New Oven started

[Jed]

Originally Posted by james

I like that. Great shape -- I am guessing that is for a big, wide landing. What a good idea.
James

Yes James,

The idea is to have a 'normal' landing in front of the oven, so I can still reach the food in the oven! and then create a good bit of work space, lean - on - space, set a glass of wine space, to the left and right of the glory hole.

I start with the form work for the hearth tomorrow and hope to include overhangs on the left and right ( and a couple inches in the front).

See you,

Jed

[Jed]

Originally Posted by dbhansen

Those are interesting/cool blocks. It almost looks like you cut away the inside to make room for rebar.

Hi db,

I am used to calling these block 'split face'. That gives the rough texture. And these are a colored concrete, so these are a brown block. I am real pleased with the way they are working and looking in our yard.

And then at the very top block I did cut out part of the block between every cell. This is to make space for the two runs of #4 rebar, and the cement. The finished structure is a 'bond beam' and goes a long way to add strength at that point in the structure.

The attached photo shows a closer image of part of the wall ready for concrete.

Jed

[mfiore]

Jed, when you poured your footing into the trenches, how did you level it without framing it? I'm at this point in my build, except 48 inches deep.

[Jed]

Originally Posted by mfiore

Jed, when you poured your footing into the trenches, how did you level it without framing it? I'm at this point in my build, except 48 inches deep.

What I 'did' didn't work very well... I ended up with over an inch difference in elevation from the high to the low point in this pour. In part because I did all of the work solo (mixing, wheel barrow to the footing, place, level...) and it took long enough I was running out of energy, and did not have enough time to work at leveling; And in part because I did not have enough reference points in the trench.

These are the reference points that I did have.. In two corners of the footing I had over dug the hole, so installed wooden forms on one side of the trench in these two corners. The forms became the reference for the one end of the footing. At the other end of the footing I installed wooden stakes, one in each corner, and left them in place as the concrete was poured. They are buried in concrete, and small points, so should not have any impact on the system strength. But they gave me an elevation to work to at this end of the foundation. In the attached picture, the slender white stake in the middle of the image, next to the rebar.

If I had it to do again, I would install some kind of a lateral board along the outside edge of the footing to use as a reference. It would not need to be continuous, but enough that you could use a straight edge to run between two points to give a level edge to work to.

Anyway, at the next step of the build, I used one bag of mortar mix to set the first course of CMU level on top of the footing. Although the top of my footing is over an inch out of level, the top of my CMU is level. And then again, if the top of the CMU had been a little bit out of level, you can set the hearth a little thick on one edge, so the top of the hearth can be set level. A couple of opportunities to correct any out of level condition at the foundation.

Hope this helps...

JED

[Dutchoven]

Many opportunities to get level...the last one is the most important...the hearth slab...makes it soooo much easier setting those floor bricks
Good luck!!!!
Dutch