Building a Pizza Oven in Your Kitchen

Once you have made the decisions that homemade fire baked pizza is an option you would like to explore, here are tips for building a pizza oven indoors in the form of a modular oven. The most important factor for an indoor pizza oven is to be certain that the area you will be placing the oven is structurally able to support the additional load of the oven and all the supporting concrete and metal stand.

Step 1 - Construct Oven Stand

Make certain the location you will be building a pizza oven is adequate to support the additional weight, construct a metal stand per the manufacturer’s instructions. It would be best to construct the supporting stand from metal for interior use. The stand will be covered by the encasing walls after oven installation.

Step 2 - Build an Insulating Hearth

Build a form using 2-inch by 4-inch lumber for the sides and supports and Hardibacker stay-in-place form for the floor of the concrete pour. The resulting slab will be 3 1/2-inch thick to accommodate the oven you have chosen to install. Be sure to allow enough space in the forming to remove all of the lumber after the concrete has cured while building a pizza oven. Set reinforcing bar to sit in the center of the slab and 2 perpendicular mats with the bars on 12-inch centers, starting 6 inches from all edges. Pour the concrete (standard 3500 psi concrete). While waiting for the concrete to cure, cut the insulation board (FB Board). The FB Board is to be cut to the shape of the oven you are installing. Lay the FB Board onto the concrete slab, after it has finished curing for at least 24 hours.

Step 3 - Set the Cooking Floor

To continue building a pizza oven, spread fine sand to a thickness of 3/8 inch on top of the FB Board set in Step 2. Lay the cooking surface on top of the fine sand. The cooking surface stone joints must be butted together very tightly. With a level, check that the cooking surface is perfectly level.

Step 4 - Assemble Oven

Dry set the dome oven pieces around the cooking surface constructed in Step 3. After the dome is set, mortar the outside with FB mortar (provided with oven). Also mortar around the base of the dome with FB mortar while building a pizza oven. Install chimney as determined by the oven you are installing. You must be certain that the chimney is rated for indoor use. The chimney cannot be vented through an existing chimney. You must follow local codes and regulations to construct an appropriate chimney. It is best that the external chimney be constructed by a licensed contractor.

Step 5 - Build Oven Enclosure

Following all local codes and manufacturer’s guidelines, build the wall enclosure of your choice. You must use metal studs and non-combustible wallboard. Clearances are clearly stated for each oven. Be certain that you also verify with your homeowner’s insurance carrier about building a pizza oven installation requirements. If you plan to use the area below the oven for wood storage, be sure to follow clearance guidelines as outlined in your owner’s manual that came with the oven.