Firebrick replacement??

[Jim Bob]

Have had my forno bravo oven for 4 yrs now. The last two years it seemed to take much longer for it to get hot. So I thought I'd try using lump charcoal as a base under the wood to start it. Man, did that work! However, it must have been too hot. After 4 starts like that the firebrick floor is breakin up & I need to replace some of the firebricks. BUT, even with no mortar, have been unable to figure how to remove old bricks easily. Any suggestions? And NO I will not be using lump charcoal again. Thanks in advance for any assistance.. Jim Bob of Memphis

[Spinal]

Re: Firebrick replacement??

I reckon a hammer and chisel to break the old firebrick into chunks followed by a vacuum cleaner... then drop a new brick in...

[texman]

Re: Firebrick replacement??

if you can drill a hole in it, screw a tapcon in a little and yank it out of there.
HTH

[Jim Bob]

Re: Firebrick replacement??

Ok the hammer and cold chisel worked. But it was then I noticed what I should have remembered during construction..... there is a layer of fireclay, water, and sand under each brick.. SO, my dilemma is do I remove the old paste mixture and try to make this new paste under individual bricks hoping I can tap them down to the same height as the old ones, or do I simply replace as many as possible in the center block of the cooking floor, applying a mixture over the entire area and basically doing the part of the floor I can replace over again?? Not sure which would make the most sense. But if some of the old bricks are wearing down, it does make more sense to replace and redo as many as possible with new brick and new paste on the layer of sand.
Jim Bob of Memphis

[deejayoh]

Re: Firebrick replacement??

Pull up all the bricks from the center, clean up the paste as best you can, then lay down new layer of mixed sand/fireclay. Use a grooved trowel to spread around, and then replace your bricks (old and new)

[Jim Bob]

Re: Firebrick replacement??

I assume I also need to try and pry up and remove all the old hardened mortar paste as well before applying any new stuff. JB of Mem

[That's Amore]

Re: Firebrick replacement??

just a thought, why not replace the old brick with new after going through all that work.

Cheers,

[ThermoJax]

Re: Firebrick replacement??

use a harbor freight multipurpose tool, the type that rapidly vibrates back and forth and remove the offending bricks. You may want to climb inside before and make a close examination of the dome. Mine had cracks that upon close inspection, after 3 years, had cracks that were bigger than I thought. I went back to my high heat place I purchased all my stuff from and purchased a high heat mortar patch in a caulk gun tube and stopped the heat from escaping that way.