New to this forum, starting a masonry build

[jon mc]

Hi folks, 

Apologies if this is a re-post, my first one didn't seem to take. 

I'm new to this site, but not new to smoking, I'm in Huntsville, Alabama, and I am getting ready to start a build on a masonry smoker. I'm about 1/2 done with the design and I am looking for tips to save me trouble in the long-term. 

Thanks to all for your help!

Jon Mc