Treehouse Pizza

[RandyJ]

Well here we go again. It has been almost exactly 9 years since I built my last oven and 5 years since we moved. Here I am starting a new oven.

I am going to do things a bit different this time. Part of this is due to the fact that I want this to go a bit faster, and part is that I have a different point of view as to how I want to use it. The first big difference is that I just got off the phone with benguilford with the Fire Brick Company and placed a order for one of his D105 ovens. I have been wrestling with the idea of a cast oven but a big part of the appeal is the bricks in the oven. I decided I couldn't give that up. I looked at some prebuilt brick ovens but the shipping alone was more that the whole kit shipped to my house so I just couldn't justify the difference.

The next big difference is I think I am going to do a igloo this time and put it under a pavilion or gazebo to shelter it from the rain and snow. That way I also don't get baked in the sun on hot summer days either. Once I actually get started I will start posting pictures of all the process. But this is the location that it will be going into. It is just off our deck and next to my sons treehouse.

[RandyJ]

Here is a question that I see everyone ask. What is the consensus on putting sonotubes under the oven stand? Is that worthwhile or is that not? I am just try to decide if I should do this as I will need to rent a auger anyway and then I would not need to dig as deep as I had been considering. Or will this be more likely to cause cracks in the slab?

Randy

[Giovanni Rossi]

I did a fair amount of research on this before I started digging and had some feedback from fellows closer to the Canadian border.

gastagg from Minnesota told me his slab sitting on 6" of gravel and sand has not moved at all through the seasons.

You dropped a question for BeanAnimal
but I don't think he follows the Forum any longer. He is close to my location and we have a similar clay soil problem.

My 2 cents from my research:

1. A lot depends on the soil composition at your site. The better the drainage, the greater chance of stability for your slab-on-grade.
2. If you're truly worried about frost heave it's better to do full footings below the frost line than just using sonotubes.

Hope this helps.

[RandyJ]

Well I managed to get some work done this weekend. I got the area all dug out for the slab. I went down around 12 to 14" from the highest point and removed all the topsoil down to the clay that was undisturbed. After that I went out and rented a plate compactor and compacted the base. I then brought in about 6 to 8" of class 5 gravel and compacted it in 1.5 to 2" batches. I am feeling pretty good about this choice and I am unwilling to go any deeper anyway. The clay gets very hard as we go down. I now need to frame the form for the slab and then get some rebar. I am planning to be around 6" deep for the concrete and 1/2" regarding ties 8" on center in both directions.

[RandyJ]

I got a little more done today. I got the slab all framed in and level. I also picked up a bunch of rebar and I am hoping to get that all put in tomorrow. I am then hoping to pour the concrete on Wednesday. I really hope I can get this all done this week as it is supposed to rain all weekend and like half of next week.

If I can do that then I will dry stack the base after it stops raining next week and fill some of the coresand then frame up the front of the base and get ready to pour the support slab hopefully the next weekend. The kit should hopefully arrive by then. Then it will be go time. I am planning and hoping to have the oven done by about the 4th of July.

Does anyone think this seems like it is out of touch with reality ?

Randy

[RandyJ]

Well I got a short load reserved for 1pm tomorrow. Does anyone see anything that is glaringly wrong? Might be over kill with 1/2" rebar and between 6 and 9" thick but it shouldn't go anywhere.

Randy

[rsandler]

If you have the opportunity, probably worth putting some rebar diagonally across those inside corners to prevent (more-or-less cosmetic) cracking. See post #7 in my build thread: https://community.fornobravo.com/for...his-time-in-ca

[RandyJ]

rsandler I had just saw that post this morning. I will try to toss a few chunks in like you had suggested. I had considered doing that last night but time got away from me and I was exhausted after working a full day then getting everything setup. I had brought home a mini portable bandsaw to cut all the rebar and apparently the blade was bad so it just scratched the surface. So I had to go find my grinder and use that. Fortunately the tri-vise I pulled out of the garbage a few years ago finally came in handy.

I can't wait to be done with the slab and base so I can get on to some more fun aspects of the build. Looks like my kit will be here Monday and I am hoping to start stacking block Tuesday.

Randy

[RandyJ]

Well I managed to get the concrete all poured. I was lucky and had just a bit more than enough with 1.25yd. It was a lot of work by myself but I am very happy to have it done. It may not be the best slab I have ever done but it was to wet to finish so I returned the trailer and when I got back it was getting pretty stiff but I made it work.

[RandyJ]

I don't know if anyone else has tried this but the rental shop near me has dump trailers for concrete. The rental is free with a load of ready mix. I did the math and this was cheaper then buying bags and mixing myself. Total was $245 plus tax for 1.25 yd. And I could pull it with my F-150. I will probably do the same thing when I do the support slab.

Randy

[RandyJ]

I had forgotten to mention that as rsandler had mentioned I added a peice of rebar at the corner to hopefully prevent cracks there. I had a few 18" chunks left sitting around so I placed them as I was doing the pour. So I guess my question is how long did it take for your cracks to show up? I wet the slab down last night and put a sheet of plastic over the slab. I figured that by earlier next week I will be ready to start making my stand. I will need to clean up some of the over run and get it off to the recycling center in the meantime.

Randy

[rsandler]

We had the slab poured, then left on vacation for two weeks basically the next day. The cracks were there when we got back. Although, 9 months and many-thousand pounds of blocks bricks etc. later, it's still just a hairline crack, hard to see if you don't know what you're looking for. So not likely a big issue in any event.

[Baldywills]

Nice slab Randy, Its not always easy working away by yourself, especially if you are up against the clock when it comes to shifting concrete. Now yo will be onto the more interesting parts of the build but you will still have some concrete humping to do so chin up and plough on. Nothing worth doing was ever easy.

All the best

Gary

[RandyJ]

Baldywills , thanks for the words of encouragement. I appreciate that a lot. It definitely is kind of hard trying to beat the clock on setting concrete. That was my number one fear on trying to do the pour all by myself. I pulled it off but was completely spent by the end of it. I figure I have about another week of hard grunt work with building the stand and then next Friday my kit will arrive so if I can be close to done by then the fun part can start.

I am at least somewhat use to working by myself as I am a industrial/ commercial Electrician and do a lot of work by myself. Sometimes you need to be extra creative to get things done and some times you just need to grind really hard to get everything done. I am pretty sure all my neighbors think i am nuts though for all the work i have been doing.

Randy

[Giovanni Rossi]

RandyJ , This is what I love about this Forum...always learning new stuff. All my DIY projects from junior high working with my Dad to building my oven have used redimix delivery. I didn't know this is an option. While it wouldn't have worked for me, I'm sure you've given some future builders an option to maybe save some $$.

Now, you just need to line up a couple buds to help with that support slab!

Gio