My first attempt for 42" oven / changed to 36"

[George_M]

Hi,
My kitchen design started and together my wood oven!
Here you can see my kitchen photos and details http://www.fornobravo.com/community/...kitchen-desing

My wood oven base:

[George_M]

I have some questions here.
The base height is 90cm (35.4inch).
Can i make my perlcrete height 10cm (4inch) ? Or need more??
I ask because the total height will be: Base+Perlcrete+Floor Plate= 90+10+6=106cm (41inch)
If i need to double the perlcrete,total height will be 116 cm (45inch).
Which is the correct height?Also the correct perlcrete size?
Thanks in advance!

[UtahBeehiver]

George,

You have made some major headway will you outdoor kitchen/oven area. I just got back from Athens and from what I saw, roof or inner courtyard areas seem to be the center of family gatherings.

I assume your p-crete layer will be your insulating section under your oven floor. What ratio of perlite to cement are you considering? The richer the mix the less insulation properties there is. 4" of p-crete (rule of thumb) is roughly equal to 2" of CaSi board and this is the bare minimum thickness under the oven floor. IMHO, if you have the room to make the p-crete thicker then you should. This will help with heat retainage. In talking with our guide in Greece, he mention that wood was very expensive to buy. So you will want to use every bit of BTU you can get.

[George_M]

Hi,
You are right my roof will be for gatherings..hehe!

I think 5:1 perlite/cement ratio is good.But when you say richer mix,for which ratio is rich?
I can double the perlcrete,but the total cooking floor will go to 116cm (45inch).
Is it good or is too high?

As for the woods,i have plenty source of olive tree woods from my olive trees!

[UtahBeehiver]

Richer would be less perlite, ie 3 to 1 perlite to cement would be richer, so less perlite, less insulation properties. I have seem ratios as high as 8 to 1 but can be a little crumbly. 5 or 6 to 1 is a good balance between insulation and strength, IMHO. Others feel free to chime in.As far as height of the oven floor, there is a general thought of being about elbow height. My thought is a comfortable height where you do not have to stoop a lot to feed the oven with your peel.

Nice to have a wood supply right in your own back yard.

[George_M]

I understand it!
I will go 5:1 ratio.

As for the height,i will double the perlcrete height or almost double, to have the optimum floor height.

Another question has to do for the oven opening length.
Tonyp suggested to me in previous post that i need 20inch length from inner circle floor because i need 3 arcs total.1 for the oven and the other 2 for the chimney
I saw in many photos from other builders that the length maybe is less than 20inch.


Can somebody help me on this?
Thanks

[George_M]

Hi,
It is the time to start again the progrees to my wood oven.
Tomorrow i will make the perlcrete layer.
I decide to make it 4inch height and 5:1 ratio.




You can see the pattern in the photos.
I draw the final dimension with pencil.
Perlcrete layer will be until the half brick,is almost the half of the final O.D.
Entry length is almost 20inch,(2 full bricks)

I have a question here.
Perlcrete must be also under the full bricks in the entry?This bricks are for the arcs and chimney.
Or only need perlcrete to put in the inside of those bricks to the entry?

[Saluki]

Get to it! I don't envy that tight corner, that's for sure.

[George_M]

Hi,
Can you tell me please more details to understand what you mean?
Thanks

[RandyJ]

It will be a little tight in the back side there. It is do able just harder than if it was open. Many have been done that way before.

Randy

[UtahBeehiver]

George,

They are saying that your body is going to need to be very flexible or will be by the end of the build since your "working space" on the back side of the oven is limited due to the two walls that are already up. Not impossible just limited.

[George_M]

I know,but is the only way to build the oven.. I don't have any other space.
Thanks Randy

[George_M]

Perlcrete layer done!!!
Looks perfect!

[david s]

Get to it! I don't envy that tight corner, that's for sure.

Here's a solution that eliminates the corner altogether and makes it much easier to finish. Just blend the oven into the corner. You go through a lot of vermiculite, but for the large space in the corner at the back you can throw in a lot of empty plastic bottles with the lids on and just cover them with vermicrete.

[Saluki]

Great suggestion by David. David - did you pour those countertops yourself? Is that crushed glass mixed in?