Pizza Oven Brick Veneer - Started Before Winter - December 2025

Posting this about a month later than I took the photo, but documenting here in my pizza oven building journal that I did start the final exterior of the oven this year - in 2025.  Below you can see the first few test brick veneer pieces (do we call them 'tiles'?  bricks?) that I attached to the far back corner of the oven.  I figured that it was best to start where NOBODY WILL EVER SEE THEM.  Also, since NOBODY WILL EVER SEE THEM, I opted to NOT use 'corner' pieces of veneer.  They sell these L-shaped pieces that provide the 'look' of brick depth at the corners, but they're more expensive than the normal pieces.  I'm using the L-shaped corners in all visible spots.  But, not back here. 

The last time I posted about the oven was when the soapstone landing was installed three weeks ago. 

I started at the top and am working down using a veneer-specific mortar.  I set the first seven courses from the top and went two bricks-in on the top and third row down.

There are some weather constraints on the mortar, so quickly it became 'too cold' to keep working on these.  I'll pick it back up in the Spring and will (hopefully??) knock it out in the first few warm months.  

Year three is the year to finish this thing.  At least that's what I'm telling myself.