Relocating Outdoor Oven

[tdibratt]

Hi there I built my last outdoor oven a few years back here at my home. We recently bought a cottage in northern Ontario about 3.5 hrs away and find that we would like one there but the one at home sits unused.

So I am thinking about the possibility of having it relocated.

I am pretty sure when I built it that I built it so the concrete platform under the hearth sits on the block walls but not rebarred together. So I would hope a forklift can lift it off without trouble.

My concern is just the idea of it and all the things that could go wrong and I end up with a pile of bricks at the other end.

Has anyone done such a thing and how did it go?

then assuming it is feasible, how do I calculate the potential weight of the oven and figure out what I need in terms of equipment to move it.

Thx

[tdibratt]

Here is a photo

[dakzaag]

I move ovens all the time, they are a lot heavier than they look. Looking at your picture, you have a nice thick slab, maybe 5" or so. If you simply set your oven floor on the slab without insulation, then the slab is capable of carrying the oven by itself. Of course if you don't have it insulated, then I question why you would want to move it in the first place... If a portion of the slab is insulating concrete, then it is doubtful the remaining structure of the slab will carry the weight of everything else over the hills and through the woods.
In my opinion, you have 5-6 tons of masonry above the block. If you wanted to move it to the neighbors yard and had a forklift with flotation tires, you could maybe get it there in one piece. You could rut up the yard plenty with that amount of weight and probably destroy any sidewalk or residential drive way that you crossed in the process. As for setting it on a trailer and traveling 3.5 hours with it...not going to happen. If you limited your speed to 30 mph and were very careful about rough roads, RR crossing and any other typical bumps ie. bridge transitions, construction zones, intersections, you might make it with some cracking involved. I personally would not try it. If you paid me to come do it, it would be at your risk. I would factor the following.
.5 Prepare the new foundation before beginning the move. (kinda obvious)
1. 6 ton forklift to load
2. Trailer unit capable of 8 ton payload. This is a goose neck trailer and one ton pickup minimum.
3. Remove roof of oven unless it is structurally supporting the walls, which is highly unlikely.
4. Stretch wrap the walls and chimney and then ratchet strap around the walls and then down on the trailer.
5. Plan a full day of travel so you can take the smoothest route possible at the slowest speed possible. 20-25 mph is the ideal speed.
6. Another 6 ton FL at the end of the trip to unload, again considering the weight, you will likely crack any sidewalk or residential driveway you cross.

Pushing $5000 if you hire it done, maybe half that if you have your own equipment and a long weekend to give it a go. Since you are asking, I assume that you do not have any equipment. I have to say the oven looks very solid, and the biggest risk appears to be the chimney toppling. You could make a decent argument that leaving the roof on would help support the chimney, but I believe the mass of the chimney would overwhelm the framing in a stress event such as a sudden stop. Better to get all that tin out of the way and strap down the chimney.