I'm sure this has been dicussed...

[asudavew]

But..

Does it matter whether the floor bricks are set in mortar or dry set to the hearth?

I was leaning toward mortaring them down and between gaps.

[Les]

Dave,

The recommendation is a sand clay mix. Add a little water to make a paste and screed it off with a notched trowel. Don't worry about the gaps, it's my understanding that they will fill in with ash. I believe we want the floor to have the ability to "float". That's the approach that I have taken (but then again, I feel I'm outside the box and off the edge )

Les...

[rlf5]

I think either is fine. The main reason, so i'm told, for the sand/clay mix is to get the bricks level on the hearth. If its level enough for you then I say do without it. Thats the way I ended up going...bricks on isoboard.

[asudavew]

Thanks guys.

I wanted to just lay them and leave them, but the bricks, can we say, are imperfect. Highs lows, company stamps, etc.
So i thought I would put a bit of mortar down to level em up.

Nothing in between though? Ill go with it! But the edges are the worse part, rough, jagged and irregular. I thought they would be nice and square, perfect ... Ya know?
But I guess that was just me dreaming!

[Les]

Dave, I had the dream as well. Use a belt sander - It really does wonders for the edges and level surface. If you wanted to spend many hours you could get it perfect, but it's about that pill thing...

Les...

[Dutchoven]

You can grind them or sand them to make them level. Shouldn't mortar them together though...God forbid one should crack...if the are just set in a firelcay sand mixture but nothing in between you could then replace an individual brick...otherwise much more difficult to replace...also won't get mortar in the food but rather some flyash which is just fine!
Best
Dutch

[asudavew]

Originally Posted by Dutchoven

You can grind them or sand them to make them level. Shouldn't mortar them together though...God forbid one should crack...if the are just set in a firelcay sand mixture but nothing in between you could then replace an individual brick...otherwise much more difficult to replace...also won't get mortar in the food but rather some flyash which is just fine!
Best
Dutch

Just a blend of fireclay and sand?

No water?

[Dutchoven]

I think it was one part clay one part sand and then mixed into a slurry with water, firm enough for it to hold the peaks when screeded with tile setters gauging trowel. Although some I have seen did it with the mix dry?
Best
Dutch

[Ken524]

Originally Posted by asudavew

Just a blend of fireclay and sand?
No water?

I used dry fire clay to level my floor. Sprinkled it where I needed a brick to be up a bit higher here and there. Then ground down the bad spots with a piece of scrap firebrick and hit a few other spots with my orbital sander and 60 grit paper.

[asudavew]

Thanks everyone!

I opted for a bit of sifted sand under the bricks that required it.

Seemed to work fine!