Dome Insulation? Modular Refractory Oven Installation Discuss Dome Insulation? in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; We finished building the oven over the weekend, next stage to insulate. Do I put the chicken wire over the ...

[RyH]

We finished building the oven over the weekend, next stage to insulate.

Do I put the chicken wire over the insulating blanket tightly or do I have it 4" away from the blanket leaving a gap to hold the vermiculite concrete?

[dmun]

If you can build a freestanding armature that would hold stucco (render?) then you wouldn't need to solidify the vermiculite: you could just pour it in loose before putting the last of the scratch coat on at the top.

This said, most people use the chicken wire to hold in the hard-to-work-with vermiculite concrete, and then stucco over that when it solidifies.

[asudavew]

I built a wire cage and covered it with screen. Then I poured my my verm in.

I still need to cover it with mortar and stucco.

[RyH]

Thanks, I will position the wire out from the blanket and then pour the vermiculite concrete so that the wire holds it in. I can then render on top of this once gone off.
Picture of oven as it stands today, hopefully a pizza is not too far away!

[Dutchoven]

I could be wrong but I think dmun and asuda are referring to pouring in loose vermiculite...if you use it as vermiculite concrete you can appy that directly onto the blanket somewhat like stucco...in that case you might want to use type N mortar mix as opposed to just portland cement...which will help it stick better on the more vertical surfaces...then you can just stucco the exterior
Dutch

Originally Posted by RyH

Thanks, I will position the wire out from the blanket and then pour the vermiculite concrete so that the wire holds it in. I can then render on top of this once gone off.
Picture of oven as it stands today, hopefully a pizza is not too far away!

[james]

Very good advice Dutch. Thanks.
James

[beckj]

If you create a void space around the dome with chicken wire, and fill that void with loose vermiculite, then you stucco/mud on top of that. That total thickness should be about 4-5 inches, correct? And also, whatever void space is left between the insulated dome and the walls can be filled with just vermiculite/sand, correct? Or does the void have to be filled with solid material, say vermiculite/concrete?

Thanks to anyone out there for an answer!

-John

[antonio cefalo]

i am looking to buy vermiculite to fill in over the refractory insulation i packed around the oven (4") is there specific kind to use or not to use? or is it all the same?

thank you

[dmun]

whatever void space is left between the insulated dome and the walls can be filled with just vermiculite/sand, correct?

Keep sand out of the insulation layer. Sand isn't an insulator.

i am looking to buy vermiculite to fill in over the refractory insulation i packed around the oven (4") is there specific kind to use or not to use? or is it all the same?

We are warned off the silicone treated stuff used in domestic insulation, but that isn't that common. The stuff supplied for garden soil enhancement, or pool lining, or packing is just fine, and particle size doesn't seem to make much difference.

[SteveP]

I didn't use vermiculite as I couldn't find any. I did find a lot of perlite at a nursery supply warehouse and used that and has worked great. I believe the price was very reasonable at $9 for 4 cuft. I ended up using 4 to 5 bags.