Ready for the first pour

All the blocks are stacked and after some final alignment, tapping them into place carefully with rubber mallet, concrete will be poured into the openings.

Tool storage

To store tools (brushes, ash shovel, peels) I drilled holes one block down from the bottom of the platform and inserted 3/8" rebar sheathed with 1/2" pex tubing

Drainage tubes

Because of the heavy Georgia rain, I am including drainage tubes at the back wall, made of 1/2" poly irrigation tube.

Stacking the cinder blocks

After collecting the necessary materials from my nearest home improvement stores, and yes, I had to use both Home Depot AND Lowes as neither had everything that I needed in stock, I started laying out the cinder blocks. This to get an idea of the exact size of the platform. For those who are interested the ground pad is 96" x 72", and the platform for the oven will be 88" x 60". This gives plenty of space at each side of the oven for placing pizzas before and after cooking. I intend to also include a trough where basil plants can grow, so you always have fresh basil ready to put on the pizza. Behind the back wall is an 8" strip of concrete where extra fire wood will be stored. The front of the platform supports is not right up against the edge of the pad as I will be adding decorative stone fronting later.

Starting a new oven

Having sold our house (and oven) in Florida and moved to Georgia, of course we had to have a new oven. So 3 months after the move, it was time to start on a new oven. We had some hardscaping work done, including preparing a concrete pad. This time the oven platform would be larger, with tabletop space either side of the oven.