Advice Needed on Building an Indoor Brick Pizza Oven

[Valentine529]

Hello!

My husband is considering building a Pompeii brick pizza oven indoors. Has anyone built anything like this??? We would like to build one inside our house, if possible, so that we can also use the heat to help offset our high electric heating bills during the cold winter months. Any and all comments, suggestions, ideas, opinions are welcome!

[Bada Bing]

Great project! But that's also a pretty extreme project, with all kinds of code issues for insulation, ventilation, clearances, etc. Also, if you mean the Forno Bravo Pompeii oven, I think that's meant for outdoors. It's likely that some of its features might be superfluous for indoor building.

I suggest you consult local contractors, at least for code issues and estimates, and check out pizzamaking,com, specifically their boards on pizza ovens:

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/inde...

[escondido123]

I'm with Bada Bing. Before you get to far along on this find out the code. You are building a fireplace so there is a heck of a lot of code involved.

[Valentine529]

Thanks for the advice, Bada Bing!

We have been planning on using the free plan from Forno Bravo. If you check out their website, they offer a link for building one indoors!!!

My husband has his own HVAC company and he is union trained (7 year apprenticeship with Philadelphia 420 and over 20 years experience) as a pipe fitter. Basically, he is "the bomb" with building anything for the most part. However, this is a new project, so advice is welcome! ... He is really doing this for me because I want to tap into my Neopolitan heritage

[Bada Bing]

You two are in an enviable position!

I wasn't aware of the indoor version. Good luck in the project, and with your Neapolitan heritage!

[Valentine529]

Thank you, Bada Bing! We definitely need to do our research. As I said, he has never done this sort of thing before, so we do not know exactly what to expect. Yes, most people do install these oven outdoors, but it is possible to build one indoors. We live in an area with frigid winters, so it just makes sense to kill two birds with one stone. If it turns out to be too much trouble, he promised to build me an outdoor pizza oven for next spring/summer. I am very lucky that he is doing this for me! I will be sure to make wonderful pizza, bread, etc. for my family for sure!

[Bada Bing]

I'm no expert, but I will note that pizza/bread ovens are heavily insulated and their job is to keep heat inside. If much heat is escaping the oven, it could only compromise the effectiveness of it for cooking. Pizza ovens are the opposite of a wood stove sort of thing.

People in those specialist forums will have lots to say, though. Those folks are fanatical about measurements and technical stuff in pursuit of their goals.

[rasputina]

Have you been to http://www.fornobravo.com/

[Valentine529]

Rasputina,

We actually are planning to use the free plans from Forno Bravo. The website is amazing!