New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

[Wozza]

G'day all.

After lurking for a while and asking a couple of questions I think I'm now committed to a build...

I had a wood burning stove in the living room up until a few weeks back. But it was well past it's use-by date so it had to go. Broke my heart...I used to love firing it up during the winter (yeah, it does get chilly in Sydney). But a man needs fire so hey, how about a pizza oven!

We've been meaning to reorganise the garden, so after finally getting the thumbs up from my better half (carefully avoiding any mention of the potential cost) I'm off and running.

Been shovelling dirt from one place to another, dismantling some wooden walls, tearing down an old shed, tearing up pavers and generally turning the garden into a work site. But I have finally dug out the area for the foundation slab. If I can work out how to post piccies I'll put some up on the current situation (uploading them from my Ipad doesn't seem to want to work).

I have no idea how long this is going to take me. But call this Day 1.

[Wozza]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi



OK, success with a piccie. Seems the iPad won't do it but the iPhone will. Go figure...

The piccie shows the back of the garden and the area where I've dug out for the foundation. It'll be dead centre on the back wall but NSW rules and regs mean that I have to keep it 450mm from that wall. I'll be building a low wall either side out of hardwood sleepers about a metre from the back wall and that will be the sum total of garden. It used to come out a lot further so I've got a lot of dirt to get into a skip at some point.

You can see a vent and inspection pipe on the left for the sewage which were within the original raised garden. I'll cut the inspection pipe back and re-route the vent closer to the wall. You can also see an existing slab on the right where the shed used to be. I was going to put the oven on that until I found this site, did some reading and realised that 40mm of unreinforced concrete poured onto a layer of bricks may have been fine for a tin shed but not the best of support bases for a WFO.

For one reason and another, I can't pour concrete until nearer the end of this month. But say a week for it to cure and then I can lay the blockwork walls by the beginning of November. Then it's hold on the oven and get the garden up to scratch before I can think about the hearth. With luck and a fair wind I may be able to start the dome in December.

Well, that's the plan.

[Greenman]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

Congratulations on making a start. As long as you have a good foundation and a plan you are off to a good start. The plan is really the key and how well it all comes together depends on careful planning.

You have a blank canvas to work with pretty much and looking past the hills hoist I see a lot of potential for a great setup (and heaps of brownie points) there.

Good luck with it, I will watch with interest.

[BrendanLovesPizza]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

Well, that's the plan.

Famous last words, ive been wanting to get a single block laid for 6 months!!

This may soon turn into a race as to who finishes first!

If you need any help or tools let me know wozza i dont mind helping a common cause, and have acquired a lot of tools.

[Wozza]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

This may soon turn into a race as to who finishes first!

Whoever cooks the first pizza supplies the food. The other guy brings the beer...

[BrendanLovesPizza]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

you're on

[cobblerdave]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

G'day Wozza
Just a small thought....... Back to the garden bed at the rear of the oven . Mightn't be a bad idea to tank that wall as well, be right neighborly not to be the cause of a big damp patch on the neighbors side of the fence.
Regards dave

[Wozza]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

G'day Wozza
Just a small thought....... Back to the garden bed at the rear of the oven . Mightn't be a bad idea to tank that wall as well, be right neighborly not to be the cause of a big damp patch on the neighbors side of the fence.
Regards dave

Good point.

The raised garden on the left was originally higher (and a lot deeper) and ran across the back wall to about the right hand side of the area cleared for the slab. I had plastic sheeting behind it and it seemed to have protected the wall OK in the 5 or 6 years it had been there.

When I come to finalise everything I'll fix some sheeting to the wall just about level with the top of the soil and run it down to the wall footings. That should keep the wall dry.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

You are in with good company with Greenman and Cobblerdave. Like said, you have a blank canvas. If you have not already looked, here is a link to some of the documented builds on the blog. http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f2/n...res-15133.html

[softy]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

a few coats of silasec will do the trick, they use it to waterproof ponds, I can tell you it works, a mate of mine once had a problem with water getting into his house, just happened that the outside path was higher than the inside floor of his sunken lounge room. after 2 coats of silasec on the path and about 100mm up the brick wall, no more water coming inside his house.

[Wozza]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

You are in with good company with Greenman and Cobblerdave. Like said, you have a blank canvas. If you have not already looked, here is a link to some of the documented builds on the blog. http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f2/n...res-15133.html

Thanks, Utah. Lots of friendly people willing to lend a hand - yourself included.

Yeah, I came across that thread a few days ago. Been working my way through it. Almost too many good ideas. It's something of a struggle not to get carried away - need to concentrate on what is suitable for my situation.

But one thing that did make me stop and think was the hearth height. I had just assumed that standard worktop height of 900mm would be fine. Now, from what others have posted, I'm thinking I should go higher. Maybe even 1100mm (43"). I've been stacking cutting boards onto the kitchen worktop this morning and wandering around with a broom shovelling imaginary pizzas into my imaginary oven...what height do you guys have?

I think the actual height of a 200mm block is a little less than 200mm (you get multiples of that if you mortar them - but I need to check that). So four courses gives me 775mm plus a 100mm hearth and 50mm each for insulation board and a tile floor and I've got 975mm. So my foundation slab needs to be 125mm above current pavers to get to my 1100mm. Which means...I've dug out too much for the slab and some of that dirt needs to go back into the hole.

Great. I have barely started and I'm already going backwards....

a few coats of silasec will do the trick, they use it to waterproof ponds, I can tell you it works, a mate of mine once had a problem with water getting into his house, just happened that the outside path was higher than the inside floor of his sunken lounge room. after 2 coats of silasec on the path and about 100mm up the brick wall, no more water coming inside his house.

Sounds the go. Bunnings will be doing well out of me in the coming months. Maybe I need to set up an account with them. If they need a tradies license my son's a sparky. Might be chance of a discount.

Reading about Silasec it recommends using it as an additive to cement/concrete. Is there a different type that you can simply paint on or can you do that anyway?

[Greenman]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

The rule of thumb often quoted is 'elbow height'.

Mine is 1 metre neat and it is fine for me but it would not need to be lower than that for me.

You could place another course of half depth (100mm) blocks on your stand and you would be up to where you want to be without sounding the retreat.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

The basic rule of elbow height is a good one, you just don't want to have to stoop too much when loading and unloading those 100s of pizzas you will be cooking for the neighborhood and family parties.........

Yes, the thread has a lot of different ways to skin the cat so it is a good resource so you don't have to reinvent the wheel.

[Gulf]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

Take it from an old fart. Build it to where you don't have to bend over to see or to work the oven . Anyone else, that works it, can use a freakin stool

[softy]

Re: New 36" Pompeii in Bondi

my cooking height is at 1120mm which was by accident ( got sick of digging) I am very comfortable with that height.

the silasec once mixed with all the ingredients makes a thick paintable paste.

tell them at bunnings you are renovating and if you can get the trade discount card. few dollars here and there all adds up or maybe get some shares in bunnings lol