Casa2g90 Install in Portland, Oregon

[bentedesco]

bentedesco I focused on the important, difficult work of eating pizza this weekend as it was our 17th anniversary, but we'll be getting back at it this week. I'd really like to get the counters in before the rains come.

NO SACRIFICES TO THE PIZZA GODS.... yet. We did make a couple of pizza donuts, though. Learned that there really is a sweet spot for surface temp on the cooking floor. Much above 770F and you'll burn the crust.

That sounds like an incredible way to celebrate an anniversary!!! I think I might steal a page out of your playbook sir

Looking forward to following the progress of your build!

[ASPLM]

bentedesco I focused on the important, difficult work of eating pizza this weekend as it was our 17th anniversary, but we'll be getting back at it this week. I'd really like to get the counters in before the rains come.

NO SACRIFICES TO THE PIZZA GODS.... yet. We did make a couple of pizza donuts, though. Learned that there really is a sweet spot for surface temp on the cooking floor. Much above 770F and you'll burn the crust.

[bentedesco]

So tomorrow I'm going to start on the cosmetics. Here's my order of operations.

1) Pour 4" thick counter slap to go in front of oven as hearth landing. I'll be using countertop mix and embed some of my leftover lathe for structure. I'll probably dye the slab black. I'm going to pour it with a small indent so it meshes with the end of the oven floor neatly. I'll probably paint the exposed insulation with redgard, but I'm open to other suggestions for sealing it.

How did it go? I'm about 2 steps behind you and I was wondering if you had any tips on pouring your counter? I'm all for working "smarter" so if you found any tricks to saving your back when mixing & lifting ~20 bags of mixed concrete when your poured your hearth I'm all ears!

[Gulf]

One thing that I would like to add to Mike's great advice about the spark arrestor. The 1/2" hardware cloth will be just fine imo. That is, if you promise not to burn paper or broad leaves when firing the oven .

[UtahBeehiver]

Yeah, I started my oven in 2010, finished most of it by 2012, and still having a few things to do on it in 2018............. Deejayho did a nice concrete counter pour and I think he is in the NW area as well, Seattle area.

[SableSprings]

Great job! The oven looks terrific and your future design sounds pretty classy...although I'm not sure which is the real step 5

One comment, I would strongly suggest that you get a cinder/ash screen in your chimney cap. I made one for my friend in Canada out of hardware cloth. I simply cut a strip of the wire mesh and wrapped it inside the cap. The curl held it in place pretty well. You'll want to use something between 1/4" and 1/2" mesh...the 1/4" clogs up if you damper down and the 1/2" is too big to do any good. With our fire conditions right now, I'd sure think about doing this before your anniversary pizza party...and congratulations on your 17th year together! (...and frankly, if you can keep together through a pizza oven build, you've got plenty of years to look forward to...

[ASPLM]

So tomorrow I'm going to start on the cosmetics. Here's my order of operations.

1) Pour 4" thick counter slap to go in front of oven as hearth landing. I'll be using countertop mix and embed some of my leftover lathe for structure. I'll probably dye the slab black. I'm going to pour it with a small indent so it meshes with the end of the oven floor neatly. I'll probably paint the exposed insulation with redgard, but I'm open to other suggestions for sealing it.

2) Paint the stucco with redgard. As I mentioned earlier, Redgard told me that the substrate should never exceed 170F, which is a problem for the area around the chimney and the front face. I'm looking for suggestions for a high-temp sealer I can use in those places that get hotter than the rest. The dome itself hit 100F at max internal temp, so I'm good everywhere else.

3) Pour matching counter slabs 1.5" thick with a .5" foam insert (to reduce weight and cost) for the entire counter. For such a thin counter, should I just put a mesh grid in, use more leftover lathe, or glass fiber?Counter will have 1.5" overhang all the way around.. Planning on pouring in three sections; the two sides of the dome and then a rectangle offshoot for the side counter. I'll just have a minor visible seam between the oven section and the counter section. I'll butt the counter directly up against the dome and run a bead of silicone around to keep water out.

4) Install a glass tile mosaic around the entire dome, which will seat on the finish countertop. I'll mount with modified thinset over the redgarded stucco. Should only take me 1-2 years to complete

5) Install larger tile facing on the front of the oven that compliments the mosaic. Install same tile on the small strip under the hearth landing but above the stand.

5) Paint the entire exterior of the cinder block stand black, then install horizontal, stained cedar fencing boards on 1/4 shims with a 1/8" gap between the horizontal boards. Should be a cool look. My wife wants to stain them in a gradient so each board is a little darker than the one below it. Jury's still out on that one.

6) Install shelves in the cabinets.

7) Die of old age. (6 and 7 might be swapped).

[ASPLM]

Final curing fire. Easily hits 900F without issue. We're going to make our first pizza on Saturday, July 28th, because it's our 17th anniversary and then we can pretend we spent all this money on an anniversary gift.

[ASPLM]

That's very helpful. it will require a little more stucco work up top, but probably worth it since i won't be covering my oven.

[Gulf]

Here you go. I had forgot about this one. I throwed this one together from some stuff I had on hand after the light came on . It is actually easier than any that I have built for an install. It is made from a 3/4" to 1/2" pvc bushing, a 3/4" electrical conduit locknut, and 1/2" hardware cloth. The galvanized mesh can easily be shaped to fit the dome within a layer ofr stucco. (I would spread some pvc glue on the fitting as the locknut was tightened) The idea is to secure the fitting into the stucco in a way that it will not turn while installing or removing the vent or plug.

I hope this helps .

[Gulf]

I don't think that it is in my build pics. I made one for a member in Pensacola that I took some good pics of. I'll post them when I'm back at the pic.

[UtahBeehiver]

You can probably work a pvc or ss bushing with a 1/2" plug that you can remove as necessary. You will have to use a small masonry bit to drill in the green stucco and use some wire mesh with the fitting between the brown and finish coat to hold bushing in place (should be a the apex of the dome). Gulf has a pic somewhere in his threads of this or you can use a breather cap from any auto store. They even have chrome ones. Glad you are heading advice. It does not mean you cannot fire the oven, it just has to be transitional and not a full on dome clear until you are certain all mechanical water has been removed.

[ASPLM]

But I’m so hungry...

I hear and obey. We’re out of town until Sunday, so I’ll do a few warm up fires during next week and put off first pie until next weekend. That will give the dome some more time to toughen up too.

is it too late to add a pvc vent cap with a cover like you did on the copper oven ( which is beautiful, btw).

[UtahBeehiver]

Plus 2 on Mike's comments. As noted in your previous post, you said you wanted to right back to 900 F. If there is any moisture in the insulation, the thermal transfer of heat is high due to conductivity of the moisture, this means that if the outside temp of the brick in the dome under the insulation exceeds 212 F the water will flash to steam and build up volume and pressure and crack you stucco. You are the tortoise in this race not the hare.

[SableSprings]

Since the insulation batting may have gotten a "little damp", it may be a good idea to do a medium fire Friday or Saturday before firing it up to pizza temps on Sunday. The stucco layer is a bit fragile at this stage, so letting a lower fire dry out any remaining (or new) moisture/dampness now seems like a worthwhile investment . This is a situation that a vent (breather cap) built into the insulation/stucco interface really helps reduce/eliminate cracking from steam expansion.

Realistically, I'd be surprised if you got much moisture transfer through the stucco to the insulation...just think of a pre-fire a day or two ahead as pre-heat for the pizza party