How To Build A Pizza Oven In Your Garden

Build your own Pizza Oven

DIY Pizza Oven in your Garden

Having an pizza oven in your garden makes a great talking point and a good reason to invite friends around. If you want to join in with the experience, you can buy complete pizza ovens, build one from scratch or opt for the best of both worlds by incorporating specialist parts into your design. Using purpose made fire bricks and other refractory materials from Vitcas that are designed to withstand high temperatures will result in a more efficient and long lasting oven than using ordinary masonry products. No matter what kind of way you choose, building your own pizza oven will give you satisfaction and will create new opportunities to gather your friends and family around. This article shows what kind of materials you'll need to make a garden oven for baking pizza.

Materials required to build best pizza / bread oven

Vitcas provides all the materials that you might need when building garden wood-fired pizza oven. We also have for sale a Pizza Oven Kit containing the necessary materials to build a pizza oven of 1 m diameter.

This kit contains:

280 fire bricks
34 arch bricks
5 packs of heatproof screed (100 kg)
1 ceramic fibre board
2 ceramic fibre blanket 50mm (2x3.66m = aprox. 7m long)
1 ceramic fibre adhesive 310ml
1 wire mesh
3 packs of outdoor oven cement (60 kg)

You will also need some additional materials and tools such as:

sharp sand (general purpose sand)
builders sand (for detailed work)
pieces of wood / foam / polystyrene for shaping the arch
spade
trowel for bricklaying
concrete, breeze block, house bricks, railway sleepers or wooden pallet for the base
trammel for shaping the doom

So let's start!

The base - solid foundations

Depending on the location, you may need to start by laying a concrete foundation. Supports for your outdoor pizza oven can be made of concrete, breeze blocks, house bricks, or even old railway sleepers, but they must be strong and level, as the oven is going to be heavy. If you are using bricks or breeze blocks connect them together using cement. In case of using wood elements screw the pieces together. Remember: plinth must be steady and withstand the weight of the whole wood-fired oven. An interesting solution is to prepare some free space in ovens plinth for storing logs. Thanks to this you always will have fuel to your pizza oven close at hand. On top of this, a layer of bricks make up the base of the oven. The bricks should be laid flush to each other on a thin layer of sand to make the smooth and level surface. Prepared in that way the oven floor will serve as a place for cooking and baking your food.

Tip: Make the oven floor from the best bricks you got. Choose those that do not have cavities and are perfectly even.

Materials required to build best pizza / bread oven

Vitcas provides all the materials that you might need when building garden wood-fired oven. We also have for sale a Pizza Oven Kit containing the necessary materials to build a pizza oven of 1 m diameter.

The Arch

For the arch which forms the opening of the oven, it is possible to buy a ready made one, or specially tapered firebricks which make the job easier than using rectangular bricks for the less experienced DIYer. Always use outdoor oven cement between the bricks or heat proof screed for larger gaps.

TIP: To make a perfect arch use the semi-circular sand mould and on it put brick by brick. You can use wooden or polystyrene template as well.

The Dome

The simplest shape for the main dome of pizza ovens is a circle. This can be constructed by placing rings of bricks one on top of another without any need for support. If you want a barrel shaped dome, you need to construct a supporting structure for the brickwork or clay. This can be as straightforward as building up wet sand to create what will be the interior, or making a wooden support. Remember to connect bricks using oven cement.

TIP: Fine solutions is to use special trammel as well - You can see how it works on this animation https://youtu.be/L8n-zkEhOyc

If you want to have a chimney in your construction, you should leave a hole between doom and an arch - you can protect it with a round bucket the size of a chimney - or form a flue from clay.

The Door and Flue

Bread bakes in the residual heat of the oven after the fire has died. To keep the heat in, it is vital that the garden oven has a door. Ovens designed specifically for pizzas do not always have a door, because pizzas cook so quickly. But without sealing the oven and minimizing the heat loss, your loaf will not cook properly. If you already have a garden wood-fired oven, you can buy cast iron doors separately or have one made to fit, and create a tight seal with fire rope and an appropriate adhesive. Insert a stainless steel chimney flue into the previously prepared hole.

It is important that the flue has an internal damper so you can close off the flue and keep the heat in.

Insulation

Good insulation is the key to obtaining an even temperature throughout the cooking area and not wasting heat to the outside. This starts at the top of the supported structure. You can buy ready made insulation concrete plinths or insulate under the base of the oven with a ceramic fibre board. Insulate the dome further with a layer of exterior cladding. This can be a thermal blanket made of ceramic fibre attached with a suitable adhesive, then chicken wire or another similar material to create a key for a thin (~10mm) covering of outdoor oven cement.

Hand made or from prefabricates?

With this small guide, building a garden pizza oven is not as hard as it looks . If you want to enjoy cooking and baking in the fresh air you definitely should try to make your own. If you have no patience, check our premade outdoor wood-burning pizza ovens - ready to use and easy to assemble.

Fire Bricks 230x114x64mm

Special Price £3.00 £2.50 Regular Price £4.79 As low as £2.76

VITCAS Refractory Fire Clay Bricks are specially made high temperature bricks for use in domestic applications like fireplaces, circulators, stoves, barbecue grills, indoor and outdoor pizza ovens, furnaces and inserts.

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CERAMIC FIBRE BLANKET 1260°C

As low as £70.80 £59.00

VITCAS Ceramic Fibre Blanket. Resistant to maximum service temperature of 1260^oC / 2300^oF. Density of 128kg/m³. Available in thickness of 13mm, 25mm and 50mm. Can be utilised in many industries such as petrochemical, steel and ceramics industries. Often used as insulation or for lining of furnaces.

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Outdoor Pizza Oven Kit

Vitcas Outdoor, Wood Fired Pizza Oven Kit is filled with a range of all the Vitcas products you need for building your own wood burning pizza oven!

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OUTDOOR OVEN ARCH

Special Price £71.99 £59.99 Regular Price £120.00

The Vitcas Oven Arch is a cast arch section from heat resistant concrete which is a perfect addition when constructing your very own wood fired pizza or bread oven. Ideal to be used in conjunction with our Vitcas fire bricks. For tunnel-shaped 'D' ovens.

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OUTDOOR OVEN ARCH DOOR

Special Price £71.99 £59.99 Regular Price £120.00

Vitcas cast arch door section for installation in wood burning pizza or bread ovens. Manufactured from high temperature resistant concrete. The perfect component to use when making your own oven in conjunction with Vitcas fire bricks.

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CAST IRON DOOR WITH GLASS

Special Price £180.00 £150.00 Regular Price £358.80

Vitcas luxurious Cast Iron Pizza/ Bread Oven Doors have heat resistant glass & a built in thermometer with a dual display of both^oC and^oF. It is suitable for temperatures reaching 0-500^oC/ 32-932^oF. The heatproof glass comes in a mounting frame and there is a sliding air vent. Buy also a stove glass cleaner to remove soot and tar from oven doors

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Chimney Flue with Cowl and Damper

Special Price £83.99 £69.99 Regular Price £107.99

Chimney Flue with Cowl and Damper is made for use with Vitcas wood burning outdoor pizza ovens. It has many uses such as reducing heat loss in chimneys, which means that heat remains in the oven longer and so you can use it cook multiple things without having to burn more wood.

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HPS-HEATPROOF SCREED

As low as £23.99 £19.99

Fireproof Screed, a cemet-like product, is resistant to 1400°C. For interior & exterior use. Its function is for Screeding Masonry and making replacement fire bricks for Fireplaces, Barbeques and Kilns. Protects vulnerable materials, which are in danger of being damaged by high heat exposure.

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HEAT RESISTANT SILICONE 315 C

Special Price £5.99 £4.99 Regular Price £11.99

VITCAS High Temperature Silicone to 315ºC -heat resistant flexible sealant Designed for joints in contact with high temperatures such as flues, ovens, gaskets, stoves, boilers etc. Excellent adhesion to most building materials Read more
CFA - CERAMIC FIBRE ADHESIVE

Special Price £11.99 £9.99 Regular Price £23.99

VITCAS CFA Ceramic Fibre Adhesive is used with all types of ceramic fibre products; blankets, boards, modules and other insulation products to adhere them to bricks, cement or metalwork. Examples of application include lining the sides of a forge and insulating a wood burning oven.

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CHIMNEY FLUE 90 DEGREE BEND

Special Price £35.99 £29.99 Regular Price £47.99

Chimney Flue 90 Degree Bend is made from stainless steel and is used for extending chimney flue pipes in a 90 degrees direction. To prevent excessive smoke being released near and around the oven. This is for outdoor, wood burning bread and pizza ovens.

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OC-OUTDOOR OVEN CEMENT

As low as £17.99 £14.99

Vitcas Outdoor Oven Cement for exterior jointing with fire bricks in pizza and bread ovens, barbecues, smokehouses, fire pits, and other high temperature applications. It is a hydraulic set mortar which is non-soluble in water and resistant to rain and frost. Does not depend on heat in order to cure.

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PIZZA OVEN WIRE 5Mx600mmX13mm

Special Price £17.99 £14.99 Regular Price £29.99

Vitcas Wire/ Mesh Netting for reinforcing bread and pizza ovens. Its hexagonal structure allows the ceramic fibre insulation blanket to stay in position, tightly sticking to the fire bricks and providing a base for the next layer of material. Also prevents cracking of outdoor oven cement which goes on top of it.

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CHIMNEY FLUE 45 DEGREE BEND

Special Price £35.99 £29.99 Regular Price £47.99

Stainless steel 45 degree bend extends chimney flues in a 45 degree direction. It has a 100mm diameter which is compatible with a cowl & damper. The 45 degree bend needs to be used with a 1 metre extension pipe. It is for outdoor, wood fired pizza and bread ovens.

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VITCAS Arch Fire bricks

Special Price £3.00 £2.50 Regular Price £6.00

Vitcas Arch Fire Bricks. Dimensions: 230mm x 114mm x54mm ->76mm. Used to form the arch of a doorway in a Wood Fired Bread/ Pizza Oven or is used to construct the roof of a tunnel shaped oven.

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Brick & Concrete Cutting Diamond Disc

Special Price £5.99 £4.99 Regular Price £8.39

Brick & Concrete Cutting Diamond Disc is for cutting firebricks, pizza oven bases and concrete materials. It needs to be attached to a grinder or some power tool in order to be used. The diamond stone cutting disk is durable and can precisely cut different materials.

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CHIMNEY FLUE STRAIGHT PIPE 1Mtr

Special Price £35.99 £29.99 Regular Price £47.99

Chimney Flue Straight Section Extension Pipe 1 metre long is made from stainless steel. Can be used with our chimney flue bends, both 90 and 45 degree bends . It extends the flue pipes upwards. Specifically designed for outdoor, wood burning, bread and pizza ovens.

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Fire Bricks Arch Set of 17 bricks

Special Price £51.00 £42.50 Regular Price £72.00

Vitcas Fire Bricks Arch Set – Size 230mm x 114mm x54mm ->76mm. The set consists of 17 arch fire bricks which can be used to form the arch a doorway of a Wood Fired Pizza Oven or used to construct the roof of a tunnel shape oven.

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