Dave's Northern Virginia Build

[DaveW]

Hi All,
I am in the process of building an outdoor kitchen/pizza oven/Roman square in our back yard. The photos are here ---->
Picasa Web Albums - daveandtee - pizza

I am very impressed with everyone's projects. Excellent work guys, I hope I can run with the big dogs, or at least the chiwawa.
dave

[nissanneill]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

Good on ya Dave. It looks you've got it well under control!

Neill

[DaveW]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

Thanks Neil,

It turns out you really do need extra fine sand for the floor mix. I kept having to pull up my bricks to remove a pebble.

Dave

[mluttropp]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

Dave

I am very impressed with the scope of your project. I looked at your photo album and I got tiered just looking at. Keep up yhe nice work, I look forward to seeing how your oven progresses.

[DaveW]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

Dave

I am very impressed with the scope of your project. I looked at your photo album and I got tiered just looking at. Keep up yhe nice work, I look forward to seeing how your oven progresses.

Thanks. It started as just a pizza oven. But, since the back yard is on a slope I would have had to build it into the hill. Then I thought: it would be nice to have a flat surface in front of the oven. And then we probably want a counter to work on. How about a gas grill, and why not a large patio for a table and chairs.....I drew the line at a cold smoker.

dave

[mluttropp]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

It is the might as wells that kill you every time.

[dsgreco]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

Just looked at all your pics. What an awesome project. I showed it to my wife and told her not to complain about the small scope of my oven build. The pics with the dog are the best. Nothing like a lab to keep you company.

[aks801]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

Yep, those pictures of the dog are great, looking so happy to have a big dirt-park created just for him to enjoy!

[fxpose]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

An awesome project indeed! That is going to look great!

BTW, great idea on those rebar safety caps. Much cheaper to make than buying those OSHA caps. I will be doing the same as I have already gouged myself on my leg a couple of times walking over the blocks.

[jmhepworth]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

I see that you are making the sides to the entry arch wide the way I did. I don't know if it improved the strength of the arch, but it made me feel better about it. And I had no issues at all with the sides moving when I built the arches.

[DaveW]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

Hi Joe,
I liked your entry design so much I printed a copy and used it for a guide. However, I did not notch the floor for the inner arch (because I was lazy.) I am hoping that if the floor expands outward it will shear the small amount of mortar on the floor before it pushes the arch outward. I am particularly concerned with arch strength because I will have a masonry chimney. Although, I will further support the chimney with some angle iron just to be on the safe side.

Dave

[jmhepworth]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

I wasn't sure if anyone would follow that idea or not. I thought we should name the wider sides to the entry arch the "double wide."

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

Really nice build Dave. Good use of steel and concrete and that bond beam...wow, your wfo base and outdoor kitchen will be really solid and strong.

I just noticed your ovens floor (the herringbone) it looks like you have laid the oven floor bricks on their side, not flat. Was that intentional with the thought of longer retained heating for serious bread backing? Just curious since so much discussion goes on here about heat up times for the thicker oven walls/floors. Or are you using thinner bricks and it's just an illusion that the floor is more than 2.5" tall?

Great job! Puppy is cute. -Dino

[Tscarborough]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

Looks great, nicely engineered. I would clean the coved fireclay off at the entry though, if possible. It is feathered and that won't last.

[DaveW]

Re: Dave's Northern Virginia Build

... it looks like you have laid the oven floor bricks on their side, not flat. Was that intentional ....
Puppy is cute. -Dino

They are standard firebricks laid on edge. I felt like we might want the extra mass for bread. My thought was that I would rather use more wood than wish for more mass later. However, I am not convinced that I made the right decision.

It seems like puppy (espresso) is pretty popular. His favorite game is to steal my tools and run off with them...He becomes more of a puppy every day.
Dave