Choosing a suitable site: what to look for
Figure 3.2 A suitable site
Good drainage
The site needs to be well drained and if possible above the surrounding ground. This will ensure that the kiln
and its foundations are not under water during the rainy season.
Storage space
You should have enough space around the kiln for stacking stoves and for storing fuelwood.
Safety
The site needs to be a safe distance from houses, structures with grass thatched roofs and stored fuelwood.
When firing, smoke and sparks may come from the sealing (roof) and fireboxes.
Chapter Four
BUILDING THE KILN
The foundation
1. Level the ground where you plan to build the kiln.
2. Stand a straight stick upright in the centre of the foundation with a piece of string measuring at least
120 cm long.
3. Tie a short sharpened stick to the
other end of the string, about 110
cm from the centre pole. Use the
stick to mark a circle of 220 cm
diameter. This is the outer
diameter of the kiln.
Figure 4.1 Marking the diameter of the circle
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