Stable outdoor area for smoker question

[fire it up]

So I am still in the process of converting an old oven into a double smoker. Weather has been bad here in Jersey so I have to wait until tomorrow to take out the insulation outside and finish taking it apart.
Question I have is this...

I have a space chosen for the smoker, I was planning on leveling out the ground, lay down red brick and pour sand all over it to work in between the bricks so that it stay level and stable.
Any suggestions or comments on how well you think this would work or should I maybe make something a bit more serious?
I figure it will be level and stable enough, will be enclosing the smoker in a little "room" type area to block wind and rain but wasn't sure if there was anything else I should think about doing.
I was going to pour concrete but I do not believe that would be necessary.
I do have another area (very small) where I had to put my ECB on bricks in the side yard one time and did it the same. Red bricks and sand to settle in between, and it worked great...

 

[txbbqman]

Sounds like it will work just fine. If it were me that's right in line with what I would do.

Good Luck

 

[rivet]

You might want to consider putting down a bit (1 inch) of fine sand before your bricks. This will add stability and drainage to your area you'll need- larger footprint and a bit larger weight load. We don't know what your soil looks like underneath, but this ought to do real well. Also, the shelter is a good idea, just leave room around the smoker for ventilation and safety. Good luck on your project, it sounds good.

 

[fire it up]

Thanks guys. I will definitely add sand before I lay the brick as well.
Unfortunately (for gandening) but ok for this, most of our sand it a few inches of top soil and then some gravel underneath. Some areas of opur property has a lot of beach sand but the closer home areas I will be placing the smoker on is rather solid. Will make sure to have proper ventilation for the protective wall around, I figure the roof I will have it go up on an agle so the smoke can roll out but slightly dip down at the front so the smoke can leave but rain wouldn't come in too much.
Any ideas if I should spray the bare oven bodie with any kind of weatherproof or heated paint? It should good that mopist but I just would prefer to keep it from any chance of rust.

 

[Dutch]

Fire it up- what insulation are you taking out? If it's the insulation that is wrapped around the oven chamber I would leave it in place and fabricate an outer shell to mount the oven in. That insulation is designed for high temps-that’s why it's in there. Even though you are converting this oven into a smoker, keeping the insulation in place will reduce you fuel consumption and help reduce temperature swings.