Project on hold... Pompeii Oven Construction Discuss Project on hold... in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; I've got my stand and hearth complete, board insulation in place and the brick floor laid down. I've cut a ...

[Greg in RI]

I've got my stand and hearth complete, board insulation in place and the brick floor laid down. I've cut a few courses worth of fire brick wedges for the dome and now I have an opportunity to work in Hawaii for a year. I'll be leaving in early October. I just got back from a trip out there to find some housing and found that mice had made a nest under the tarp covering the brick floor, using a small portion of my board insulation to make the nest!!

I'm debating whether to even start the dome (not likely I'll finish it before I depart RI) or just dismantle the brick floor and board insulation, leaving just the concrete hearth exposed to the elements for the next year.

I'm kind of disappointed not to finish the project this year, but it will be there when I return. I hate to pass up the opportunity to work in a tropical climate for a year and blow off the 2010-2011 New England winter!!

What do you think? Dismantle the brick floor? Maybe number the bricks and take a snap shot before breaking it down? Nothing on the hearth is cemented just yet.

Thanks for your comments.

Greg in RI

[DrakeRemoray]

Poor Greg...has to go work in Hawaii...

Seriously though, I thing I would dismantle the floor and save the insulation.

I think it will deteriorate if left at all exposed.

[Neil2]

"leaving just the concrete hearth exposed to the elements for the next year"

This is the way to go. Then you don't have to worry about anything, it certainly won't hurt the concrete one bit.