oven floor location

[ksangiovese]

I am wondering if I should take the time to cut bricks to put the oven floor inside the dome, or just start the dome on top of the floor.

[Mingy]

Re: oven floor location

The recommendation is to cut them to fit inside the dome so they can be replaced, if necessary. Basically, lay them out, draw an appropriate sized circle, and cut them with a brick saw. It goes a lot faster than you'd think.

[mrchipster]

Re: oven floor location

I am wondering if I should take the time to cut bricks to put the oven floor inside the dome, or just start the dome on top of the floor.

Make sure you use a spacer between the floor and the oven walls, I used two layers of corrugated cardboard box material and taped from the outside of the cardboard to the top my floor protector to prevent anything from dropping into the openings of the cardboard. I used Duct tape, and it and the cardboard will burn out after the first few firings and fill with ash. It was easy to cut the duct tape away from the floor protector at the end of brick work.

Chip

[Mingy]

Re: oven floor location

Chip

Good point!

I forgot about the space - I used a layer of corrugated cardboard from my insulation box, but I held it in place with the 'outside' bricks.

[brickie in oz]

Re: oven floor location

You will never have to replace floor bricks in a domestic oven, and even if you did have to it wouldnt be the outer ones but the middle ones so I dont get the point of cutting them?

Just lay the oven on top of them.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: oven floor location

I am wondering if I should take the time to cut bricks

Isn't building an oven all about cutting bricks? Sure, you could buy a pre-cast oven and dispense with anything labor-related, but this is your oven, and the more time you put into it the better it will end up and something you can be proud of. Please don't be in a hurry. Too many builders wish they had taken more time/care in their very personal project.

John

[Pompeii Nate]

Re: oven floor location

I had the same question a while back and after some research on here it appears that the truth is that it really is your choice. A lot of people did it one way and many others did it the other way. So it really is what ever you want to do. But of those who placed the dome on the floor many still ended up cutting the floor to match the dome exactly and this still required what I think is the same amount of cutting if not more (I believe GianniFocaccia did it this way but maybe I am remembering wrong). So do whatever you feel works for you and follow John's advice above. He is a man who speaks from experience. I, on the other hand, am not since I am still just planning and dreaming. Good luck either way!

Nate

[Mike D]

Re: oven floor location

-Most commercial ovens have the floor inside the dome, as in not on top. I put mine on the inside but many others did not. James does say something about this in the plans but everyone says different things. I don't think it is about replacing bricks, I think it makes a nice heat separation from floor to dome. It's like a hot floating island inside the dome. If the floor is not hot you are not going to make good pizza.
-But in the end do it the way you want. That's what makes this site great.

Mike

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: oven floor location

It's like a hot floating island inside the dome

And Bob's your uncle.

[brickie in oz]

Re: oven floor location

It sounds less thermally efficient to me that way, how does the floor and roof exchange heat?

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: oven floor location

Great question!

What properties come into play as a fired clay dome absorbs the spent calories from a fire?

Will the side and ceiling bricks distribute broadcast heat from aggressive flames faster than the floor can absorb the conductive heat directly from the fire? Given a finite brick absorption rate and a whole lot of external variables, I am thinking a dome heats up faster than a floor. Is this backwards?
John

[Mike D]

Re: oven floor location

Good question. I just like the idea of the hot floating island (That does sound ridiculous). Anyway, what about the expansion of the floor and the dome, as in keeping them separate?

Mike

[brickie in oz]

Re: oven floor location

Anyway, what about the expansion of the floor and the dome, as in keeping them separate?

What about it?

There are probably millions of ovens in the world with the dome on top of the floor, mine included, with no problems.

People over think these things and start inventing problems.

[mrchipster]

Re: oven floor location

Great question!

What properties come into play as a fired clay dome absorbs the spent calories from a fire?

Will the side and ceiling bricks distribute broadcast heat from aggressive flames faster than the floor can absorb the conductive heat directly from the fire? Given a finite brick absorption rate and a whole lot of external variables, I am thinking a dome heats up faster than a floor. Is this backwards?
John

I know that presently the dome heats much faster than the floor but I still believe there is moisture in my floor insulation layer and that would explain that.

Directly under the fire that may be different but it is difficult to move a fresh fire without putting it out of comission so I do not have under fire mound readings. Maybe some of those with thermocouples in the floor could shed some light on this topic.

Chip

[jevola]

Re: oven floor location

hello folks, anyone know where i can find stone/brick floor for my homemade pizza oven i am building? thank you