It’s not too difficult to build a Wood Fired Oven behind a Wall, but some careful planning is needed. You’ll need to decide whether to build the oven through the wall, inside the wall or behind the wall. Each method has it’s own pros, cons and construction considerations.
Firstly however you need to be fully aware of the safe clearances to combustible materials, as you’ll be building the oven in very close proximity to nearby structures. Please study the diagram below.
THROUGH THE WALL
In this method, the Vent arch and chimney flue are built on the inside of the room, as shown below.
Pros
- You get to see the Vent Bricks and Flue Gallery, which look great (if we do say so ourselves).
- It really makes a statement, it’s very obvious there’s a pizza oven there!
Cons
- If you have combustible materials lining your internal wall or the ceiling, you’re going to need to get a special flue installed to protect it those materials from the heat.
- Takes up some of the internal space in the room, which is valuable realestate.
Construction Considerations
- If at all possible, build the wall after you’ve built the oven. This is much easier than the alternative.
- If the wall is already in place, we recommend putting in a lintel (follow your contractor’s advice) and removing a decent section of the wall around the oven to allow you to build the it more easily. Once the oven is built, you can reinstate the wall around it, finishing neatly against the dome.
- Ensure you comply with our rules around safe clearances to combustible materials.
INSIDE THE WALL
Another approach is to built the oven Inside the Wall, where the facing wall is built around the sides of the Vent Arch. This is similar to building the oven behind the wall, but doesn’t set the oven as far back.
Pros
- A very clean look
- Minimal intrusion into your alfresco area
Cons
- The wall cladding and framing will have to be non-combustible
- Some tricky framing required
- Difficult to use a brick wall as there isn’t enough depth in front of the flue unless you rake it back on a 45 degree angle as it comes out of the flue gallery.
Construction Considerations
- As per the Cons above – you’ll most likely want to use a steel stud frame with cement sheet cladding for the wall as it’s not very thick.
- You’ll still need to use a twin or triple skin flue with the above method if you’re going to render the wall, or glue tiles/stone to it as the heat from an uninsulated flue in close proximity to this wall could be enough to affect the adhesive or render finish.
- Ensure you comply with our rules around safe clearances to combustible materials.
BEHIND THE WALL
Building the oven Behind the Wall is probably the most simple approach, particularly if the wall hasn’t been constructed yet. In this method the oven is built as normal, and then a brick wall is laid in front of it, with an arched opening created to match the oven mouth.
Pros
- Can be a very simply, minimalist look.
- Zero intrusion into your alfresco area.
- Depending on your wall and roof material, you could use the standard flue on its own.
Cons
- If the hole in the wall is made to the same dimensions as the mouth of the oven, this makes the mouth quite deep which can restrict your access with Oven Tools.
- Depending on how it’s presented, the oven can be overlooked as it’s largely hidden from view.
Construction Considerations
- It’s definitely best to build the oven before you construct the wall in front of it, but if this is not possible we recommend putting in a lintel so that you can create a larger hole in the wall to give you access to build the oven, then you can reinstate the wall afterwards.
- Think about making the arched opening in the wall wider than the oven mouth (like the build shown below), so that you don’t make the oven mouth into a deep, narrow tunnel.
- Ensure you comply with our rules around safe clearances to combustible materials.
