Tweet
--------------------------
UPDATE - 12/20/2007:
After completing my oven, I can NOT recommend using Kaowool board under the oven. Due to moisture in the board, parts of my oven are settling (sinking) into the moist, mushy board and causing cracks and joint failures. Please: Don't use this stuff!!. Stick with vermiculite concrete or the SuperIsol sold by Forno Bravo.
-------------------------
I think I may be the one of the first to use Kaowool rigid insulation board under my oven so I thought I would do a review of the product.
When shopping for the board, I had a choice between 1" CalSil board (stacked to get 2") or 2" thick Kaowool. I went with the Kaowool so I wouldn't have to monkey with stacking CalSil sheets.
Manufactured by Thermal Ceramics, the product is shipped 3 sheets to a box. Dimensions are 2' x 4' x 2". Several grades of board are available. The stuff that was available to me was Kaowool M - Low Temperature Board (2300 degrees F). Spec Sheet
Price was $10USD/SqFt (very high).
Comparing the spec sheets of SuperIsol and Kaowool, it looks like the SuperIsol is the stronger, sturdier of the two products (I'm not much of an engineer... if anyone can do a real comparasin of the two sets of Spec numbers, I would appreciate it!) I can push my thumb into the Kaowool and feel it "give" with a few pounds of pressure. I don't think there will be a problem with supporting the oven. When dry it's pretty dense. If the dome sinks at all, it won't be more than a few millimeters. I really doubt it will. Too much surface area.
The board was easy to cut with a jigsaw and light enough for one person to comfortably handle.
Positioning the floor bricks on it was easy. There is a level, smooth, dark side and a slightly textured, lighter colored side. A friendly engineer at Thermal Ceramics told me either side can face the heat. I also told him what I was doing with the board and he said it should work just fine.
I have not used SuperIsol/CalSil board. But from reading about others experience, it appears that the Kaowool is more susceptible to moisture damage.
This picture was taken after I finished gently sponging the excess mortar from my brick.
Once wet, the ceramic wool really gets soggy and easily comes apart. Each time I got near it with the sponge, some of the dark, smooth surface flaked away. After an hour or so in the sun, it returned to it's original firm state.
My analysis: I think this stuff will work fine. After everything is sealed up, I don't anticipate moisture will be an issue. The Kaowool is more expensive than other competing products (WAY more expensive than vermic-concrete). If I did it over again, I would go with the double set of 1" CalSil sheets or even the vermiculite.
UPDATE - 12/20/2007:
After completing my oven, I can NOT recommend using Kaowool board under the oven. Due to moisture in the board, parts of my oven are settling (sinking) into the moist, mushy board and causing cracks and joint failures. Please: Don't use this stuff!!. Stick with vermiculite concrete or the SuperIsol sold by Forno Bravo.
-------------------------
I think I may be the one of the first to use Kaowool rigid insulation board under my oven so I thought I would do a review of the product.
When shopping for the board, I had a choice between 1" CalSil board (stacked to get 2") or 2" thick Kaowool. I went with the Kaowool so I wouldn't have to monkey with stacking CalSil sheets.
Manufactured by Thermal Ceramics, the product is shipped 3 sheets to a box. Dimensions are 2' x 4' x 2". Several grades of board are available. The stuff that was available to me was Kaowool M - Low Temperature Board (2300 degrees F). Spec Sheet
Price was $10USD/SqFt (very high).
Comparing the spec sheets of SuperIsol and Kaowool, it looks like the SuperIsol is the stronger, sturdier of the two products (I'm not much of an engineer... if anyone can do a real comparasin of the two sets of Spec numbers, I would appreciate it!) I can push my thumb into the Kaowool and feel it "give" with a few pounds of pressure. I don't think there will be a problem with supporting the oven. When dry it's pretty dense. If the dome sinks at all, it won't be more than a few millimeters. I really doubt it will. Too much surface area.
The board was easy to cut with a jigsaw and light enough for one person to comfortably handle.
Positioning the floor bricks on it was easy. There is a level, smooth, dark side and a slightly textured, lighter colored side. A friendly engineer at Thermal Ceramics told me either side can face the heat. I also told him what I was doing with the board and he said it should work just fine.
I have not used SuperIsol/CalSil board. But from reading about others experience, it appears that the Kaowool is more susceptible to moisture damage.
This picture was taken after I finished gently sponging the excess mortar from my brick.
Once wet, the ceramic wool really gets soggy and easily comes apart. Each time I got near it with the sponge, some of the dark, smooth surface flaked away. After an hour or so in the sun, it returned to it's original firm state.
My analysis: I think this stuff will work fine. After everything is sealed up, I don't anticipate moisture will be an issue. The Kaowool is more expensive than other competing products (WAY more expensive than vermic-concrete). If I did it over again, I would go with the double set of 1" CalSil sheets or even the vermiculite.
Comment