PizzaOvenPlansVideo BOOK V11P
How To Build A Pizza Oven
A step-by-step guide to building your very own wood burning pizza oven
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How To Build A Pizza Oven First Published in September 2010 zapp1com, 13 Dancer Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4LD This book is not intended to provide personalized legal, financial, or investment advice. The Author and the Publisher specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any contents of this work. Printed Version ISBN 978-1-4477-6297-3 Book Design: Colette Mason Editing: Rob Zappone Copyright © 2011 Rob Zappone The right of Rob Zappone to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing by any electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications for the copyright holder’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publishers.
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Special Thanks to my brother as this Step by Step Guide could not have be completed without his help, and to Mum & Dad for taking the time to show us the traditional Italian way of making pizza all the way from our home village of Cercemaggiore, which is in southern Italy approximately 150 miles from Rome, 75 miles from Naples and near the town of Campobasso.
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How To Build A Pizza Oven
Firstly thank you for purchasing this step-bystep guide on building a traditional style pizza oven. I take it that you have done your research and have found that there are a thousand different ways to build your oven, and to say its confusing is an understatement. So we have created this simple and clear guide to help make your oven. Have fun and enjoy, as that is what building your oven is all about.
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Table Of Content Planning Your Oven
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Phase 1 Mark Out Base Mortar Mix Base Overview Laying Base Block-Work Laying Lintel Shelf Heath Slab Creating Heath Slab
8 9 11 12 13 25 28 29
Phase 2 Oven Floor Laying Oven Floor Arch Former Creating The Arch Former Setting Out The Oven Overview Setting Out The Oven The Arch/Dome Overview Building The Arch/Dome Closing Dome & Oven Entrance Fitting The Oven Hearth
37 38 39 40 41 47 48 51 52 67 79
Phase 3 Creating The Chimney Overview Creating The Chimney
85 86 87
Phase 4 Creating Thermal Mass Thermal Mass Overview Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap Two Ways To Top Off Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering Congratulations
96 97 101 102 105 106 107 109 115
Finished Oven Making An Oven Door Using The Oven Use Your Imagination FAQ
116 119 124 126 128 5
Planning Your Oven Health & Safety
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Please read, follow and take all safety advice issued from the tool and materials manufacturers that you use in the making of your oven.
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The plans are designed for anyone with competent building ability to follow.
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If in any doubt contact a professional builder.
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Before you start please read through all the instructions.
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These plans are for an oven with an internal dimension of approximately 700mm (27.5”) wide by 900mm (35.5”) deep.
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Please adjust accordingly for the materials sourced by yourselves.
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As such all measurements given must be viewed as approximates.
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Note: if you are struggling to find Vermiculite, You can use Perlite as a replacement or alternative.
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Fire cement is also known as High Alumina Cement or Refractory mortar.
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Also see FAQ at rear of book.
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Phase 1 1.
Measure & mark out the base
2.
Lay block work
3.
Set lintels
4.
Measure and make former for heath base
5.
Pour heath base & leave to set
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Mortar mix 5:1 = 5 parts soft sand to 1 part portland cement
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High density blocks, quantity = 24 (size 400x215x100mm)
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Engineering bricks, quantity = 22 (size 215x103x65mm)
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Concrete lintels, quantity = 13 (size 1200x100x70mm)
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Mortar mix for heath slab 4:2:1 = 4 parts sharp sand, 2 parts Vermiculite, 1 part fire cement (also know as High Alumina Cement) 8
Mark Out Base 1.
Foundations. I have deliberately not shown how to build foundations. This is due to all ground being different and there is no sure fire way that I can give you 100% guide.
1100mm (43&1/3”)
Oven foot print. Drawing is not to scale
(As a rule of thumb 150mm (6”) of reinforced concrete is normally enough for most surfaces). 2.
Measure out your base to start your build 1340mm (52&3/4”) x 1100mm (43&1/3”).
3.
Measure diagonally from corner to corner to make sure the base is square. (A good tip here is to tape out the outside edge of your guild line as this make it easier to follow).
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1340mm (52&3/4”)
Mark Out Base
Tip, use tape to mark outline
Tip, If the measurement Is the same diagonally You know you are square
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Mortar Mix ●Block-work mortar mix 5:1 = Five parts soft sand to 1 part Portland cement. ●Tip: if you use mortar plasticiser additive at this point it will make your mix more amenable and last longer before going off. ●Dry mix the sand cement mix first, be for adding the water or water/additive mix. ●You are looking achieve a mix with the consistency of very firm whipped cream.
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Base Overview
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Laying Base Block-Work
●We are using high density breeze blocks (however you can use a block of your choosing just allow for differences within your calculations). ●Lay block-work according to your guide lines. ●Make sure you keep checking your level and squares as you go. ●Use an approximate 12mm (1/2”) mortar line between joints. ●Be sure to point in all joints as you go.
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Laying Base Block-Work
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Laying Base Block-Work
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Laying Base Block-Work ●Continue laying block-work until you have completed the first layer/course.
●Remember to continue checking your levels as you go.
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Laying Base Block-Work ●Add brick to create turn. ●Cut block to suite turn on second layer (be sure to stagger your joints). ●Air gap left at rear of base to allow the wood which will be stored in here to breath. ●Be sure to check levels and squareness of block-work and continue to point in all joints as you go.
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Laying Base Block-Work
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Laying Base Block-Work
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Laying Base Block-Work
Brick added to create turn
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Laying Base Block-Work
Air gap
Cut blocks to suit
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Laying Base Block-Work
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Laying Base Block-Work
●Continue laying 3rd layer of block-work as previously shown. ●Finish off with a brick layer all the way round the top as shown. ●Remember to check for levels and squareness as you go. ●Over all height at this stage, should be approximately 750mm (29&1/2”).
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Laying Base Block-Work
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Laying Lintel Shelf
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Laying Lintel Shelf ●Again lay a 12mm (1/2”) mortar line around the top of the brick course (if using engineering bricks such as the type in our illustrations, fill in holes). ●
Set lintels evenly spaced on top of the brick course.
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“Tip” it is optional to mortar-between lintel joints.
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Laying Lintel Shelf
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Heath Slab
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Creating Heath Slab • •
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Set your fire bricks out upon the base. For the size of oven that we are building and being that we plan to use it mainly for making pizzas. we have laid the fire bricks flat. If you plan to use the oven more for bread making then set the brick on their side and adjust quantities accordingly. Cut your wood battening to create your form to pour your heath slab. Minimum depth 65mm (2&1/2”) Remember to measure from corner to corner to make sure the form is square.
Mark out centre line
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Creating Heath Slab
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Creating Heath Slab •
Mix the mortar slab mix, 4:2:1 ratio = 4 parts sharp sand, 2 parts Vermiculite 1 part fire cement
Vermiculite
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Don’t make the mix overly wet, you are looking for a consistency of crumbly bread.
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Creating Heath Slab Wet the lintel shelf prior to filling the form with your mortar mix. Pour heath slab mortar mix in to form and tap down to ensure the form is evenly filled and that there are no air gaps. Be sure to check your former to make sure it is still square.
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Creating Heath Slab •
Pour heath slab mortar mix in to form and tap down to ensure the form is evenly filled and that there are no air gaps.
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Refill form with more heath slab mortar mix and then start to level off using a straight edge.
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Add mortar mix as required to ensure a level firm surface when set.
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Creating Heath Slab
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Creating Heath Slab •
Continue levelling off, and filling any hole until you end up with an evenly filled form.
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“Tip”. Take your time and ensure you get a nice smooth level surface.
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Leave to set overnight. (minimum of 8hrs)
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Creating Heath Slab •
Once set, remove form.
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And then with a plasterers float, go over the slab gently removing any high spots.
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This will help the fire bricks to sit level.
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Phase 2 • Lay fire brick base. • Creating the arch former. • Setting out the oven. • Building oven sides. • Building oven arch (dome), filling in back wall. • Making oven entrance. • Fire bricks quantity for building oven base, dome, back wall and entrance. Quantity = 180 (size 230x114x64mm) 9x4&1/2x2&1/2”). • Mortar mix for laying fire bricks 12:4:2 = 12 parts soft sand, 4 parts fire cement & 2 parts fire Clay. • Flat metal bar to form lintel.
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Oven Floor
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Laying Oven Floor •
Lay bricks on slab base.
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“Tip” if you are worried that your heath base is not smooth enough, lay a thin layer of soft sand and fire clay (50/50 mix), in-between the heath slab and the fire brick layer.
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Ensure the fire bricks are sitting level and flat.
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Arch Former
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Creating The Arch Former •
First take a 20mm (3/4”) thick plywood sheet at least 1 meter (40”) square.
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Find the centre point and mark. Then draw a cross line through the centre point. Border line
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Bang a nail into centre point.
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Take a line of string create a loop to drop over the nail & tie the string to a pencil set at 350mm (13&3/4”) & draw a circle.
string
Crossed centre line
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nail
Creating The Arch Former
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Creating The Arch Former •
Lay the brick arch on the plywood board. Starting with the centre brick sitting in the middle of the centre line.
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Make sure that the face edges of the bricks are touching. Then mark the joint points of the bricks. Marking brick joint
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Next, draw a line from the brick joint marking to the centre point of the board. (you only have to do this for one half of the board).
Centre line & centre brick
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Creating The Arch Former
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Creating The Arch Former Cut out the board, notice the lines only on the top half of the board.
Cut the board in half.
Clamp both halves together.
Mark out the spacer position so you can pre-drill the former.
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Creating The Arch Former
Drill the former.
Spacer set out (our spacers are 170mm long).
Screw together.
The with of the former should be less than the width of the fire brick, enabling the brick to sit on the outer edges of the former for support.
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Setting Out The Oven Overview
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Setting Out The Oven •
First lay out a line of fire bricks along the back edge of the oven base floor (do not cement down)
1st line of bricks
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Next lay a line of 3 fire bricks along the side edges of the oven
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Then stand a fire brick upright and place on the inside line of the 3rd fire brick in.
3rd brick in & approx 35mm (1&1/2”) from the edge 48
Setting Out The Oven
What you are aiming for, is for your first line of oven bricks to simulate this pattern. Drawing is not to scale.
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3rdbrick in & 30mm (1&1/2”) in from edge.
Place fire brick at angle so it touches the edges of the side wall bricks & upright brick.
Add a second layer of bricks as illustrated “Tip”, do not cement these bricks down or together.
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The Arch/Dome Overview
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Building The Arch/Dome • When you cut the arch former in two, you would have noticed that you would have cut though the bottom brick line. This is where that came into play.
• Set the arch former so it sits on the rear wall you have just built, and then pack out so when you sit the 1st arch brick in place it is level with the 1st brick line marked on the arch.
Pack arch former so it sits level
• Mortar mix for laying fire bricks 12:4:2 = 12 parts soft sand, 4 parts fire cement & 2 parts fire clay.
1st brick line 52
Building The Arch/Dome
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Building The Arch/Dome
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Building The Arch/Dome Cement in bricks, be sure to tap down and not put to much mortar on front edge of the bricks.
“Make sure all the inner edges are touching and that there are no gaps.”
Use the guide lines drawn on the former to help you judge the angle of the brick-work
“Tip” don’t mix up to much mortar as It goes off quickly. Also wet bricks to stop the mortar drying to quickly. 55
Building The Arch/Dome
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Building The Arch/Dome Continue building the arch evenly on both sides until you reach the centre brick position.
Now create a key-brick to sit in this position. Do this by holding the brick sideways on and marking it with a pencil as illustrated 57
Building The Arch/Dome
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Building The Arch/Dome •
Now using an angle grinder shape the brick to the marked lines.
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Then without adding any mortar drop it in to place.
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Now repeat the process for a second key brick to be put in to place.
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Building The Arch/Dome
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Building The Arch/Dome Key bricks dropped into place (Note no mortar used)
Be sure to point in brick-work and tidy up mortar lines before you remove the former
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Building The Arch/Dome ●Now fill in the inner edge of the arch.
●Mark and shape bricks as required.
●Be sure to take care when fitting the bricks. ●Use thin as possible mortar lines and be sure to seal all holes in the back wall with mortar as you build.
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Building The Arch/Dome
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Building The Arch/Dome •
Reset the arch former as before.
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Lay bricks as previously shown. Be sure to make sure that the bricks on the arches are touching.
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Don’t panic if they don’t follow the exact line. Remember this part is not a beauty contest as it all gets covered with insulating mortar.
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Building The Arch/Dome
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Building The Arch/Dome Build the first three arches and then stop cut and fill the corners of the turn bricks
Before resetting the arch former and building the fourth and final arch.
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Building The Arch/Dome
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Closing Dome & Oven Entrance •
Cut a “V” in a fire brick and fit on to the turn brick to lock in to arch wall.
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If in doubt cut a paper template to guide the brick cut.
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Again do not use mortar mix when piecing this together.
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Cut & fill gap
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Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
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Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
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Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
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Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
Volt height
Entrance height should be between 63 & 65% of the volt height. ie 500mm high volt = 325mm entrance height or a 20” high volt = 13” entrance height.
Entrance height
Cut fire brick & metal lentil to create correct height and support bridge for fire brick return.
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Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
Use paper template to cut fire bricks to suit.
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Closing Dome & Oven Entrance Lay fire bricks on top of metal lintel & fill in side’s as shown
Cut a paper template and cut fire bricks to suit. The first 3 should fit in before you will need to alter the template. 74
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
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Closing Dome & Oven Entrance Continue as shown until you reach this point.
Then fill in the remaining gaps
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Closing Dome & Oven Entrance •
Gaps all filled in
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As you can see no mortar is used at this point.
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Inter view of the entrance arch
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Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
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Fitting The Oven Hearth The oven hearth is the entrance-cum-focal point to your oven. The material you use to create the hearth is your choice. We have chosen to use a cut shaped piece of granite for the purposes of this guide, but the procedure is fundamentally the same whichever stone you decide to use. As a guide this stone should be 1100mm (43”) long and at least 300mm (12”) deep at the centre point & 25mm (1”) thick.
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Fitting The Oven Hearth
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Fitting The Oven Hearth •
Use the mortar mix that was used to build base structure.
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Lay a line of 12mm (1/2”) thick mortar (wet lintel before laying mortar line).
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Cut bricks/blocks allowing for the thickness of your heath and additional 12mm (1/2”) thick mortar line.
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Set block work in to place.
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Wet block work & lay a 12mm (1/2”) thick mortar line.
Cut bricks/blocks to suit the height of your chosen hearth.
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Fitting The Oven Hearth
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Fitting The Oven Hearth •
Set your hearth slab in to place bedding down into mortar line, making sure that it sits level with you oven entrance.
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“Tip” Do not mortar between oven bricks and hearth slab. You are aiming for a dry joint between the oven and hearth.
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Use bricks or blocks to hold the hearth in place and leave to set overnight before continuing.
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Fitting The Oven Hearth
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Phase 3 ●Point in oven brickwork. ●Creating oven opening and starting chimney. ●Building up chimney opening. ●Creating chimney former. Setting chimney stack.
●Fire bricks quantity for building chimney and entrance. Quantity = 20 (size 230x 114x64mm) (9x4&1/2x2&1/2”) ●Or a heavy density brick of your choosing. Remember If you choose to use a different type of brick, adjust quantities accordingly to account for size variations. ●Mortar mix for laying chimney bricks 12:4:2 = 12 parts soft sand, 4 parts fire cement & 2 parts fire clay. ●Flat or angled metal bar to form lintel.
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Creating The Chimney Overview
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Creating The Chimney Firstly point in all the mortar joints with the mortar mix.
Set the return bricks against the oven entrance wall. Do not mortar against the entrance wall and set the brick approximately 25mm (1”) from the oven entrance opening. (This creates a lip for your door to sit against).
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Creating The Chimney Build up chimney as shown, until you get to the oven lintel level.
Set face bricks in to position and match height.
Then set top brick in to place, again mortar down but not against oven lintel.
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Creating The Chimney Set metal lintel in to place.
Set cut and mortar in top layer of brickwork.
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Creating The Chimney
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Creating The Chimney Now create a former as shown to create a cement shelf here.
Measure across the inner edge of the chimney and cut former as shown.
Also using strong wire reinforcing material create a support as shown
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Creating The Chimney
Using bricks set the former and wire support into position, blocking it in so it does not move when you fill it with your mortar mix.
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Creating The Chimney Fill in former with your mortar mix and level off as shown.
Leave to set overnight before removing former.
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Creating The Chimney
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Creating The Chimney ●Mortar in a further line of bricks as shown. ●If needed set a second line of bricks, to make sure you have cleared the height of the dome by at least 50mm (2”).
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Phase 4 ●Wrap oven dome with 3 to 4 layers of thick aluminum foil.
●Chicken wire wrap the oven.
●Render with thermal mass layers building up to a 50mm (2”) thickness. ●Thick Aluminium Foil.
●Chicken Wire.
●Vermiculite.
●Fire Clay.
●Builder Lime.
●Fire Cement. 96
Creating Thermal Mass Wrap oven dome with 2 to 3 layers of thick aluminium foil. (type from a normal home store is ok for this). The reason for this is to allow the thermal layer not to stick against the oven bricks and to stop all the moisture from the insulating slab sinking in to the fire bricks.
Wrap oven dome in chicken wire. This will form a key for the thermal layer to stick to.
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Creating Thermal Mass
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Creating Thermal Mass • “Tip” Add some broken brick pieces in-between the aluminium layer and chicken wire. This will help spread the wire through the thermal layer as you apply it. • Thermal Mortar mix 8:4:2:1.5:1 = 8 parts sharp sand, 4 parts Vermiculite, 2 parts fire cement, 1.5 parts fire clay & 1 parts builders lime. • Apply mortar mix. “Tip” start from the top down and build up layers until it is approximately 50mm (2”) thick. • Leave to dry overnight.
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Creating Thermal Mass Apply 1st layer then scratch-up ready for second layer
Build up layers steadily and consistently. Smooth out final layer, but remember this is not a beauty contest at this stage.
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Creating Thermal Mass
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Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap •
Build chimney stack
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Cap-off chimney with decorative bricks, quantity 8 of 150 x 75 x 40mm (6x3x1&1/2”). An additional 4 bricks create a chimney pot effect and top-off with slate or matching stone. Size 450x225x40mm (18x9x1/2”)
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Cut and fit stainless steel beading
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Cover oven with fire blanket and wrap with chicken wire.
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Engineering bricks for building chimney stack. Quantity = 30 215x102x65mm (8&1/2x4x2&1/2”) Or a heavy density brick of your choosing. Remember If you choose to use a different type of brick, adjust quantities accordingly to account for size variations. Mortar mix for laying chimney bricks 12:4:2 = 12 parts soft sand, 4 parts fire cement & 2 parts fire clay. Fire blanket 25mm (1”) thick x 610mm (25”) wide by 5 meters 16&1/2 feet long. Chicken wire Stainless steel exterior plasterers beading.
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• • •
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Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap
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Measure stack height from exterior lintel here.
Remember to check your levels and the squares as you build the stack.
Build the chimney stack up until you reach your desired height, (as a rule this should be approximately the same as the length of your oven’s internal dimension. So as our oven is 900mm 35-1/2” deep. The stack should be approximately the same height. This is measured from the exterior opening lintel point). Capping off the chimney. A simple way that looks great is to use some solid 150 x 75 x 40mm (6x3x1&1/2”) bricks. Lay these so they sit on the inner edge of the chimney stack not obstructing the flue and so they overhang the stack by approx 25mm (1”) finally add two bricks as shown for a topping off slab. Or add a line of bricks to ether side to create a more traditional looking chimney pot effect. 104
Two Ways To Top Off
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Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap • If you have decided to use nice face bricks which are left on show, this section does not apply to you.
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Taking your exterior plasterers bead cut it to size and mortar in to place.
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“Tip”. You must use exterior stainless steel bead.
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Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap The next stage is wrap your oven with the fire blanket. This will help to keep the heat in the fire bricks and insulation mortar and stop it escaping too quickly. “Tip” the more layers of fire blanket that you use the better the insulation. I recommend using at least one layer, however, one customer that lives in a snow covered winter climate used three layers and has snow sitting on top of his oven when using it in the winter months.
Lay the blanket over the exterior oven dome, cut and fill in the exterior rear oven wall. You may need to cut small “V” shapes into the fire blanket to allow it to sit and fit nicely against the rear oven wall.
Chicken wire wrap the oven so to hold the fire blanket in place and to provide a key for your final layers of mortar to stick to.
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Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap
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Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering • Render oven with weather proof mortar. • Smooth to required texture. • Decorate to taste. • Make door to suit oven entrance. • Cut & fit stainless steel sheet plate to oven door.
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Weather Proofing Mortar mix 4:4:2: additive = 4 parts sharp sand, 4 parts soft sand, 2 parts cement, and add plasticiser and waterproofer additive to mix as per manufacturers guidelines.
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Waterproofer additive
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Plasticiser additive
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Exterior grade plywood 13mm (1/2”) thick sized to suite.
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25x25mm (1x1”) battening sized to suite
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Vermiculite
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Stainless steel sheet metal sized to suite.
109
Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering •
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•
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Once you have covered your oven with the fire blanket, and have placed your plasterers beads in place, then you are ready to progress to the final stage of the oven build. Weather Proofing Mortar mix 4:4:2: additive = 4 parts sharp sand, 4 parts soft sand, 2 parts cement, & add plasticiser and water-proofer additive to mix as per manufacturers guidelines. If you want your dome mortar coloured add the dye to the mortar mixture at this point. As before apply the mortar mix starting from the top and working your way down. Aim for this layer to be approximately 15mm (1/2”) thick.
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Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering Apply this coat evenly all over the oven dome & blend in to face brick work.
Remember although you want to smooth out the mortar it still is not a beauty contest at this point. Don’t worry about it not looking perfectly smooth.
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Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering •
At this point while the oven dome mortar is starting to set, apply the mortar mix to the chimney stack sides and the front entrance to the pizza oven.
(only applicable if your rendering the chimney and entrance as we are).
•
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After the oven body has dried slightly score lightly to create a key for the final layer of mortar.
Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering Using the same mortar mix apply the final coat of render to the dome (and chimney stack if applicable).
This final coat should be approximately 15mm (1/2”) thick.
Smooth out the mortar until you are happy that you have achieved the textured look that you require.
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Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering
Once the oven dome is completely rendered and you have rendered the chimney stack, if you want a more crisp sharp and smooth look, float off the render to achieve this look.
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Congratulations Congratulations your oven is basically finished. Now its all about how you want to decorate it, whether to render the bottom half, use wood cladding or paint it and the dome is up to you.
Again if like our example (as shown in the next few pages) you may choose to paint the dome, leave it as it is or even build sides and a pitched roof over it. The great thing is its your choice…
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Finished Oven
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Finished Oven Wooden frame built for table top. Infill wall built. Wood frame for log store door. Walls are rendered.
Pizza Oven is painted with a good quality exterior masonry paint. Wood work top is fitted to frame and varnished with a good quality exterior varnish.
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Finished Oven
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Making An Oven Door
• First measure the opening • Deduct 12mm (1/2”) from the measurements • Cut out two matching panels with the measurement taken from a 12mm (1/2”) thick exterior ply board
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Making An Oven Door
• Using 25mm (1”) square battening measure cutout glue and screw into position as shown. • Infill with Vermiculite
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Making An Oven Door
• Take a 100x50x300mm (4x2x12”) piece of wood. • Draw and cut out handle. • Glue and screw in to place.
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Making An Oven Door
• Screw and glue together • Then check for fitment • Finally measure the face of the door and have a metal sheet cut to suit and fit.
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Using The Oven •
•
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Before you use the oven you will need to commission it. What I mean by this is, before you use it for the first time it needs to dry out. If you do this too fast your oven may suffer some hair line cracks. if this does happen don’t worry it wont effect the oven but adds character. This is done in two ways, firstly once the oven is built I would suggest letting it naturally dry for a period of two weeks. Then build a small fire within the oven every day over the next week. Then build a hard fire every other night for the following week. Then set your fire & build it up over a period of 1&1/2 to 2 hours getting the oven nice and hot prior to cooking.
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Using The Oven •
• •
How do you know when the oven is at the right temperature? Well the old traditional way is when you start a fire the brickwork will go black with the soot, when this burns away and the bricks turn white again its reached the correct temperature. The more you use your oven the better it will become & the quicker it will warm up to operating temperature. Keeping your oven hot as you are cooking is simply achieved by adding a log or two to keep the fire topped up.
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Use Your Imagination
You do not have to stick to the exact plans, only the principle of the plans, i.e. the method! The way the oven looks is up to you. The important part is the building of the dome, the materials and method used. If you want to make the oven longer or wider, adjust the sizing and the materials quantity as required. Take a look at what Barrie Day did here. By putting his own spin on the design, he and his wife have created a great looking oven with a BBQ built in to the side. Let your imagination go to work and see what you can build.
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Use Your Imagination Anthony’s Oven With gas burner built into oven and triple layered fire blanket to use in snow covered winter months.
Stuart’s Oven With custom made iron work
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FAQ I purchased your book and now I am building the oven. I live in Florida, USA. I have tried everywhere to find the fire cement (also known as HIGH ALUMINA CEMENT), but I can't locate it. Does this material has another name? High Alumina Cement is basically the same cement used to build a chimney in a house. Chimneys get super hot and as such use a special cement, also sometimes called refractory mortar. If you go in to your builders suppliers/store and ask for this or they should be able to help you. If all else fails you can use this recipe for heaths and refractory mortar which use lime, fire clay, Portland cement and sand in a 3:6:2:10 ratio This recipe does without the need to use High Alumina Cement and is a traditional recipe used for building chimneys and ovens. The High Alumina Cement is more stable and more forgiving, if you use the traditional method then please make sure to use the correct mixture as stated above. I have bought your plan and are building it right now, I have to ask why you use Vermiculite and is it fine or more coarse one. The reason for the Vermiculite or Perlite is to work as an insulator. Get the coarse grade, these look like tiny worms about 1/2 inch (15mm) long. But if you can't find this then you can use a coarse stony sand but just remember you may loose a little in heat retention. Make a thicker insulation layer to allow for this. (BUT in truth using a coarse sand was how the ovens have been made for hundreds of years before modern materials) I am about Phase 4 and the Thermal mass. Do you build that up on one or two times (the 50 mm Thermal mass). Why are you using Exterior plasterers beads on the front and on the chimney sides? You say if you don't use face bricks, why not just render it with weather proof mass? You can build up the final mass in layers, depending on how wet your mixture is will depend on how thick the layers can be. What I would suggest is to put it on as thick as your mixture will allow, allow each layer to go off enough to allow the next one to go on. The use of exterior beads is to achieve a crisp line look on the edge of the chimney which would be impossible to achieve easily without them. It is purely a personal option and the great thing is you can choose to finish it whichever way you wish. Rendering without beads will give a more natural feel, rendering with beads will give a crisper look and using face bricks without rendering will give a more traditional chimney feel. If you go for a coloured face brick you can achieve a modern contemporary look. 128
FAQ Hi I am having trouble finding lintels where I live. Is there an alternative way of building the lintel shelf? Yes you could build a cast concrete shelf by using the method below.
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Thank you for purchasing the book We know you will have loads of fun enjoying making your own homemade pizzas with family and friends. As a special bonus for buying our book, please go to. www.howtobuildapizzaoven.com/recipes
Where you can download some free recipe ebooks, especially written for your wood burning pizza oven.
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A step-by-step guide to building your very own wood burning pizza oven
1
How To Build A Pizza Oven First Published in September 2010 zapp1com, 13 Dancer Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4LD This book is not intended to provide personalized legal, financial, or investment advice. The Author and the Publisher specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any contents of this work. Printed Version ISBN 978-1-4477-6297-3 Book Design: Colette Mason Editing: Rob Zappone Copyright © 2011 Rob Zappone The right of Rob Zappone to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing by any electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications for the copyright holder’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publishers.
2
Special Thanks to my brother as this Step by Step Guide could not have be completed without his help, and to Mum & Dad for taking the time to show us the traditional Italian way of making pizza all the way from our home village of Cercemaggiore, which is in southern Italy approximately 150 miles from Rome, 75 miles from Naples and near the town of Campobasso.
3
How To Build A Pizza Oven
Firstly thank you for purchasing this step-bystep guide on building a traditional style pizza oven. I take it that you have done your research and have found that there are a thousand different ways to build your oven, and to say its confusing is an understatement. So we have created this simple and clear guide to help make your oven. Have fun and enjoy, as that is what building your oven is all about.
4
Table Of Content Planning Your Oven
6
Phase 1 Mark Out Base Mortar Mix Base Overview Laying Base Block-Work Laying Lintel Shelf Heath Slab Creating Heath Slab
8 9 11 12 13 25 28 29
Phase 2 Oven Floor Laying Oven Floor Arch Former Creating The Arch Former Setting Out The Oven Overview Setting Out The Oven The Arch/Dome Overview Building The Arch/Dome Closing Dome & Oven Entrance Fitting The Oven Hearth
37 38 39 40 41 47 48 51 52 67 79
Phase 3 Creating The Chimney Overview Creating The Chimney
85 86 87
Phase 4 Creating Thermal Mass Thermal Mass Overview Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap Two Ways To Top Off Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering Congratulations
96 97 101 102 105 106 107 109 115
Finished Oven Making An Oven Door Using The Oven Use Your Imagination FAQ
116 119 124 126 128 5
Planning Your Oven Health & Safety
•
Please read, follow and take all safety advice issued from the tool and materials manufacturers that you use in the making of your oven.
•
The plans are designed for anyone with competent building ability to follow.
•
If in any doubt contact a professional builder.
•
Before you start please read through all the instructions.
•
These plans are for an oven with an internal dimension of approximately 700mm (27.5”) wide by 900mm (35.5”) deep.
•
Please adjust accordingly for the materials sourced by yourselves.
•
As such all measurements given must be viewed as approximates.
•
Note: if you are struggling to find Vermiculite, You can use Perlite as a replacement or alternative.
•
Fire cement is also known as High Alumina Cement or Refractory mortar.
•
Also see FAQ at rear of book.
6
7
Phase 1 1.
Measure & mark out the base
2.
Lay block work
3.
Set lintels
4.
Measure and make former for heath base
5.
Pour heath base & leave to set
•
Mortar mix 5:1 = 5 parts soft sand to 1 part portland cement
•
High density blocks, quantity = 24 (size 400x215x100mm)
•
Engineering bricks, quantity = 22 (size 215x103x65mm)
•
Concrete lintels, quantity = 13 (size 1200x100x70mm)
•
Mortar mix for heath slab 4:2:1 = 4 parts sharp sand, 2 parts Vermiculite, 1 part fire cement (also know as High Alumina Cement) 8
Mark Out Base 1.
Foundations. I have deliberately not shown how to build foundations. This is due to all ground being different and there is no sure fire way that I can give you 100% guide.
1100mm (43&1/3”)
Oven foot print. Drawing is not to scale
(As a rule of thumb 150mm (6”) of reinforced concrete is normally enough for most surfaces). 2.
Measure out your base to start your build 1340mm (52&3/4”) x 1100mm (43&1/3”).
3.
Measure diagonally from corner to corner to make sure the base is square. (A good tip here is to tape out the outside edge of your guild line as this make it easier to follow).
9
1340mm (52&3/4”)
Mark Out Base
Tip, use tape to mark outline
Tip, If the measurement Is the same diagonally You know you are square
10
Mortar Mix ●Block-work mortar mix 5:1 = Five parts soft sand to 1 part Portland cement. ●Tip: if you use mortar plasticiser additive at this point it will make your mix more amenable and last longer before going off. ●Dry mix the sand cement mix first, be for adding the water or water/additive mix. ●You are looking achieve a mix with the consistency of very firm whipped cream.
11
Base Overview
12
Laying Base Block-Work
●We are using high density breeze blocks (however you can use a block of your choosing just allow for differences within your calculations). ●Lay block-work according to your guide lines. ●Make sure you keep checking your level and squares as you go. ●Use an approximate 12mm (1/2”) mortar line between joints. ●Be sure to point in all joints as you go.
13
Laying Base Block-Work
14
Laying Base Block-Work
15
Laying Base Block-Work ●Continue laying block-work until you have completed the first layer/course.
●Remember to continue checking your levels as you go.
16
Laying Base Block-Work ●Add brick to create turn. ●Cut block to suite turn on second layer (be sure to stagger your joints). ●Air gap left at rear of base to allow the wood which will be stored in here to breath. ●Be sure to check levels and squareness of block-work and continue to point in all joints as you go.
17
Laying Base Block-Work
18
Laying Base Block-Work
19
Laying Base Block-Work
Brick added to create turn
20
Laying Base Block-Work
Air gap
Cut blocks to suit
21
Laying Base Block-Work
22
Laying Base Block-Work
●Continue laying 3rd layer of block-work as previously shown. ●Finish off with a brick layer all the way round the top as shown. ●Remember to check for levels and squareness as you go. ●Over all height at this stage, should be approximately 750mm (29&1/2”).
23
Laying Base Block-Work
24
Laying Lintel Shelf
25
Laying Lintel Shelf ●Again lay a 12mm (1/2”) mortar line around the top of the brick course (if using engineering bricks such as the type in our illustrations, fill in holes). ●
Set lintels evenly spaced on top of the brick course.
●
“Tip” it is optional to mortar-between lintel joints.
26
Laying Lintel Shelf
27
Heath Slab
28
Creating Heath Slab • •
•
•
•
Set your fire bricks out upon the base. For the size of oven that we are building and being that we plan to use it mainly for making pizzas. we have laid the fire bricks flat. If you plan to use the oven more for bread making then set the brick on their side and adjust quantities accordingly. Cut your wood battening to create your form to pour your heath slab. Minimum depth 65mm (2&1/2”) Remember to measure from corner to corner to make sure the form is square.
Mark out centre line
29
Creating Heath Slab
30
Creating Heath Slab •
Mix the mortar slab mix, 4:2:1 ratio = 4 parts sharp sand, 2 parts Vermiculite 1 part fire cement
Vermiculite
•
Don’t make the mix overly wet, you are looking for a consistency of crumbly bread.
31
Creating Heath Slab Wet the lintel shelf prior to filling the form with your mortar mix. Pour heath slab mortar mix in to form and tap down to ensure the form is evenly filled and that there are no air gaps. Be sure to check your former to make sure it is still square.
32
Creating Heath Slab •
Pour heath slab mortar mix in to form and tap down to ensure the form is evenly filled and that there are no air gaps.
•
Refill form with more heath slab mortar mix and then start to level off using a straight edge.
•
Add mortar mix as required to ensure a level firm surface when set.
33
Creating Heath Slab
34
Creating Heath Slab •
Continue levelling off, and filling any hole until you end up with an evenly filled form.
•
“Tip”. Take your time and ensure you get a nice smooth level surface.
•
Leave to set overnight. (minimum of 8hrs)
35
Creating Heath Slab •
Once set, remove form.
•
And then with a plasterers float, go over the slab gently removing any high spots.
•
This will help the fire bricks to sit level.
36
Phase 2 • Lay fire brick base. • Creating the arch former. • Setting out the oven. • Building oven sides. • Building oven arch (dome), filling in back wall. • Making oven entrance. • Fire bricks quantity for building oven base, dome, back wall and entrance. Quantity = 180 (size 230x114x64mm) 9x4&1/2x2&1/2”). • Mortar mix for laying fire bricks 12:4:2 = 12 parts soft sand, 4 parts fire cement & 2 parts fire Clay. • Flat metal bar to form lintel.
37
Oven Floor
38
Laying Oven Floor •
Lay bricks on slab base.
•
“Tip” if you are worried that your heath base is not smooth enough, lay a thin layer of soft sand and fire clay (50/50 mix), in-between the heath slab and the fire brick layer.
•
Ensure the fire bricks are sitting level and flat.
39
Arch Former
40
Creating The Arch Former •
First take a 20mm (3/4”) thick plywood sheet at least 1 meter (40”) square.
•
Find the centre point and mark. Then draw a cross line through the centre point. Border line
•
Bang a nail into centre point.
•
Take a line of string create a loop to drop over the nail & tie the string to a pencil set at 350mm (13&3/4”) & draw a circle.
string
Crossed centre line
41
nail
Creating The Arch Former
42
Creating The Arch Former •
Lay the brick arch on the plywood board. Starting with the centre brick sitting in the middle of the centre line.
•
Make sure that the face edges of the bricks are touching. Then mark the joint points of the bricks. Marking brick joint
•
Next, draw a line from the brick joint marking to the centre point of the board. (you only have to do this for one half of the board).
Centre line & centre brick
43
Creating The Arch Former
44
Creating The Arch Former Cut out the board, notice the lines only on the top half of the board.
Cut the board in half.
Clamp both halves together.
Mark out the spacer position so you can pre-drill the former.
45
Creating The Arch Former
Drill the former.
Spacer set out (our spacers are 170mm long).
Screw together.
The with of the former should be less than the width of the fire brick, enabling the brick to sit on the outer edges of the former for support.
46
Setting Out The Oven Overview
47
Setting Out The Oven •
First lay out a line of fire bricks along the back edge of the oven base floor (do not cement down)
1st line of bricks
•
Next lay a line of 3 fire bricks along the side edges of the oven
•
Then stand a fire brick upright and place on the inside line of the 3rd fire brick in.
3rd brick in & approx 35mm (1&1/2”) from the edge 48
Setting Out The Oven
What you are aiming for, is for your first line of oven bricks to simulate this pattern. Drawing is not to scale.
49
3rdbrick in & 30mm (1&1/2”) in from edge.
Place fire brick at angle so it touches the edges of the side wall bricks & upright brick.
Add a second layer of bricks as illustrated “Tip”, do not cement these bricks down or together.
50
The Arch/Dome Overview
51
Building The Arch/Dome • When you cut the arch former in two, you would have noticed that you would have cut though the bottom brick line. This is where that came into play.
• Set the arch former so it sits on the rear wall you have just built, and then pack out so when you sit the 1st arch brick in place it is level with the 1st brick line marked on the arch.
Pack arch former so it sits level
• Mortar mix for laying fire bricks 12:4:2 = 12 parts soft sand, 4 parts fire cement & 2 parts fire clay.
1st brick line 52
Building The Arch/Dome
53
Building The Arch/Dome
54
Building The Arch/Dome Cement in bricks, be sure to tap down and not put to much mortar on front edge of the bricks.
“Make sure all the inner edges are touching and that there are no gaps.”
Use the guide lines drawn on the former to help you judge the angle of the brick-work
“Tip” don’t mix up to much mortar as It goes off quickly. Also wet bricks to stop the mortar drying to quickly. 55
Building The Arch/Dome
56
Building The Arch/Dome Continue building the arch evenly on both sides until you reach the centre brick position.
Now create a key-brick to sit in this position. Do this by holding the brick sideways on and marking it with a pencil as illustrated 57
Building The Arch/Dome
58
Building The Arch/Dome •
Now using an angle grinder shape the brick to the marked lines.
•
Then without adding any mortar drop it in to place.
•
Now repeat the process for a second key brick to be put in to place.
59
Building The Arch/Dome
60
Building The Arch/Dome Key bricks dropped into place (Note no mortar used)
Be sure to point in brick-work and tidy up mortar lines before you remove the former
61
Building The Arch/Dome ●Now fill in the inner edge of the arch.
●Mark and shape bricks as required.
●Be sure to take care when fitting the bricks. ●Use thin as possible mortar lines and be sure to seal all holes in the back wall with mortar as you build.
62
Building The Arch/Dome
63
Building The Arch/Dome •
Reset the arch former as before.
•
Lay bricks as previously shown. Be sure to make sure that the bricks on the arches are touching.
•
Don’t panic if they don’t follow the exact line. Remember this part is not a beauty contest as it all gets covered with insulating mortar.
64
Building The Arch/Dome
65
Building The Arch/Dome Build the first three arches and then stop cut and fill the corners of the turn bricks
Before resetting the arch former and building the fourth and final arch.
66
Building The Arch/Dome
67
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance •
Cut a “V” in a fire brick and fit on to the turn brick to lock in to arch wall.
•
If in doubt cut a paper template to guide the brick cut.
•
Again do not use mortar mix when piecing this together.
•
Cut & fill gap
68
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
69
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
70
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
71
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
Volt height
Entrance height should be between 63 & 65% of the volt height. ie 500mm high volt = 325mm entrance height or a 20” high volt = 13” entrance height.
Entrance height
Cut fire brick & metal lentil to create correct height and support bridge for fire brick return.
72
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
Use paper template to cut fire bricks to suit.
73
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance Lay fire bricks on top of metal lintel & fill in side’s as shown
Cut a paper template and cut fire bricks to suit. The first 3 should fit in before you will need to alter the template. 74
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
75
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance Continue as shown until you reach this point.
Then fill in the remaining gaps
76
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance •
Gaps all filled in
•
As you can see no mortar is used at this point.
•
Inter view of the entrance arch
77
Closing Dome & Oven Entrance
78
Fitting The Oven Hearth The oven hearth is the entrance-cum-focal point to your oven. The material you use to create the hearth is your choice. We have chosen to use a cut shaped piece of granite for the purposes of this guide, but the procedure is fundamentally the same whichever stone you decide to use. As a guide this stone should be 1100mm (43”) long and at least 300mm (12”) deep at the centre point & 25mm (1”) thick.
79
Fitting The Oven Hearth
80
Fitting The Oven Hearth •
Use the mortar mix that was used to build base structure.
•
Lay a line of 12mm (1/2”) thick mortar (wet lintel before laying mortar line).
•
Cut bricks/blocks allowing for the thickness of your heath and additional 12mm (1/2”) thick mortar line.
•
Set block work in to place.
•
Wet block work & lay a 12mm (1/2”) thick mortar line.
Cut bricks/blocks to suit the height of your chosen hearth.
81
Fitting The Oven Hearth
82
Fitting The Oven Hearth •
Set your hearth slab in to place bedding down into mortar line, making sure that it sits level with you oven entrance.
•
“Tip” Do not mortar between oven bricks and hearth slab. You are aiming for a dry joint between the oven and hearth.
•
Use bricks or blocks to hold the hearth in place and leave to set overnight before continuing.
83
Fitting The Oven Hearth
84
Phase 3 ●Point in oven brickwork. ●Creating oven opening and starting chimney. ●Building up chimney opening. ●Creating chimney former. Setting chimney stack.
●Fire bricks quantity for building chimney and entrance. Quantity = 20 (size 230x 114x64mm) (9x4&1/2x2&1/2”) ●Or a heavy density brick of your choosing. Remember If you choose to use a different type of brick, adjust quantities accordingly to account for size variations. ●Mortar mix for laying chimney bricks 12:4:2 = 12 parts soft sand, 4 parts fire cement & 2 parts fire clay. ●Flat or angled metal bar to form lintel.
85
Creating The Chimney Overview
86
Creating The Chimney Firstly point in all the mortar joints with the mortar mix.
Set the return bricks against the oven entrance wall. Do not mortar against the entrance wall and set the brick approximately 25mm (1”) from the oven entrance opening. (This creates a lip for your door to sit against).
87
Creating The Chimney Build up chimney as shown, until you get to the oven lintel level.
Set face bricks in to position and match height.
Then set top brick in to place, again mortar down but not against oven lintel.
88
Creating The Chimney Set metal lintel in to place.
Set cut and mortar in top layer of brickwork.
89
Creating The Chimney
90
Creating The Chimney Now create a former as shown to create a cement shelf here.
Measure across the inner edge of the chimney and cut former as shown.
Also using strong wire reinforcing material create a support as shown
91
Creating The Chimney
Using bricks set the former and wire support into position, blocking it in so it does not move when you fill it with your mortar mix.
92
Creating The Chimney Fill in former with your mortar mix and level off as shown.
Leave to set overnight before removing former.
93
Creating The Chimney
94
Creating The Chimney ●Mortar in a further line of bricks as shown. ●If needed set a second line of bricks, to make sure you have cleared the height of the dome by at least 50mm (2”).
95
Phase 4 ●Wrap oven dome with 3 to 4 layers of thick aluminum foil.
●Chicken wire wrap the oven.
●Render with thermal mass layers building up to a 50mm (2”) thickness. ●Thick Aluminium Foil.
●Chicken Wire.
●Vermiculite.
●Fire Clay.
●Builder Lime.
●Fire Cement. 96
Creating Thermal Mass Wrap oven dome with 2 to 3 layers of thick aluminium foil. (type from a normal home store is ok for this). The reason for this is to allow the thermal layer not to stick against the oven bricks and to stop all the moisture from the insulating slab sinking in to the fire bricks.
Wrap oven dome in chicken wire. This will form a key for the thermal layer to stick to.
97
Creating Thermal Mass
98
Creating Thermal Mass • “Tip” Add some broken brick pieces in-between the aluminium layer and chicken wire. This will help spread the wire through the thermal layer as you apply it. • Thermal Mortar mix 8:4:2:1.5:1 = 8 parts sharp sand, 4 parts Vermiculite, 2 parts fire cement, 1.5 parts fire clay & 1 parts builders lime. • Apply mortar mix. “Tip” start from the top down and build up layers until it is approximately 50mm (2”) thick. • Leave to dry overnight.
99
Creating Thermal Mass Apply 1st layer then scratch-up ready for second layer
Build up layers steadily and consistently. Smooth out final layer, but remember this is not a beauty contest at this stage.
100
Creating Thermal Mass
101
Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap •
Build chimney stack
•
Cap-off chimney with decorative bricks, quantity 8 of 150 x 75 x 40mm (6x3x1&1/2”). An additional 4 bricks create a chimney pot effect and top-off with slate or matching stone. Size 450x225x40mm (18x9x1/2”)
•
Cut and fit stainless steel beading
•
Cover oven with fire blanket and wrap with chicken wire.
•
Engineering bricks for building chimney stack. Quantity = 30 215x102x65mm (8&1/2x4x2&1/2”) Or a heavy density brick of your choosing. Remember If you choose to use a different type of brick, adjust quantities accordingly to account for size variations. Mortar mix for laying chimney bricks 12:4:2 = 12 parts soft sand, 4 parts fire cement & 2 parts fire clay. Fire blanket 25mm (1”) thick x 610mm (25”) wide by 5 meters 16&1/2 feet long. Chicken wire Stainless steel exterior plasterers beading.
•
•
• • •
102
Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap
103
Measure stack height from exterior lintel here.
Remember to check your levels and the squares as you build the stack.
Build the chimney stack up until you reach your desired height, (as a rule this should be approximately the same as the length of your oven’s internal dimension. So as our oven is 900mm 35-1/2” deep. The stack should be approximately the same height. This is measured from the exterior opening lintel point). Capping off the chimney. A simple way that looks great is to use some solid 150 x 75 x 40mm (6x3x1&1/2”) bricks. Lay these so they sit on the inner edge of the chimney stack not obstructing the flue and so they overhang the stack by approx 25mm (1”) finally add two bricks as shown for a topping off slab. Or add a line of bricks to ether side to create a more traditional looking chimney pot effect. 104
Two Ways To Top Off
105
Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap • If you have decided to use nice face bricks which are left on show, this section does not apply to you.
•
Taking your exterior plasterers bead cut it to size and mortar in to place.
•
“Tip”. You must use exterior stainless steel bead.
106
Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap The next stage is wrap your oven with the fire blanket. This will help to keep the heat in the fire bricks and insulation mortar and stop it escaping too quickly. “Tip” the more layers of fire blanket that you use the better the insulation. I recommend using at least one layer, however, one customer that lives in a snow covered winter climate used three layers and has snow sitting on top of his oven when using it in the winter months.
Lay the blanket over the exterior oven dome, cut and fill in the exterior rear oven wall. You may need to cut small “V” shapes into the fire blanket to allow it to sit and fit nicely against the rear oven wall.
Chicken wire wrap the oven so to hold the fire blanket in place and to provide a key for your final layers of mortar to stick to.
107
Chimney, Fire Blanket & Chicken Wire Wrap
108
Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering • Render oven with weather proof mortar. • Smooth to required texture. • Decorate to taste. • Make door to suit oven entrance. • Cut & fit stainless steel sheet plate to oven door.
•
Weather Proofing Mortar mix 4:4:2: additive = 4 parts sharp sand, 4 parts soft sand, 2 parts cement, and add plasticiser and waterproofer additive to mix as per manufacturers guidelines.
•
Waterproofer additive
•
Plasticiser additive
•
Exterior grade plywood 13mm (1/2”) thick sized to suite.
•
25x25mm (1x1”) battening sized to suite
•
Vermiculite
•
Stainless steel sheet metal sized to suite.
109
Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering •
•
•
•
Once you have covered your oven with the fire blanket, and have placed your plasterers beads in place, then you are ready to progress to the final stage of the oven build. Weather Proofing Mortar mix 4:4:2: additive = 4 parts sharp sand, 4 parts soft sand, 2 parts cement, & add plasticiser and water-proofer additive to mix as per manufacturers guidelines. If you want your dome mortar coloured add the dye to the mortar mixture at this point. As before apply the mortar mix starting from the top and working your way down. Aim for this layer to be approximately 15mm (1/2”) thick.
110
Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering Apply this coat evenly all over the oven dome & blend in to face brick work.
Remember although you want to smooth out the mortar it still is not a beauty contest at this point. Don’t worry about it not looking perfectly smooth.
111
Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering •
At this point while the oven dome mortar is starting to set, apply the mortar mix to the chimney stack sides and the front entrance to the pizza oven.
(only applicable if your rendering the chimney and entrance as we are).
•
112
After the oven body has dried slightly score lightly to create a key for the final layer of mortar.
Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering Using the same mortar mix apply the final coat of render to the dome (and chimney stack if applicable).
This final coat should be approximately 15mm (1/2”) thick.
Smooth out the mortar until you are happy that you have achieved the textured look that you require.
113
Weather Proof Mortar Coat & Rendering
Once the oven dome is completely rendered and you have rendered the chimney stack, if you want a more crisp sharp and smooth look, float off the render to achieve this look.
114
Congratulations Congratulations your oven is basically finished. Now its all about how you want to decorate it, whether to render the bottom half, use wood cladding or paint it and the dome is up to you.
Again if like our example (as shown in the next few pages) you may choose to paint the dome, leave it as it is or even build sides and a pitched roof over it. The great thing is its your choice…
115
Finished Oven
116
Finished Oven Wooden frame built for table top. Infill wall built. Wood frame for log store door. Walls are rendered.
Pizza Oven is painted with a good quality exterior masonry paint. Wood work top is fitted to frame and varnished with a good quality exterior varnish.
117
Finished Oven
118
Making An Oven Door
• First measure the opening • Deduct 12mm (1/2”) from the measurements • Cut out two matching panels with the measurement taken from a 12mm (1/2”) thick exterior ply board
119
Making An Oven Door
• Using 25mm (1”) square battening measure cutout glue and screw into position as shown. • Infill with Vermiculite
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Making An Oven Door
• Take a 100x50x300mm (4x2x12”) piece of wood. • Draw and cut out handle. • Glue and screw in to place.
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Making An Oven Door
• Screw and glue together • Then check for fitment • Finally measure the face of the door and have a metal sheet cut to suit and fit.
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Using The Oven •
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Before you use the oven you will need to commission it. What I mean by this is, before you use it for the first time it needs to dry out. If you do this too fast your oven may suffer some hair line cracks. if this does happen don’t worry it wont effect the oven but adds character. This is done in two ways, firstly once the oven is built I would suggest letting it naturally dry for a period of two weeks. Then build a small fire within the oven every day over the next week. Then build a hard fire every other night for the following week. Then set your fire & build it up over a period of 1&1/2 to 2 hours getting the oven nice and hot prior to cooking.
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Using The Oven •
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How do you know when the oven is at the right temperature? Well the old traditional way is when you start a fire the brickwork will go black with the soot, when this burns away and the bricks turn white again its reached the correct temperature. The more you use your oven the better it will become & the quicker it will warm up to operating temperature. Keeping your oven hot as you are cooking is simply achieved by adding a log or two to keep the fire topped up.
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Use Your Imagination
You do not have to stick to the exact plans, only the principle of the plans, i.e. the method! The way the oven looks is up to you. The important part is the building of the dome, the materials and method used. If you want to make the oven longer or wider, adjust the sizing and the materials quantity as required. Take a look at what Barrie Day did here. By putting his own spin on the design, he and his wife have created a great looking oven with a BBQ built in to the side. Let your imagination go to work and see what you can build.
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Use Your Imagination Anthony’s Oven With gas burner built into oven and triple layered fire blanket to use in snow covered winter months.
Stuart’s Oven With custom made iron work
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FAQ I purchased your book and now I am building the oven. I live in Florida, USA. I have tried everywhere to find the fire cement (also known as HIGH ALUMINA CEMENT), but I can't locate it. Does this material has another name? High Alumina Cement is basically the same cement used to build a chimney in a house. Chimneys get super hot and as such use a special cement, also sometimes called refractory mortar. If you go in to your builders suppliers/store and ask for this or they should be able to help you. If all else fails you can use this recipe for heaths and refractory mortar which use lime, fire clay, Portland cement and sand in a 3:6:2:10 ratio This recipe does without the need to use High Alumina Cement and is a traditional recipe used for building chimneys and ovens. The High Alumina Cement is more stable and more forgiving, if you use the traditional method then please make sure to use the correct mixture as stated above. I have bought your plan and are building it right now, I have to ask why you use Vermiculite and is it fine or more coarse one. The reason for the Vermiculite or Perlite is to work as an insulator. Get the coarse grade, these look like tiny worms about 1/2 inch (15mm) long. But if you can't find this then you can use a coarse stony sand but just remember you may loose a little in heat retention. Make a thicker insulation layer to allow for this. (BUT in truth using a coarse sand was how the ovens have been made for hundreds of years before modern materials) I am about Phase 4 and the Thermal mass. Do you build that up on one or two times (the 50 mm Thermal mass). Why are you using Exterior plasterers beads on the front and on the chimney sides? You say if you don't use face bricks, why not just render it with weather proof mass? You can build up the final mass in layers, depending on how wet your mixture is will depend on how thick the layers can be. What I would suggest is to put it on as thick as your mixture will allow, allow each layer to go off enough to allow the next one to go on. The use of exterior beads is to achieve a crisp line look on the edge of the chimney which would be impossible to achieve easily without them. It is purely a personal option and the great thing is you can choose to finish it whichever way you wish. Rendering without beads will give a more natural feel, rendering with beads will give a crisper look and using face bricks without rendering will give a more traditional chimney feel. If you go for a coloured face brick you can achieve a modern contemporary look. 128
FAQ Hi I am having trouble finding lintels where I live. Is there an alternative way of building the lintel shelf? Yes you could build a cast concrete shelf by using the method below.
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Thank you for purchasing the book We know you will have loads of fun enjoying making your own homemade pizzas with family and friends. As a special bonus for buying our book, please go to. www.howtobuildapizzaoven.com/recipes
Where you can download some free recipe ebooks, especially written for your wood burning pizza oven.
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