Concrete block (or cinder block) stands are the most recognised way of making a stand for a pizza oven. They are strong, durable and they don't burn!
We teamed up with some great local engineers to create a range of concrete block stands specifically for our ovens. The key to the design is simplicity of build and strength.
To view our range of concrete block stands click here
The key to our design is that the blocks are easily stacked into place without the use of mortar. This significantly reduces the technical skill required to build the stands.
Concrete blocks are not in themselves structural, so the strength is obtained using steel reinforcing and concrete within the concrete blocks.
The blocks must sit on a suitable concrete pad or footing (strip of concrete). This must be strong enough to support the weight of the whole project. In our design the steel reinforcing runs through the bottom slab, up through the blocks and across the top slab to create connection (and hence strength) between all three.
A lot of stand builders will use braced plywood form work to create the concrete hearth on top of the stand. This formwork is removed after the concrete has cured. We prefer using permanent non flammable supports and base sheet for the hearth. It is a lot easier and makes sense to keep supports in place.
Aluminium is a versatile product to use as support bars. It is light, strong, non-flammable and easily cut. The DIY packs come with aluminium support bars pre cut and ready to go.
It is then easy to bring the bricks around the front to reduce rain entering the storage area and allow a smaller door to be added
When you are planning to build a 950mm diameter oven the base gets a little more serious as it needs more support through the middle of the structure. The first image shows a design with storage in the back and front.
The design below is a little more simple to construct but obviously has less storage.
