Blanket or vermiculite

[KraemerBAC]

As always I have been reading and re-reading posts on the forum an I ran across the suggestion that we use extra layers of blanket for insulation and get away from using vermiculite. Seems logical to me. Thoughts/suggestions/what have you done....

Peter

[SCChris]

The blanket has a higher R-value, Sorry I don't have the numbers, but unless you just can't afford the blanket that's what I'd perfer to use. I used Rockwool / stonewool board, to insulate. It isn't as flexable as the blanket and so you can't really taylor it the way that you can with the blanket, but with a bit of support and effort I got a good wrap of the oven. I would also say that I went with a house style oven rather than the igloo, in part for the additional insulation that I could get around the oven in part for the ability to better isolate the oven from any water intrusion.

Chris

[wlively]

I think it depends on your final design look, igloo or house and your budget. With an igloo you usually have less room for insulation and almost no room for any loose fill. In that case blankets are a better choice.

I built a house. I have 1-2" of perlcrete on the dome (left overs), 2 blankets (1" and 1/2" seems overlapped), foil, and then filled the entire enclosure with Harborlite perlite loose fill. Erred on the side of overkill since I went with a techshield OSB roof decking.

With my door on my oven looses 100 deg per day. Overkill. But looks good on the graph.

[KraemerBAC]

I suppose I should have posed the question differently. I am building a house around the oven. The question then is extra blanket on the dome and no added vermiculite or single layer of blanket and backfill the house with vermiculite for the added insulation

[SCChris]

I think you could go with the single layer and backfill if money is the issue. In my opinion, you'll do fine either way, just finer with more blanket.

Chris

[KraemerBAC]

Chris,

I actually just ordered a second blanket and I already have 2 big bags of vermiculite I was just curious to see what people are doing. I read somewhere a posting from James, Mr. Forno Bravo, ( not sure he really needs a nickname but oh well ) where it was suggested that extra blanket and no vermiculite is perhaps the suggested method of the future...

Peter

[SCChris]

I think you'll find that you'll be great with 2 and the vermiculite. After that you'll need to pay attention to the inner door. If you're tight on this door you should be able to really hold you temps out several days. Unless it's a typical January day for you, and then all bets are off.. I can't even imagine what happens to heat then.

Best to you and your crew!!

Chris

[KraemerBAC]

Thanks Chris,

I am really looking forward to getting it done. As a matter of curiosity what did you do for your door???

[SCChris]

My door isn't finished but it's 2" thick rigid insulation cut to fit the opening. It works great but it needs a bit of metal on the inside and outside to protect the material. I love that it doesn't weigh anything and I hate the idea of adding weight and loosing insulation value to the thru bolts and / or metal clading. I drilled a small hole just the right size to allow the thermometer probe to fit through.

Chris