Why not insulating firebricks for hearth insulation? Tools, Tips and Techniques Discuss Why not insulating firebricks for hearth insulation? in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; I've never seen any suggestion of using insulating firebricks for the hearth insulation, only various "boards" (superisol) and aerated concretes ...

[kebwi]

I've never seen any suggestion of using insulating firebricks for the hearth insulation, only various "boards" (superisol) and aerated concretes (vermiculite & perlite). Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something, but isn't this exactly what insulating firebricks are designed for?

What am I missing here? Are they really expensive or not very insulative or difficult to work with? I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason for why they aren't recommended, much less barely discussed, but I'm not aware of what that reason is yet.

Final thought: even if they shouldn't be used for the entire floor, would they make good standoffs or "columns" embedded into the vermcrete/perlcrete at, say 12"-18" spacing (half bricks perhaps) to provide compression resistance to the weaker concrete?

...of course that idea is only necessary if compression is a serious issue in the first place and I get a very strong impression from this forum that compression is virtually never a problem, even at 7:1, but would they help in such a case?

Just brainstorming.

Thanks.

[david s]

I agree with you. Why not use them ? Trouble is they're expensive. They are also designed to withstand really high temps (1200 C+), which in our application we don't need. Aerated concrete (Hebel) is another alternative, but it is also dearer than vermiculite, for me anyway. If you can access insulating firebricks at a good price then go for it.

[david s]

Kebwi,
Forgot to add that insulating firebricks are not that strong because of all that air in them. Probably not much stronger, if at all, than vermiculite. There's a job for you, run some tests.

[John K]

Hi Guys

I am in the process of laying Insulation bricks on my hearth and will cost me just under $250.00 (75 Bricks).

The supplier advised that I will get better insulation properties using these and I won't have an issue of these crumbling under the weight of the dome.


I guess I will know shortly!!

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Hi John K

Are these the very white bricks they use in kilns and furnaces ? I want to build an outdoor furnace and Im thinking about using a product like that.
Thanks
Mark

[John K]

Hi Mark

Yes these are the white bricks and are very light!! see attached photo

I also jumped on the suppliers website and have found this spill listed under Insulation Bricks


INSULATION BRICK

Field Furnace Refractories is an agent for ISOLITE Insulating Firebrick.
The Insulating Firebricks have densities ranging from 0.50 -1.8 grams per cubic centimetre and temperature ratings from 900oC to 1800oC.

Isolite Insulating Firebricks have low thermal conductivity good cold crushing strength; low reheat shrinkage and excellent dimensional tolerances.

We can supply the insulating firebrick required for any furnace design to give optimum thermal insulation. Isolite IFBs are used as back up and as a hot face in a myriad of furnaces and kilns.

hope it helps

John


You can follow my build at http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/j...-wfo-7911.html (John's 42inch Aussie WFO)

[david s]

Yes they are very white and very light, also very refractory.

[dmun]

They work fine: they have the same insulation value as vermiculite concrete. The problem is price. At least around here they are far more expensive than regular firebrick, and an order of magnitude more than vermiculite concrete. If you're spending that kind of money, you should spring for the modern insulation boards, and get the advantage of higher insulation values.

And just for the record: there's no compressive strength problem with vermiculite concrete. It has no tensile strength, but you'd be hard pressed to crush it.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

I think I will stick with the vermicrete,, I love to work with things that have a known factor,,, I have used it with good success, and to date it amazes me how much heat it can hold...

Mark

[kebwi]

So, let's say, theoretically ;-) that I have access to 50 new insulating firebricks for $75. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Clearly, that's a good price. It won't really complete the floor, even for a 36" oven. Could I make a workable design with this by filling the center with bricks and then expanding the circumference with perlcrete, or vs/va, or something like that?

I'm thinking this might work...but just to clarify, as was stated above in this thread, it is only as insulating as perlcrete, not as insulating as board, so I either need a few inches worth, or I need a layer of perlcrete above or below it...or some board...I'm thinking of putting 1" to 2" Insblock 19 under the hearth anyway, regardless of whether I use perlcrete or insulating firebricks.

Thoughts?

Thanks, as always.