Average construction hrs for pompeii

[brianf]

I am in the planning phase of my Pompeii project. I'd like some info regarding the average hours involved from start of construction to completion - not including exterior finish work.

I am a DIY'er with average masonry experience.

Thanks very much.

[dmun]

Did anyone count? The problem with this question is that everyone's oven is different, and most of us are squeezing a few hours out between weekend errands.

[Les]

You got that right Dave! After work last night, while I was putting down pavers, I was thinking about my oven - does that count as time spent?

[maver]

Brian, great question, but really hard to answer. I started excavation in May last year, and was pretty well done by August. No idea how many hours. These usually are built along with other yard changes - we placed pavers also, which took some of the time, as did some of my landscaping. I still have some brickwork to do on the fascia of the base, as well as grinding my concrete countertop and making a fireplace to extend the patio season. The design style (especially the enclosure) determine this. The foundation, stand, and dome were pretty quick, probably finished within a month (just with the free time I could come up with). If I include time researching and learning about these the oven on this website it probably doubles.

[james]

Agreed. There is calendar time, and then there are man hours. My first oven was interrupted by a house extension, so it was left untouched for months. I didn't count hours -- I think I was afraid to. I was completely inexperienced with masonry, so even the basics of the foundation and the stand were a big learning curve. I think everyone would agree how important the learning curve is, and how much faster a second oven would go compared with the first.
James

[brianf]

Folks - Thanks for the feedback.

I am just looking for a rough estimate man hours. I'm in the same situation as I am building a flagstone patio as part of this project.

I am taking before pictures now so I can document the whole project.

Another area where I am a little confused is related to venting. The instructions suggest a rectangular clay refractory liner as an alternative. Where would I purchase a liner? Do most masonry supply companies sell these liners? Is there an online site you recommend?

Thanks again for the support!

[dmun]

This is the stuff - 8 inch square refractory flue tile:



Shown here sitting on top of my home made funnel, made of bigger pieces of the same stuff.

It's heavy and fragile. Not a good combination for mail order. Try to find it locally.