Vermiculite prices

[JoeT62]

What are people seeing as the price for a 4 cubic foot bag of vermiculite. Here in southern MA I found only one garden center that had one bag and it was $26. The plans are calling for quite a few more bags between hearth and insulation - maybe the SuperIsol is the way to go after all.

[DrakeRemoray]

I paid $14 for a 4 cubic foot bag from a nursery wholsaler...

[nissanneill]

Joe,
not that it make any difference to you as I am in Australia, I paid $26 per 100 litre bag (6Kg) and used 6 bags for both the under heart and 3 x 1" layers of insulation over the thermal blanket covering the 40" dome.
As the forum suggests that you can't over do the insulation and my newly built oven proves this. At full trott, the outer top of the dome is still COLD even after 3 hours of heating/baking pizzas.
Don't skimp on it as the whole success is dependent on this characteristic!

Neill

[JoeT62]

No skimping here - I plan on at least 2" thick of Insulfrax (possibly more on the lateral edges) and filling in the rest with loose vermiculite. I was just hoping that the vermiculite would be a bit easier to find and a bit less pricey.

[dmun]

Originally Posted by JoeT62

What are people seeing as the price for a 4 cubic foot bag of vermiculite. Here in southern MA I found only one garden center that had one bag and it was $26. The plans are calling for quite a few more bags between hearth and insulation - maybe the SuperIsol is the way to go after all.

That's what I paid, more or less, including shipping, from an eBay supplier for Perlite.

[wlively]

I paid $23 for a 4 cu ft bag from a nursery.

And I paid $10 for a 4 cu ft bag of Harborlight Perlite (thanks Chris). This stuff pours like water and is what I poured on top of the blankets.

[JoeT62]

Thanks guys - I think I found a lead on a 6 cubic foot bag for about $20 about an hours drive away.

[james]

You need to add $.42/mile to the vermiculite, plus your time. What does a surgeon charge these days? :-)

That's some pretty expensive vermiculite.
James

[JoeT62]

I'll combine my vermiculite purchase with the obligatory in-law visit (they live near there). Actually it gives me a handy excuse to leave early!!

[JoeT62]

For informational purposes, I was wondering if the vermiculite used in pool construction is generally treated with silicone or not. This might be another source for folks to consider.

Also, I have noticed some sellers grade the vermiculite (coarse, medium, fine, etc.) Given a choice, is there one type that is better for this application than others?