When John from Moyarra decided to build a backyard pizza oven, he chose the smartest tool for the job - Pizza Oven In A Box. After a few solid weekends of work, John's wood-fired oven was complete. Along the way, he gathered valuable insights that can help anyone considering their own DIY build.
Materials Used for a 900mm Wide DIY Pizza Oven
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6 x 25kg bags of Refractory Cement
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1.5 x 6kg bags of Vermiculite (approximately 0.25 cubic meters)
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1 x 25kg bag of Cement Fondu
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3 x 20kg bags of Mortar (for rendering)
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3.5 meters of 600mm wide Isowool Thermal Blanket
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3 meters of chicken wire
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A generous amount of aluminum foil (tip: wait for a calm day!)
John also noted that hiring a brick saw for $90 significantly eased the process of cutting firebricks and bricks for the oven façade and archway—money well spent.
Key Lessons from the Build
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Optimal Height: John recommends a 1200mm oven floor height. His ended up slightly higher due to a miscalculation - something to keep in mind.
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Prepare Your Base: Calcium Silicate Board is highly absorbent and can dry out your mortar quickly. Wetting it down beforehand can prevent this issue.
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Consistency is Key: Achieving the right consistency - nice and sticky - in your refractory cement, vermiculite mix, and mortar makes application to the dome much easier.
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Top-Down Approach: Starting at the top of the dome and working down made the application smoother and more controlled for John.
Clever Tips
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C-Shaped Tie Wires: These helped hold the thermal blanket joints together effectively.
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Shadecloth: Covering the oven during drying prevents the sun from pulling moisture out too quickly, which can cause cracks.
John's Final Verdict
John was thrilled with the build and credits Pizza Oven In A Box for simplifying the most challenging part—shaping the perfect oven dome.
"It's been a great project made all the more easier by the brilliant simplicity of your mold solution. It works extremely well, and I just love the clever idea of building the cardboard mold, casting it, then burning it out."
Now, John's DIY wood-fired oven is the centerpiece of his backyard, and he's already recommended Pizza Oven In A Box to many friends who watched the project come together.
Thinking of building your own pizza oven?
Make it easier, faster, and smarter with Pizza Oven In A Box—the original DIY pizza oven mold that takes the guesswork out of building a real, wood-fired backyard oven.
