Hello...Advice welcome, deadline approaching!!

[mattbirkett]

Hello there. I'm a new member today and need to start working fast as I've set myself the deadline of June 17th, for my wife's 40th birthday where my yet to be made Pizza Oven is the star attraction!!! No pressure then!
I have made the base last summer, then left it till this spring to start making it. 

A few questions I wouldn't mind getting some answers to please:


1. Is it worth putting a vermiculite board down on my base before I add the fire bricks?

2. How do you attach the vermiculite board, or do you just place it addition the bricks on top?

3. What mortar is best to use?

4. Can other bricks be used for dome, rather than fire bricks?

Hopefully with these questions answered I might feel more confident in getting the project done...successfully I hope!

Thanks in advance.


Matt

PS. Does anyone know where is best to buy fire bricks in West Yorkshire??

[downunderdave]

Apr 23, 2017 20:10:49 GMT mattbirkett said:

Hello there. I'm a new member today and need to start working fast as I've set myself the deadline of June 17th, for my wife's 40th birthday where my yet to be made Pizza Oven is the star attraction!!! No pressure then!
I have made the base last summer, then left it till this spring to start making it. 

A few questions I wouldn't mind getting some answers to please:


1. Is it worth putting a vermiculite board down on my base before I add the fire bricks?

2. How do you attach the vermiculite board, or do you just place it addition the sicks on top?

3. What mortar is best to use?

4. Can other bricks be used for dome, rather than fire bricks?

Hopefully with these questions answered I might feel more confident in getting the project done...successfully I hope!

Thanks in advance.


Matt

PS. Does anyone know where is best to buy fire bricks in West Yorkshire??

1. Yes, you must insulate between the floor bricks and the supporting slab or your floor won't retain heat.
2. Just sit it there. The weight of everything on top of it holds it in place.
3. You can buy a refractory mortar that is designed for more than double the temperature needed, but most builders use a cheaper version called "home-brew"which is perfectly
     adequate. It is 3:1:1:1 fine sand, portland cement, hydrated lime, powdered bricklayers clay.
4. Yes, firebricks for the floor as they take a beating there, but you should be able to get away with using solid reds for the dome. Most house bricks today are wire cut bricks with        holes in them, so don't use those.  If you can source some old 2nd hand pressed solid reds they should suffice, although as they're house bricks and not designed for higher            temps you can't be 100% sure that they're going to be suitable, but should be ok.

[awalker]

Good luck. Matt better get building, not long to go.