The Cortile Barile is our newest oven that has been in development for a while and it's performing better than we could have ever imagined!  The Cortile is a low-cost way to build a low-ceiling (14") castable refractory oven in a super-fast amount of time!  It usually takes under 2 hours to pour and pack.

While the Cortile retains the classic barrel shape, the castable refractory provides exceptional heat retention that is noticeably better than firebrick.  With its lower profile ceiling (interior height), you are able to cook foods faster while using less firewood than a standard Barile series oven.

The only notable drawback is the lower opening height.  At 10.5", getting larger items into the oven can be a challenge (like large turkeys), and using the oven as a BBQ is almost impossible - but can be done.

If you take a look at the first page of the Cortile Barile instructions, you will see a very detailed materials list that contains everything you need to build a Cortile Barile oven.

No. It's impossible. Sorry!

Once the Castable Refractory has cured (dried), you will need to destroy the mold to remove the 5 oven parts.

First and foremost, ALL BrickWood Ovens are for OUTDOOR & NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY!

Secondly, the placement of your oven really depends on your local building codes.  Many codes & HOA’s state that all “solid-fuel burning devices” be placed within “X” number of feet from any structure.  Before you build your oven, check with your local municipalities and/or HOA’s to verify you build to the standards of your code.  And let's not forget your homeowners insurance policy requirements (Allstate, AmFam, Farmers, etc..).  They may have rules on how close an oven can be to any structure that is covered under one of their policies.

In addition, you must remember that no wood burning oven manufacturer can guarantee 100% smoke capture.  For this reason, we do not recommend placing your BrickWood Oven within 5 feet of any ceiling or covered structure.  We also recommend leaving a distance of 3 feet between the oven and any structure like walls, fences, trees, etc..

 Also, make sure that the front / opening of your oven faces the direction of the oncoming wind.  If the wind hits the rear of the oven, it can create a small vacuum which will pull the smoke out the front of the oven.

Castable Refractory is a sticky son-of-a-gun.. and it really adheres to the foam molds.  We've tried using every food-safe grease known to man (and even Crisco.. Regular & Butter flavor), but nothing seems to quickly release the finished pieces like a small handsaw and a little elbow grease.  It will probably take an 45 minutes to an hour to strip and clean all 5 pieces from the molds.

If you want to put a Cortile Barile on a trailer, you are probably thinking about making large amounts of wood-fired food for church groups and other special events (fairs, sporting events..).  While the Cortile is an awesome oven, you really need the Mattone Cupola oven.  The Cupola is built like the Cortile but they are dome ovens.. and they come in 28", 36", 40" & 46" sizes.

You would be surprised at how many locations sell Castable Refractory!  Odds are, you drive near a location on your way to work. If you click on this link, you can locate a Castable Refractory dealer near you.

Orrr.. you can purchase the Castable Refractory off our website / store - but please keep in mind, we HIGHLY encourage you to purchase your refractory locally so you don't have to pay freight charges.

The Cortile Barile alone weighs about 400lbs.  The Cortile Barile WITH the hearth and cooking surface slab weigh-in just north of 1000lbs.

You could build your oven with just Castable Refractory and it would be rock-solid.  But our stainless fibers are the secret ingredient for a bulletproof wood-fired oven!  These jagged little 1" fibers act like thousands of tiny little rebar when they are mixed with the Castable Refractory.  So if your oven should happen to get a hairline crack, the stainless steel fibers will hold the oven firmly together and keep the expansion to a microscopic level.

When we designed the Cortile Barile foam mold, we made sure that we maximized every square inch of shippable space on a FedEx Ground truck.  If the Cortile was 1 square inch bigger, it would have to ship via freight (and that is very pricey).  So we have one size of Cortile and can't make a bigger one as the cost of shipping the foams would be cost prohibitive.

If you need a bigger oven, you should check out the Mattone Barile Grande or the 36", 40" or 46" Mattone Cupola.  Those ovens offer a larger cooking surface.

1.  DO NOT OVER PAY FOR CASTABLE REFRACTORY!!  We have spoken with almost every castable dealer in the US and we can tell you prices range from $35 a bag to $80 a bag!  $80!  Castable Refractory should be around $35 - $45 a bag.. anymore than that and you should call the manufacturer direct.

2.  Mix the castable refractory and the water to the manufacturers specifications!  Castable isn't like cement you use to pour a sidewalk - it's much more dry and firm.  The proper water ratio is VERY important when mixing the refractory and packing the oven mold.

3.  Pack the refractory SLOWLY yet FIRMLY!  This is probably one of the most important parts of building the oven.  When packing the refractory with a wood dowel, you will notice that the castable is very sticky.  If you pack too quickly the refractory will stick to your dowel and create an airpocket in the refractory - and this is bad!  Pack the refractory slowly and firmly.. it's not a race and it will save you a lot of headaches down the road!

4.  You may have some foam sticking to the finished parts of the oven when stripping the foam away.  Try to get off as much as possible, but don't put too much effort into getting every little bit off.  The foam on the outside of the oven won't be seen.. and the foam on the inside will not withstand the test fires.  Just remove as much as possible, but don't waste too much time trying to get every little foam bead off the finished oven parts.

When you remove the foam mold, you may see some small "pinholes" in the refractory and this is okay!  Since this is merely a cosmetic nuisance and not a structural issue, you can put your worries aside.  Very soon, you will be wrapping the oven with ceramic fiber blanket and then applying an exterior finish, you won’t see those pesky pinholes for very long.

If you have a larger hole or gap (greater than the diameter of a pin / pencil), then you might want to apply a small patch.  Simply mix a small batch of refractory and press it into the hole with putty knife or with the palm of your hand.  Preferably, you should use the Castable Refractory, but if you are out, you can use the Refractory Mortar.

The best way to prevent pinholes is to pack your castable refractory SLOWLY yet FIRMLY as you are building the oven.  The majority of all holes are due to rapid packing during the construction stage.  As you are packing the castable refractory with a wood dowel, the castable refractory can stick to the dowel and create an unseen vacuum which will create a hole / gap.  The best way to prevent the holes is to mix the refractory correctly and to SLOWLY yet FIRMLY pack the refractory.

Yes and No..  You can use burner kits in the Cortile Barile ovens, but no, we don't sell these kits.  We have had several customers purchase the Drago P1 Burner and they had nothing but glowing reviews about the burner.  BUT.. they ain't cheap!  Here's a super-quick and shaky video of a Drago burner in the Cortile Barile - VIDEO.

Another approach to installing a natural gas burner is to contact your local propane tank installer or your HVAC supply and see if they can recommend a technician that can custom build / install a burner for you.

Unlike printed instructions, videos can not be edited or updated very easily.  When we develop a new technique or make a minor change, it's easy to make the change in the printed directions..  but video.. no.  It's permanet.

While the videos are super awesome (and even AWESOMER videos are on the way!), we encourage you to build your oven base and oven to directions showcased on each oven page under "Instructions".

Yes.

And THANK YOU for reading all of the FAQ's before building your oven!

Because the employees at BrickWood Ovens have never thought "inside-the-box".  From our three unique oven designs (patent pending of course), to our unique method of building the hearth slabs upside down, BrickWood employees not only think outside-of-the-box, but we crushed the box and recycled it a long time ago!!

Our upside-down method of building a hearth slab was developed after attempting our very first pizza oven many moons ago.  We searched the internet for quality instructions on how to build a monolithic hearth slab, but all we found were flimsy, haphazard and sometimes dangerous directions.  Most of them required 2x4 supports, tie-downs to hold the frame together and a little prayer to keep it all together until it dried.  Once it was dry, you then had to apply your insulation layer and allow for even more drying time.

While the construction process was not only difficult, it was time and labor intensive.. and what exactly would happen if a 2x4 support slipped or shifted?  We would have 800+ lbs of wet concrete to clean-up (and quickly too!)

So instead of building one giant hearth slab frame, we designed 3 smaller, but identically sized frames that could be built on the ground with very little cutting / nailing skills required.  Once the three wood frames were constructed the concrete mix could simply be poured and packed.  The frames didn't need any tie-downs or 2x4 supports to stay sturdy and/or elevated!  Just a simple piece of plywood, some studs and a few nails.

We then went one step further and incorporated foam panels that can be glued into the wood frame which provides the proper open area in the hearth slab for the 2" Insulation Mix layer.

There are many ways to get the slabs on top of the base - just don't use the, "I'll get my son's football team to come over and put them on for me" route.  You want these guys to like your kid..

Don't over-think it.. 2 people can easily put on a slab with little effort and do not lift them straight up - that is just too much work!  Here's one super easy way to elevate a slab..

Lay the slab next to the base and lift one side (Side A).  Place 2 bags of concrete UNDER Side A.  Now go to the other side (Side B), lift, and put 2 bags of concrete under Side B.  Congrats, you just got the slab 16" off the ground with little effort.  Do this a few more times and your slab will be parallel with the top of the base in no time!

No we don't.  Sorry!

Every BrickWood Oven and base is designed with one simple principle in mind..  KISS!

While we applaud those with the skill level to build a monolithic slab, BrickWood Ovens are designed for Johnny Homeowner, and Johnny wants to build an awesome oven quickly and with as little difficulty as possible.

Our hearth slabs are built in 3 identical wood frames that are goof-proof to construct, are almost impossible to build incorrectly and function just like a monolithic slab.  In fact, we'd like to think they are actually better than a monolithic slab since we incorporate the insulation layer INTO our slabs as opposed to sitting on top of the slab.

In addition, once the oven base is built and dry, our hearth slabs can simply be mounted on top of the base and you can immediately start building the oven.  On a monolithic slab, you have to wait until the hearth slab is dry before you can start building your oven.. So our design saves you days in oven construction time!

The frost line, also called frost depth or freezing depth, is most commonly the depth that the groundwater in soil is expected to freeze. The frost depth depends on the climatic conditions of an area, the heat transfer properties of the soil and adjacent materials, and on nearby heat sources. You have to have freezing weather for a while to have a deep frost line. For example, the frost line in Minnesota is 48". In southern Michigan, it is 42".

- wikipedia.com

If you have a 28" frost line, you will need to build your base slab 28" below grade ("Grade" means "Ground Level").  If your frost line is at 28", you slab will need to be about 36" thick.

As for the need to building a base foundation.. that is going to be your call.  Several city / states require any load bearing structure be built on a frost line slab.  Others city / states have no written law regarding frost line construction, so a standard 6" slab on 4" of gravel is fine.

For a ridiculously long US Government PDF regarding the frost line in your area, CLICK HERE.

No and Yes!

Cinder block is great for building a base fast and cheap.. and most people put some type of finish over the block, so it's a great choice to build your base with.  Landscape block is an excellent way to build your base and have an awesome, natural finish on your base.  Here are some pros & cons of both..

Cinder Block -

PRO:  Inexpensive and can be found everywhere!  Average price is around $1.50 per block

PRO: The cores can be filled with rebar and cement..  It would take a bomb to move that base!

PRO: Little to zero masonry experience needed to keep every layer level - mortar fixes that!

CON:  Gray block is NOT very sexy.  You will need to cover up the ugly with masonry veneer or paint!

Landscape Block -

PRO:  No matter the color or texture.. it's a beautiful block!

PRO:  No finish needed.. they are already finished!

CON: No rebar.. you will need to use a lot of masonry / landscape wall adhesive to keep it together.

CON: $$$$!!!

The answer to this question really depends on how your patio was built AND what your local building codes require.

As former contractors, we've seen well-built patios that could hold an elephant.. and we've seen paver patios that would warp after the first rain.  It really depends on the quality of the installation of the patio.

Since the oven and oven base weigh around 3000lbs, you have to consider the enormous amount of weight sitting on one section of your patio that was designed to support far less weight.  You also have to consider that you have no gravel under the base to assist in sub-slab drainage (2" - 3" gravel under the 6" base slab).

Putting our professional experience into this answer, we would highly recommend you build a slab for your oven base as described in our Base Instructions packet.  If need be, simply build the base slab directly next to your existing patio.. you are close enough to the patio, yet have the security of a sturdy, solid slab under your beautiful oven!

Yes!

Aside from looking pretty cool, the Herringbone pattern actually serves a purpose.  If you lay your cooking surface firebrick in a horizontal / vertical layout and just one firebrick rises 1/16", it could stop your pizza peel instantly (and send a nice shock down your arm).  By angling the brick at a 45˚ degree angle, your peel will simply glide over the elevated brick.

Our oven bases are designed with 8” x 8” x 16” block that is 5 layers in height.  This common dimension allows any oven user (of average height) the ability to insert, rotate and remove food at a comfortable level.  BUT, if the end user is below 5’ 8”, we would recommend building your oven base 4 rows in height.  This will bring the oven down to a more comfortable level.

Also, the height of the 8” x 8” x 16” blocks has zero effect on the performance of the oven.  If you want to raise your oven by 10 layers (10 blocks in height) so you can use it on an elevated patio or deck, that would be okay.  Just be sure to use plenty of rebar and fill every core with rebar with cement.  If you are going above 5’ in height, have your oven base designed (or signed-off) by a structural engineer.

Many contractors would say that we require about 2x more rebar than is needed.  And they are correct.  But, we design our ovens and bases to last several generations and rebar is cheap!

If you are willing to spend an extra $20 in rebar to ensure that your grandkids, grandkids can use your oven, then an extra $20 is a good investment!

Absolutely!  If you are building a Mattone Barile series oven, check out the Lewis Oven and the Natale Oven in our photo gallery.  They are both made with slightly smaller firebrick - the joints will be slightly larger though..  No big deal.

If you are building the Cortile Barile or Mattone Cupola ovens, it doesn't matter what size firebrick you use (as long as it's at least 2" thick).

Absolutely!  We show the ovens in our videos and directions being built with Red and Tan firebrick as they are a great color combo.  But as you said, some colors are not available in all areas.

You can build your oven in all Red or all Tan - the color of the firebrick has ZERO effect on the performance of the oven.  There are hundreds of BrickWood Ovens across the country that are all red ovens and even more that are all tan ovens.

While there is firebrick stain on the market, we wouldn't suggest putting any kind of chemicals on your oven!

If you click on the "Resources" link and then scroll down to "Find a Firebrick Dealer", you can access our database of over 2000+ firebrick &/or refractory dealers in the US.

You can also visit Google Maps and type in BRICK and your ZIP CODE.  You will then see a list of local masonry supply stores that should carry firebrick.

Many dealers only carry 1 or 2 colors of firebrick – most are usually tan or "yellow"..  But there are over 8 different colors of firebrick on the market (the most interesting color being dark gray – it looks very cool).

No.  As the oven heats up, the chemicals in the repellent will start to break down and no longer retain their bonding properties.  Your oven will look "blotchy" once the reaction occurs..

Besides, you don't want to put any type of liquid chemical on a wood-fired oven.  We don't even recommend using lighter fluid to start the kindling.

The price of firebrick can range from $1.30 all the way to $4.00 (Hawaii).  We've talked to customers in all 50 states and the average price per firebrick is around $1.75.  If you are quoted more than $3.25 per brick, you should probably consider calling a different firebrick dealer.

Fireclay is clay that is capable of withstanding high temperatures and is mainly used for making firebricks.  It is usually sold in powdered form in 50lb bags.

It is also called "Mortar Clay" and "Bricklayers Clay"

One of our favorite questions!

Many dealers across the US confuse "premixed fireclay" with premixed refractory mortar.  They are not the same!

Fireclay is basically powdered Firebrick.. a 50lb bag of firebrick powder.  Premixed "fireclay" is NOT fireclay - it is refractory mortar.

If a dealer tells you that you can substitute the fireclay for the premixed refractory mortar, you can not.  It is not the same material.  In addition, you will have a heck-of-a time trying to get the pail of premixed refractory mortar to mix with the silica sand, lime and Portland cement.

If you can't find fireclay at your local masonry or landscape supply, jump on Google Maps and search for your local ceramic supply by typing CERAMIC SUPPLY and your ZIP CODE in the search bar.

If you are still unable to locate fireclay in your area, jump onto our store and we can ship you a bag of fireclay.  BUT - please try to buy the fireclay locally as shipping 100lbs of fireclay across the country isn't cheap.

There are several brands of fireclay on the market, and they are all pretty much the same.  There are no special brands or blends of fireclay that is need to mix your high-temperature mortar.  Just make sure it is in powdered form - sometimes people confuse fireclay premix with fireclay (powdered).

No.  Silica sand must be used when constructing a Mattone Barile oven.  Silica sand is a fine grain sand (closer to powder than regular sand) and is basically the glue that holds the oven together during high temperatures.

Industrial silica sand refers to sand having the composition and grain-size distribution required for industrial applications. Specifically, industrial silica sand consists of well-rounded, sand composed of almost pure quartz grains.

Just like sandpaper, the smaller the grit size, the larger the grain size.  An 80-grit sheet of sandpaper has much larger grain size than a 220-grit sheet.

Most dealers carry grain sizes ranging from 30 grit to 90 grit (on average) and all of the grit sizes are a-okay for making high-temp mortar!  We've built ovens with 30 grit and ovens with 90 grit and it's hard to see a difference between the grain sizes with the naked eye when the 4 ingredients are all mixed together!

Fret not!  If your local landscape or masonry supply doesn't stock Silica Sand, there are other alternatives!

First and foremost, jump on Google Maps and locate your local pool supply store.  Simply type the magic words POOL SUPPLY and your ZIP CODE in the search bar, and Google will provide you with a list of local pool supplies.

If that didn't work, your next best bet is to contact the fine folks at Global Supply Outlet.  They can ship your Silica Sand right to your door for a super-low price!

See.. we told you not to fret!

Crushed Limestone.

Lime is used in the manufacture of High-Temp mortar for its excellent water repelling properties.  It also aids in the forming / texture of the mortar when mixing and applying to the firebrick.

If William Shakespere were a mason, he would say, "A Lime by any other name is still Lime".

Lime has many, many names, but usually, it's all lime.  Here are some of the many names of lime..

Type S Lime (most common)

Type SA Lime

Type N Lime

Type NA Lime

Builders Lime

Contractors Lime

Hydrated Lime

Masons Lime

Powdered Lime

Pulverized Lime

Quiklime

As long as the lime is in powdered form, you can use that lime (Hint:  Don't buy granulated lime.. only powdered).

No.   While some brands of Portland Cement contain some lime, it does not have the proper mix ratio.  You need to make sure that your Portland Cement is lime free and then add the exact amount of Lime as specified in our instructions.  Do not buy Portland Cement w/ Lime already added.  Or Diet Coke with Lime - it's gross!

Easy.. order it online!

Our friends at Hardware Online Store sell 50lb bags of lime in a really cool looking bag!  It looks just like bags of lime your Granddaddy used!

Perlite and Vermiculite are sold in 4 Grades / Sizes..

Grade 1 - Super Fine

Grade 2 - Fine

Grade 3 - Medium

Grade 4 - Course

Personally, we would stay away from Grade 1 / Super Fine since it's like working with dust.  Grades 2, 3 & 4 are good to work with (grades 2 and 3 are preferred).

$15 - $20 for a 4 cubic foot bag is a decent / average price.

Vermiculite is used in potting soil as it has excellent water retention properties, so it should probably come as no surprise that the insulation mix using Vermiculite will take quite a few days to dry.

Perlite on the other hand does not retain water like Vermiculite, so the drying time of the Perlite / Portland mix is considerably shorter.

Vermiculite and Perlite are known as Nature's Insulation.  And sand.. well, sand is just boring 'ol sand.  Nothing sexy about sand.

Vermiculite and Perlite retain heat exceptionally well and hold that heat for extended periods of time.  Sand on the other hand doesn't hold heat very well, so it's not a great insulator.

Of course you can, but is it worth the extra expense?

98% - 99% of our customers use their DIY BrickWood Oven for about 3 - 5 hours at a time.  If you plan on using your oven 3 - 5 DAYS at a time, we would recommend ceramic fiber board.

While it true that CFB helps retain more heat than the Perlite or Vermiculite insulation blend, most of that heat retention is measured in hours, not necessarily temperature.

The other important factor you need to look at is cost.  CFB comes in pre-cut shapes / sizes and most of our oven bases require 2 sheets of standard size 2" CFB.  When the average cost of CFB is $100 per sheet, right there you are at $200 for insulation.  THEN you have to factor in the cost of shipping via truck freight since UPS and FedEx will no longer ship CFB.  So now we are at $300 - $350 just for the insulation board (vs. $50 for Vermiculite / Perlite insulation).

Another way to describe the difference is the BBQ analogy.. You can spend $3000K on a top of the line 48" gas grill with 8 brass burners that pump out a mind-blowing 100,000 BTU's for 3 days before refueling.. or you can buy a $400 grill that cooks your hamburgers just as fast and thoroughly as that Ferrari BBQ.

If you're going to cook for lots of people for several days, you should get the $3K grill..  If you just want to cook for your friends and family every-so-often, the $400 grill is more than fine.

Absolutely!  There is a product that falls right in the middle between expensive fiber board and inexpensive Vermiculite / Perlite.  It's called Insulating Castable Refractory.

The Ceramic Fiber Board (CF Board) is great for what it's designed for - but is it worth the extra expense?

You have to order the board (typically 2") and have it freighted to your location.  We say "freight" as carriers like UPS and FedEx no longer ship the board as it is easily damaged in transit.  Secondly, when the board arrives you have to cut the board to the correct size - hope you ordered enough!  Third, you just paid a lot of money for that board when Vermiculite / Perlite or Insulating Castable could provide identical heat retention properties for much less $$$.

BrickWood Ovens is focused on bringing you the ability to build an awesome wood fired oven - at a low cost!!  One of the ways to keep costs down is to keep out the expensive stuff that adds little value.  If you are going to spend extra dollars on insulation, purchase a second roll of Ceramic Fiber Blanket and wrap your oven with a couple of extra layers.  You'll get more bang for your buck with more CF blanket than CF board.

We highly recommend brands like HeatStop's Insul Cast Delta Crete or Harbison Walker's Greenlite Insulating Castable.  Both are made from the leaders in the Refractory industry.

Other great brands include:

ABLE REFRACTORY

ALLIED MINERAL PRODUCTS

ALSEY

BNZ

CHRISTY

MISSOURI REFRACTORIES

MORGAN THERMAL CERAMICS

MT. SAVAGE

NOCK & SON

PILBRICO

PRYOR GIGGEY

RENO REFRACTORIES

RESCO / NEW CASTLE

RIVERSIDE REFRACTORIES

THERMBOND

UNITED REFRACTORIES

VESUVIUS

The quick and easy answer - jump on our Resources Page and select Find A Materials Dealer and type in your Zip Code.  In the section "What Type of Materials Dealer?", be sure to select "Refractory Dealer".  Click GO and in a half-second, you should see several dealers near appear on your screen.

While several brands approve of this method, we do not.  We recommend using stucco as the outer layer / shell.

Many a time I've looked out the back window and have seen a few kids climbing on one of our ovens.  Kids climb - it's a fact of life.  If our oven was built with Insulating Castable as the outer layer / shell, the outer oven would be more susceptible to damage as Insulating Castable is a light weight material and not designed for oven protection.

Stucco on the other hand has thousands upon thousands of fiberglass fibers in the mix which act as tiny rebar in the dry stucco finish.  Once the stucco is fully cured, it is nearly impossible to break!  And even with the slight chance that the stucco does crack or break, the fiberglass fibers will hold the stucco together with minimal damage.

So Climb Away Kids.. Climb Away.  And make me a pizza while you're out there!

4 Ingredient High-Temp Mortar -  This simple-to-make High-Temp mortar can be made with locally sourced materials (Silica Sand, Fireclay, Portland Cement and Lime).  Simply mix 3 parts Silica Sand to 1 part Fireclay, 1 part Portland Cement and 1 part Lime with water... add enough water to blend yet stay firm.

While the blend is excellent for DIY wood-fired brick pizza ovens, we can not claim to the recipe.. it's been used around the world for decades.  From Australia to Zimbabwe, many of the wood fired ovens you see online are built with high-temp mortar made from these 4 inexpensive and easy to locate materials!

Premixed High-Temp Mortar: When you're ready to take your high-temp mortar to the next level, you need High-Temp - Factory Blend!  This scientifically concocted blend is designed by some really smart NASA type engineers that spend their lives making cement - better!  High Temp mortar brands like HeatStop 50, HeatStop II, Mortar Mix 413.. they are designed to withstand temperatures around 3000 degrees.  At that temperature, your pizza would go from raw to burnt in about 8 seconds.

From a bag or pail, premixed high-temperature mortars provide outstanding performance in a ready-to-use or "just add water" formula.  If you can get your hands on a factory blend mortar mix, we would recommend doing so.  It's pre-mixed / blended and all you have to do is add water - very hard to mess it up.  Plus, you get the added benefit of using a mortar that ensures your oven will last for decades!  Your grandkids grandkids can use your oven!  It will last that long!

If you are building a Cortile Barile or Mattone Cupola oven, we recommend PREMIXED HIGH-TEMP MORTAR.  You will use a little amount of mortar for either oven and both ovens are designed for premix.

A sales rep job is to sell you something that their store stocks / carries.

While their intentions are good and noble, sometimes their product knowledge is not quite accurate.  We have seen a few sales reps recommend products and materials that could actually damage the ovens.  For example, one rep recommended rubbing axle grease all over the Mattone Barile foam form so it could easily be removed and used again.  Axle Grease..

Recently, we have had two customers that built their Mattone Barile ovens with premixed High-Temp mortar that was water soluble.  Both customers went to their local supply store to purchase materials to mix their own high-temp mortar, but their sales reps talked them into buying "Brand X" premixed mortar.  Unfortunately, the premix was water soluble and both customers called (in near tears) as some of their mortar joints were starting to crumble.

IT IS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU ONLY USE NON-WATER SOLUBLE MORTAR!

If you are in doubt, call the manufacturer of the product and ask to speak to a sales rep or product engineer.  DO NOT rely on the receptionist for product verification!  Only speak with a trained manufacturers representative - that's why they get paid the big bucks!

HeatStop II and HeatStop 50 are great products for wood-fired ovens.  BUT - HeatStop Premixed (and some other brands of water soluble fireplace mortars) are NOT the right type of mortar for any outdoor oven.

Most fireplace mortars are WATER SOLUBLE - meaning the mortar is soluble in water (breaks apart).  These types of water soluble mortars are not designed for moisture as the inside of fireplaces rarely get wet.  They are designed to stay nice and dry inside a cozy, warm fireplace.

Any premixed high-temperature mortar for wood-fired ovens should state on the box or pail "NON-WATER SOLUBLE".

Excellent question!

If you are building our Cortile Barile or Mattone Cupola, you will want to use the Factory Blend high-temp mortar..  preferably in a pail.  Since both ovens use very little mortar, we recommend the use of a premixed high-temp mortar like HeatStop II or Sairset by Harbison Walker.  Both are available in our online store!

If you are building the Mattone Barile oven, either type of mortar is fine.  The 4-Ingredient high-temp is less expensive and works very well for wood-fired ovens.  The Factory Blend (HeatStop / HWR Sairset) is a few dollars more, but has added performance and an easy "just-add-water" mix.

Refractory brands are very regional.  We've noticed that brands like HeatStop basically own the North East territory..  Able Refractory is a Texas tradition.. and Harbison Walker Refractory locations are scattered everywhere across the USA!

While it's difficult to say "Brand A" is better than "Brand B", you can always contact the manufacturer of the product in your area to verify the use of their product.  Their contact information is usually printed on the product.  Speak with one of their sales reps or quality control engineers and they can tell you if their product is appropriate for the application you are using it for.

Absolutely!  Please visit our International Orders page for more information.

AWESOME!!!  We LOVE getting pictures from our customers for our Photo Gallery!!  And we make it SUPER easy to send pictures and videos with our simple "Drag and Drop" file transfer page!  You can send up to 20GB of files with the simple click of a finger!  It couldn't be any easier!

Click here to SUBMIT MY OVEN PHOTOS!

A bit more flare you say??  While we provide detailed instructions on how to build an amazing wood-fired oven, our friends at Backyard Flare can take your oven (and fireplace) to the next level.  Simply take your ideas and/or sketches to the experts at Backyard Flare and they can turn your project vision into a super-awesome reality with their detailed assembly instructions & project materials list.

We primarily sell our oven forms online, but if you look at your state under Material Dealers, you might find a BrickWood Ovens dealer near you.  There are only a handful as we encourage customers to purchase the foam forms directly from BrickWood Ovens and purchase the oven construction materials from your local Material Dealers.

To be honest, there's really no reason for a dealer to stock our oven forms.. they take up a lot of room.. you still have to build the base (and don't need the oven form yet).. and we can ship it to your home or jobsite in just a couple of days with FedEx!

No catalogs - just an awesome website!

We designed our ovens for you!  When crafting our design, we combined function with ease-to-build!  Our online videos, step-by-step directions and fool-proof design practically guarantee that you can't mess up a BrickWood Ovens installation.  We have had customers with ZERO masonry experience make BEAUTIFUL ovens on their first masonry project.  Still hesitant?  Check out the Natale Oven and the Lewis Oven - they were both built by customers with ZERO masonry experience!  Neither customer had cut or laid a brick in their life and both ovens came out perfect.

While we have lots of beautiful ovens featured on our Photo Gallery, we don’t have instructions for the finished ovens as the customers built them.  The names of the ovens on the Photo Gallery are our customers names (e.g. LEWIS OVEN is Fred Lewis in California).

We do provide VERY detailed instructions on building our BrickWood Ovens, but creating a custom / finished designed oven is up to you.

If you would like a little design assistance, our friends at Backyard Flare can take your oven (and fireplace) to the next level.  Simply take your ideas and/or sketches to the experts at Backyard Flare and they can turn your project vision into a super-awesome reality with their detailed assembly instructions & project materials list.

Yes and No..  You can use burner kits in our ovens, but no, we don't sell these kits.  We have had several customers purchase the Drago P1 Burner and they had nothing but glowing reviews about the burner.  BUT.. they ain't cheap!

Another approach to installing a natural gas burner is to contact your local propane tank installer or your HVAC supply and see if they can recommend a technician that can custom build / install a burner for you.

Orrr..  You can go to Google Maps, type in "Propane Installation" then enter your Zip Code.  Several Certified Master Technicians will appear.

The ovens can get up to 900+ degrees and can hold their cooking heat for several hours!  For an even longer cooking experience, occasionally add a piece of firewood to increase the heat.

And yes.. a few oven owners on the internet state their expensive brand ovens holds heat for "days".. not hours.  Well, I guess you should ask yourself, "Will I really be using my oven for 3 or 4 days straight?"

Yeah.. We never have either.

BrickWood Ovens has established a relationship with the Royal Rangers as our primary charitable organization.  As a result, we will not be accepting requests from organizations other than the Royal Rangers.

If you are currently in the Military or are apart of our amazing First Responders, you absolutely EARNED a great discount from BrickWood Ovens!  Please see our Military / First Responders discount page for more information.

Thank you for your interest in BrickWood Ovens and we wish you success in your fund-raising efforts!

As much as we'd love to honor both discount codes at one time, our online shopping cart will only allow one code to be used during a single transaction.

First and foremost.. Congratulations!  We wish you the best of luck on your new endeavor!  Owning your own business will be one of the hardest, but most rewarding experiences in your life.  Get ready for 80 hour work weeks!

Second.. While we appreciate your consideration of using one of our BrickWood Ovens in your soon-to-be-busy kitchen or patio, you will most likely need a UL wood fired oven in a commercial environment.  Most permits, insurance regulations, building codes, etc.. require that "solid fuel burning devices" be UL Listed.

Your next stop should be to PizzaOvens.com for a huge selection of UL Listed, commercial ovens that are both new and used.  They have a great staff of employees that can help you with any questions you may have.

Sure.. there are plenty of websites that deal with Wood Fired Ovens, but Pinkbird.org has the most wealth of information available with an unbiased point-of-view.