Pizza oven door

I recently built a pizza ovenhttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...6360cd6ec6.jpg
And have built a door out of doubled up 45mm thick Tas oak.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...9ffebcfcef.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...d01c4ccbb2.jpg
This door will be exposed to heat on the inside but not naked flame. My question is what can I seal the door with to limit movement or swelling of the door due to moisture from the outside? Is timber perhaps a poor choice for this type of door and maybe I need to get one made up in steel.

Get one made of steel or cement as the radiant heat from the fire will, in time, char or set fire to the wooden door. A fire proof insulating layer on the inside of the door will probably prevent that from happening for a while.

Could you screw some sort of tin plate to the inside. I really like the timber door. If I ever pull my finger out and build one I might have to copy your door.

You have answered you own question poor choice make one from steel however it will probably last long enough for Christmas dinner.

Thanks guys, I could easily line the inside with cement sheet, my brother builds powder coating ovens so might get him to make me up an insulated steel door. Unfortunately these love jobs are never done quickly so I'll have to see how this one lasts. Cheers

I built something similar for my oven lasted one burn caughtfire ended up inside as firewood.
suggest you soak it in a water bath before use.
i use all steel door now.

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Originally Posted by jimfish

Thanks guys, I could easily line the inside with cement sheet, my brother builds powder coating ovens so might get him to make me up an insulated steel door. Unfortunately these love jobs are never done quickly so I'll have to see how this one lasts. Cheers

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You would have to line all around the edges as well.
No matter how well designed pizza ovens are. there is always some occasions when hot gasses come out thru the doorway, especially near the top of the door . What will happened is the temp will build up and one one day the doorway will just catch fire.

I'd line it with 10mm cement sheeting for it to last the first cook off and then plan for making a steel plate one to line the back of the cement sheeting.

The heat in these pizza ovens will turn that timber into ash without protection pretty quick.

Even then it still might burn with all that heat from the steel and cement sheeting.

So .... should we run a sweep on how long the door is going to last ...... I'll give it 35 minutes. :)

It won't get a go till the new year but you are welcome to run a sweep. I am going to line the inside with calcium silicate board left over from the underfloor insulation. I suppose we'll see in time. I will run a stopwatch and post pics when done[emoji3]


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I'd like to point out that these ovens are fired first and then the embers/coals removed completely before any cooking should be done in them! They work on captured heat, not continual firing.

If the door catches fire, you're not using the oven properly. :rolleyes:

The doors on these things are traditionally wooden; so long as the coals are raked out properly & the door is only used during/after cooking, it should last pretty well. Soaking it in a bucket while the oven is being fired is also a traditional practice.

Metal doors are good if you want to control the burn via a vent in the door or damp down an existing fire for some odd reason, but I've seen metal doors that have slumped from overheating too!

Mind you, there is an element of sense in making a spare door at the same time as you make the first... :innocent:

If you've got leftover calcium silicate board why wouldn't you just cut out a few layers in the same profile as your door, laminate them together with through-bolts or screws, and use that as your door?

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Originally Posted by jimfish

I am going to line the inside with calcium silicate board left over from the underfloor insulation.

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Don't line the inside of the oven with insulation. It works by heating up the brickwork and the retained radiant heat does the cooking.

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Originally Posted by Justin

If you've got leftover calcium silicate board why wouldn't you just cut out a few layers in the same profile as your door, laminate them together with through-bolts or screws, and use that as your door?

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It's pretty soft stuff, I don't think it'll last at all.


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Originally Posted by Bohdan

Don't line the inside of the oven with insulation. It works by heating up the brickwork and the retained radiant heat does the cooking.

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He doesn't mean the whole oven, just the door.

A search of the web reveals quite a few wooden pizza oven doors - some successful - others less so - i.e. a pile of ash and a couple of metal handles usually because they forgot to use them in the manner indicated by Skewy.
The most successful ones seem to have insulation that doesn't allow the wood to make contact with the bricks

Update on the door. Had another curing fire in the oven yesterday and while not up to cooking temp the oven was quite hot . Cooked some snags over the coals and then pushed the coals to the centre of the oven and put the door in place. This morning the oven and inside of door was still quite hot with no charring at all. Couldn't fire today as weather is a bit damp but so far so good with the door.