Interior Questions

[Backyard Za]

Sorry couple more questions as I've just got my P70 all set up.

1. Is there supposed to be a gap between the floor tiles and the edge of the dome? Mine has gaps all the way around the perimeter and just inside the oven opening the gaps are bigger. Is this normal? Cause for concern?

2. Likewise, right above this gap on the right side the interior part of the dome isn't perfectly flat. As far as I can tell it's not a crack but I'm not sure whether this is normal or a crack that was repaired. Should I be concerned? Is this normal? Is this going to cause issues when I cure it?

TIA.

[david s]

Re: Interior Questions

You should be addressing your questions to FB directly.

[Backyard Za]

Re: Interior Questions

Yes I did. I also wanted the opinions of the Forum since there are many people more experienced than myself.

[SableSprings]

Re: Interior Questions

Small gaps around the perimeter of the hearth are good. The hearth and dome will expand and contract every time you fire the oven up and let it cool down. The gaps are the movement joints for your oven. You'll find that these small gaps simply fill up with ash over time & won't affect your pizza in any way. If large gaps exist around the oven's opening (so that your door doesn't allow you to close up the oven), then that's a problem. I installed a G90 for a friend, and those same type of hearth perimeter gaps existed in his oven. His oven has been working perfectly for several years now...and we don't even notice any gaps now.

I'm not surprised the casting of the oven dome has a minor flaw in it...after all it is a casting. As long as it's not a structural crack, it shouldn't be an issue. If I had fixated on making my oven "cosmetically perfect" instead of "perfectly functional", I'd still be working on it instead of enjoying it.

I'm glad you contacted Forno Bravo and will be interested in their response...please keep me in the loop as in my experience they have always expressed interest in customer feedback and improving the quality of their products.

[moderator]

Re: Interior Questions

Hello Backyard Za,

The gaps are intentional. This is to prevent expansion and contraction from cracking the tile or dome.

It also allows easier maintenance if / when you decide to replace a floor tile due to spalling.

This can be filled with 60 mesh sand to prevent any food from getting stuck, however this is a matter of preference as the unit will easily reach 800 F and over and it will burn out any particles left behind (self clean). You do not want to fill these gaps in with refractory cement.

The unevenness found on the interior sidewalls of the dome happens during the casting process. Each dome is handcrafted one at a time, variance between domes is perfectly normal and will not affect the performance nor compromise the integrity of the unit.

GOOD LUCK!

[Backyard Za]

Re: Interior Questions

Thanks Mike/Mod!