How to Lift and Position a Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Safely in Ireland
Installing a traditional wood-fired pizza oven is one of the most exciting stages of creating your outdoor cooking area. Whether you’ve chosen one of our compact models or a large family oven, planning how to safely move it into position is essential.
At woodfiredoven.ie, our traditional refractory ovens can weigh anywhere from approximately 400kg to over 1,000kg, depending on the model. While this may sound daunting, moving an oven into place is usually far simpler than most customers expect when the correct lifting equipment is used.
Every year we help customers throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland successfully install their ovens in gardens, patios, outdoor kitchens and commercial settings.
Your Oven Arrives Ready for Safe Handling
Your oven is securely packaged on a heavy-duty pallet to protect it during transport.
This allows it to be moved easily around your driveway or property using:
- A pallet truck
- A forklift
- Suitable lifting equipment
Before delivery, it’s worth considering the complete journey from the delivery vehicle to the final installation point.
Ask yourself:
- Is there sufficient access?
- Are there steps or steep slopes?
- Are there narrow side entrances?
- Is the ground suitable for lifting equipment?
- Will the oven need to pass through gates?
Planning ahead can make installation much quicker and easier.
Option 1 – Engine Hoist (Workshop Crane)
Many domestic installations can be completed using a heavy-duty engine hoist.
This method works particularly well where there is:
- Good access
- A prepared masonry base
- Level ground
The lifting straps or chains are attached to the oven’s lifting eyes which are in each corner of your new oven before the oven is carefully lowered onto its permanent base.
To protect the oven’s finish, we recommend placing thick blankets or protective padding wherever lifting straps may come into contact with the oven.
Always ensure the lifting equipment has a safe working load that comfortably exceeds the oven’s weight.
Option 2 – Forklift
A forklift is one of the quickest methods where there is excellent access around the property.
Typically the process is:
- Move the oven close to its final location.
- Lift the oven safely using the designated lifting points.
- Position it accurately over the base.
- Remove the transport pallet.
- Lower the oven carefully into place.
Forklifts are particularly suitable for:
- New build homes
- Commercial premises
- Farms
- Wide driveways
- Large gardens
Always ensure the forks, lifting straps and lifting capacity are suitable for the weight of the oven.
Option 3 – Mini Crane or Spider Crane
This is becoming one of the most popular installation methods across Ireland.
If your garden has:
- Narrow side entrances
- High boundary walls
- Limited access
- Soft ground
- Landscaping already completed
a compact tracked spider crane can often lift the oven safely over walls, fences or even the house itself.
Professional lifting contractors regularly carry out these installations and can often complete the lift within an hour.
For many homeowners, this is the safest and most cost-effective solution.
Option 4 – Telehandler or Hiab Crane
In rural Ireland, another excellent option is hiring:
- A telehandler
- A Hiab crane lorry
- A local plant hire contractor or a local farmer with a front loader on a tractor.
These machines are commonly available throughout counties including Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Meath and beyond.
Many builders, agricultural contractors and crane hire companies already own this equipment, making it a practical solution for larger ovens.
Preparing the Oven Base
Before your oven arrives, your base should be:
- Fully completed
- Completely level
- Structurally capable of supporting the oven
- Allowed sufficient time to cure if concrete has recently been poured
A properly built base ensures:
- Even weight distribution
- Maximum heat retention
- Long-term structural stability
If you’re unsure about your base design, our team can advise before installation.
Protecting Your Oven During Installation
Our ovens are built using premium refractory materials and finished to an exceptionally high standard.
During lifting we recommend:
- Using certified lifting straps.
- Protecting painted or rendered finishes with blankets.
- Lifting slowly and evenly.
- Never dragging the oven across the base.
- Keeping all personnel clear of suspended loads.
Professional lifting contractors will already be familiar with these procedures.
Should You Lift It Yourself?
For smaller ovens with suitable equipment and experience, some customers choose to complete the installation themselves.
However, for larger ovens we generally recommend using an experienced lifting contractor.
Considering the weight involved, professional installation often provides peace of mind while protecting your investment.
We’re Here to Help
Every property is different.
Some customers have straightforward access, while others require the oven to be lifted over garages, garden walls or landscaped gardens.
Before ordering, we’re happy to discuss:
- Oven weight
- Access requirements
- Suitable lifting equipment
- Base construction
- Delivery arrangements
- Installation advice
We’ve helped customers throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland install ovens in everything from city courtyards to country homes, hotels, restaurants and outdoor entertainment areas.
Trust woodfiredoven.ie
At woodfiredoven.ie, we don’t simply deliver your oven.
We provide expert advice from the moment you order through to installation, curing and your very first cook.
Whether you’re installing a traditional family oven or a large commercial model, we’ll help ensure the process is as smooth and stress-free as possible.
If you have any questions about lifting equipment, access or installation, simply contact our experienced team before delivery and we’ll be delighted to help.
