Hello from Long Island Introductions Discuss Hello from Long Island in the Good Background Information forums; I have been lurking for weeks.....I am ready to make the plunge. I live within an hour of so many ...

[dsgreco]

I have been lurking for weeks.....I am ready to make the plunge. I live within an hour of so many great places to get pizza and I eat a lot of it. I still feel the need to make my own at home. Thanks to everyone on the forum for providing so much great information. I really feel ready to get started. The slab is already in place (the backyard came that way) so step one is already complete!

Doug

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

HI ds
welcome to the club,, If you have the foundation done you have one of the physically hardest parts done... the rest is cake..ok pizza... enjoy and take lots of pics..we love pics here
Cheers
Mark

[dbhansen]

Welcome, Doug! Will you be building through the winter? I'm sure you've checked, but make sure the slab is thick enough, and reinforced. Wouldn't want it to crack on ya'!
- Daren

[dsgreco]

I do plan on building through the winter (I enjoy a nice outdoor winter project). Any advice on that topic would be appreciated!

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

I do plan on building through the winter

hey doug,, building thru the winter is tuff,,, your cement may not cure properly below freezing.. you could always build or buy a tent around your build and keep it semi warm though..

[dsgreco]

I have a tent with sides which I will be using. I plan on avoiding the freezing nights as much as possible. If I cant is it ok to use some sort of mortar antifreeze mixed in with the refractory mortar while building the dome?

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Antifreeze" is a misnomer applied to admixtures for cold weather mortar that are really accelerators, and not depressants of the mortar freezing point. These mixtures may decrease the compressive and bond strengths of the masonry if they are used in quantities that significantly lower the freezing point in the mortar. Antifreeze compounds have little benefit and are not recommended. Accelerators may reduce the time that newly constructed masonry needs to be protected from cold temperatures, but they do not eliminate the need for such protection.

Accelerators normally used include soluble carbonates, silicates and fluosilicates, aluminous cements, calcium aluminate, and some organic compounds such as triethanolamine. Calcium chloride is sometimes used as an accelerator, but may produce side-effects such as corrosion of steel (reinforcement, ties, anchors). For that reason, calcium chloride should not be permitted for use in mortar.

ds, I hope this helps. you may want to do some more research on this....

[dsgreco]

Thank you for the advice NJ. I am going to avoid the use of an accelerator, not worth the potential problems. The plan is going to be build the stand starting sunday and pour the hearth in the next week. The weather is still fine and the temps look ok for now. I will evaluate things again at that point. I will post pics next week.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

looking forward to it......

[dsgreco]

Dry stacked the blocks this weekend for the stand. It looks great, but have a problem. I think I may need a permit for this build. I had some conflicting info. but have decided to be safe rather than sorry.