39 inch Pompeii in Lincolnshire England

[Gulf]

Re: 39 inch Pompeii in Lincolnshire England

"Soakaway"" Sounds like something simular to what we in the US call a "french drain". I reverse installed one on my build. That will help tremenously on the wood storage area. But, a quicker, cheaper fix for the oven itself, would be a waterproof barrier between the concrete hearth and the oven's floor insulation. That is one of those "wish I had done thats" that I did not do .

[andis]

Re: 39 inch Pompeii in Lincolnshire England

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I hear what your saying and the damp has been my biggest worry.

The concrete did have an additive.
I am planning to treat the back wall with some sort of paintable tanking.
There will also be a second wall at the back with the cavity filled with concrete & additive.
This wall will also have a waterproof sheet behind.
A large soakaway will seperate the wall from the soil so water runs out of the pipes at the front that you can see in the photos rather than backing up behind the wall.

Like you say it's better to try and keep the damp out from the start.
Even with all that I am still not confident it will stay dry but cannot think of much else I can do to help.
Guess I will find out soon if it's worked or not!

[deejayoh]

Re: 39 inch Pompeii in Lincolnshire England

Looks very cool!

My build was similar to yours - 39", tapered bricks. I build the dome around my floor (not on). IIRC, I used about 240 bricks. Wasted a few, but had almost none left over.

Brickie's point is a good one, as per usual. Think about some moisture barrier under your oven. I built my oven slab on grade over a retaining wall, and had concerns about water wicking up. I added Zypex to my slab pour to avoid this.

You also have the risk of water coming in through the vertical walls. You probably should look into waterproofing the back side of the wall around the oven like you would a basement foundation to keep the water out.

Well worth planning on how to keep the thing dry before you build.

[brickie in oz]

Re: 39 inch Pompeii in Lincolnshire England

Hi Andrew, I will be watching your build with interest.

One potential problem I can see is the issue of damp and moisture getting into your base.

[andis]

Like most people I have been hanging around for a while and gathering information.

I have now been handed the perfect excuse to build a WFO
I bought a house with a retaining wall that the previous owner had part built and intended to finish with a set of steps to the rear of the property.
But I had a better idea and convinced the other other half that it would be a cheaper option to build an oven in the wall.

I put in a foundation and built a corbeled stand before the winter drove me inside. Now spring is here I have poured the base and started planning a layout. The 39 is a compromise between 36 and 42.

The oven will be enclosed in a house with a roof and chimney to look like a mini version of the cottage. The bricks that will finish the job are hand thrown and reclaimed from my chimney and a bread oven. The house was a butchers and bakers years ago so it seems fitting to reuse what I can.

I have attached a few photos and will try and keep this thread updated as much as possible. It seems only fair, that in return for all the info I have obtained from this site, that i let future users learn from my mistakes - of which I expect a few

I would appreciate any questions and criticism to help me along.

My first question (there will no doubt be a lot more to follow) is

I am lucky enough to have the use of a diamond wet brick saw,the sort you normally see on site and have to pay to rent from tool hire companies, and am planning on tapering my bricks as i don't have to rush the job.
I estimate on using 210 but don't want to under order. Has anyone built an oven this size this way and got a better estimate?

Thanks for all the help so far - this site has been a huge help.

Andrew.