Raising cooking floor Getting Started Discuss Raising cooking floor in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; I'll be using the FB insulating boards under my cooking floor rather than pour the vermiculite/cement on top of my ...

[Freddie]

I'll be using the FB insulating boards under my cooking floor rather than pour the vermiculite/cement on top of my hearth. I've realized (too late) that my cooking floor will be a little lower than what will be comfortable to work with. I would like to raise the level 6" to 8" higher.

I'm thinking of putting a layer or two of bricks on top of my hearth to raise the height of the insulating boards and my oven's cooking floor. From what I've read on this forum it sounds like the boards will insulate the bottom well enough that the extra bricks underneath should not create a larger thermal mass which will affect the cooking performance of the oven.

Would this work or is there a better way to raise the cooking floor after the hearth has been poured? If using brick is okay does it have to be firebrick or could I just set out another course of cinder blocks on top of the hearth to raise the cooking floor level a full eight inches?

If all else fails I figure I can lower the ground around the foundation so that we'll be standing lower when cooking, but that is more work than I want to do right now.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Freddie

[dmun]

You can use any sort of masonry you want to raise your floor height. No refractory material/firebrick called for outside the insulation envelope. Masons use rubble fill to fill cavities: all the masonry junk lying around broken up and laid in with mortar. It might be easier to buy 6/8 inch concrete blocks and lay them down on their sides.

[Freddie]

Dmun,

Thanks for the info. I'm actually surprised that I can lay the blocks on their sides. For some reason I thought they aren't as strong with weight on the sides rather than on top/bottom, but I don’t know where I got that idea from.

I appreciate the help. I'll give it a try.

Freddie

[Neil2]

Or you can pour six inches of 5:1 vermiculete to raise the level.

This stuff will have more than enough compressive strength to support your hearth bricks and dome.

[dmun]

I thought they aren't as strong with weight on the sides rather than on top/bottom

They are stronger on the ends, just like a tin can can be crushed from the side but not the top. Sideways blocks are plenty strong to hold up your oven: you might want to fill any cavities that will be supporting massive chimneys or other superstructure.