp coming up due to moisture in the slab or insulation.

[Laurentius]

Re: Pizza Oven Build into Hillside Retaining Wall

We weren't too concerned with that. The hillside we cut into was very thick clay, so not a lot of water. All the excess water more or less runs off. There was some gravel laid down (as well as the large chunks of broken up cinder blocks) before the slab was poured on the dirt. The retaining wall cinder blocks were all laid while the slab was still wet (which helped in getting them level), and then the walls, top of the slab around the oven, and the oven dome were all stuccoed.

We had a fair amount of rain this spring, and I was a little concerned too. I lit several test fires after a few days of heavy rain and didn't have any trouble with floor temp coming up due to moisture in the slab or insulation.

I`m glad it worked out fine for you. I for one, when we have these driving raining periods there the rain is driven into my oven`s landing, wicks into my hearth`s insulation. It took me a long time to figure out what was going on. What did you use for insulation?

[Gulf]

Re: Pizza Oven Build into Hillside Retaining Wall

Great! looking build there Roknroll,
I had the same conserns as Laurentius, when I first looked at the pics. But, California, has a different climate than what I am used to. Way........... over and, down here in Mississippi, we could not "get away" with that. I retrofitted a "french drain" behind my retainer wall build, even though it was sandy soil which drains great. I may could have avoided this, if I had of thought of one thing. A moisture barrier between my insulation layer and the concrete hearth slab .

[moderator]

Re: Pizza Oven Build into Hillside Retaining Wall

Need a House Sitter when it is done? I moved your conversation to Modular Refractory Oven Installation.

Have fun!

[cobblerdave]

Re: Pizza Oven Build into Hillside Retaining Wall

G'day
I've have built in a drain in front of the oven stand door after having the stand flooded in one particular big rain event. It meant that moisture was above the moisture barrier. Moisture likes to move to other dry area in this case my carefully sealed oven. Took an age to dry out as its a large mass that has been carefully sealed against moisture. One cranky oven one cranky owner
If I were building again I would include another moisture barrier as gulf suggests. On the top of the stand slab , under the insulation layer.
Regards dave