When thinking of outdoor renovations one should consider a backyard oven. They are a fantastic way to make your outdoor space more versatile without the cost of an outdoor kitchen. Save some money and build one yourself with this DIY guide.

Materials:

 

Building the Base to Your Oven

On a cement pad, build a platform out of cinder blocks or concrete bricks and fill it with concrete. Allow the concrete to dry completely. Build up your counter base using cinder blocks. Create an L-shape that provides room for the oven and counterspace. A stack of cinder blocks four high is usually an ideal height. For a sound structure, stagger the stacks like brickwork and leave the holes exposed for filling. Mix your concrete and pour it into the perimeter cinder block holes.

brick-oven-construction

Cover Your Base

Following the manufacturer’s instructions for your tile of choice, tile your platform to your liking. Use spacers to ensure even tiling. Once the mortar is dry, use a trowel or grout bag to fill in the spaces between your tiles with mortar.

Construct Your Countertop

Cut a piece of plywood that fits the countertop space. Weld on a metal frame. Make sure to use a metal grinder to smooth out the corners. Cover the metal frame with exterior wood edging or a metal finish. Lay your counter form on top of the base and crisscross the top with rebar for support. Attach the rebar with wire ties, and then pour concrete into your frame. Smooth the concrete flat with a large trowel. Allow it to cure for at least 24 hours and until any dark spots are gone.

Assembling Your Oven & Finishing Touches

Follow the oven kit’s instructions. In most oven kits, you can expect to do a dry installation to do some marking and measurements. You will then grout the structure in place piece by piece. Once the oven base is constructed, grout on the chimney flue. Chimney flues are made of the flue, a connecting piece and a 6-inch pipe that serves as a smoke stack. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding placement and orientation. Make sure that your grout application is even and the top of your pipe and connector is level all the way around.

You can leave your oven as-is or have a mason apply a stucco finish. Check the manufacturer’s instructions on your oven, concrete and grout to make sure it as enough time to cure. In about 20 days, you should be ready to bake up pizza, bread and other treats in your backyard oven.