Keeping Tile Outside Oven Clean

[bpizza]

Hi, pizza oven newbie here. This is only the 2nd time using our oven. The tile seems to get very dirty/ashy very fast, is there anything to protect the tile so this doesn't happen as much? Thanks in advance!

[fox]

I think you might need to tell us more about your oven type and style?

[bpizza]

Napolino, tile outside. Also a bigger issue keeping grout clean

[UtahBeehiver]

Are you talking about above the oven entrance or landing in front of the oven entrance. Smoke causes staining above the oven entrance. You can min. smoke by starting small, making sure the draft is going before you crank it up, dry wood and not over loading the oven with wood. Otherwise it is a fact of life. One of our old time members (David S) who makes cast ovens with tile fronts in Australia says he uses dark or black grout so the smoke staining is not as apparent.

[david s]

Yes, black grout. If you use a light colour you'll never get it clean. Also glossy tiles are a must, they clean up beautifully but matt tiles not so easily. My oven is ten years old, check the arch tiles, clean as. A lot has to do with the design of the flue gallery and the size of the chimney or flue pipe as well.

[Gulf]

Bpizza,

If you are able to clean the grout, try an exterior mortar or grout sealant just above the oven opening. After cleaning, let the joints dry before applying. That being said, (as had been suggested) work on your fire building and management skills. It's a learning curve, but it gets easier .

[bpizza]

Thanks everyone! I will try a sealant. I'm surprised they don't recommend a dark grout for this reason.

[Gulf]

Actually, the design works fairly well when fired properly. A little light smoke wafting around the opening is normal on startup. Preheat the flue and follow Russell's advice above, and you won't have that thick black smoke coming out the front. Here is a link to Forno Bravo's Resource page. I advise you to do a little brousing through the different sections in it. It has a lot of good information for a new oven owner.

[cowolter]

I've found TSP (trisodium phosphate) works well for ceramic tile. It's an excellent degreaser. You can find it at any hardware store. For a pretreatment you can make a thick baking soda cream and apply that first. I wouldn't recommend grinding unless there's no other option.