Groud Insulation

[atak]

Hello from the Netherlands,
I am building a Pizza oven and have downloaded the book from FornoBravo.
My question for now is , What are the measures for the vermicullie insulation where everything is build upon?
It doesn't stand clearly in the manual.
I hope I did it right, by taking 46" x 46" x 28"" for the landing?

I will be asking a lot I am afraid because this is not a normal thing in Holland.

Thanks, Adrian.

[atak]

This is how far I am now. It was a little pont that I am turning into a resting place with pizza oven.
I am building a 36"oven.
I must say that it cures slowly the 5-1 vermiculliete. How long does it takes before you can start building?
I have made the insulation to long but I will cut that off.

By, Adrian.

[SableSprings]

Welcome to the forum Adrian. Looks like a great place for a pizza oven. Looking at your pictures, it appears that your vermicrete insulation should be a little thicker. To get acceptable insulation between your cooking floor and the concrete oven support slab, most of us recommend 10-15 cm of the 5:1 vermicrete. You may have noticed that the vermicrete holds a lot of water. It will take quite a while to totally dry out, but you normally can start building on it after a week. Remember, this isn't concrete -- it is the compression strength of the vermicrete that works here. You can stick a screwdriver through it, but you can't push a brick into it at all!

Since vermicrete (and perlcrete=perlite+concrete) both absorb water quite readily, you need to protect that bottom layer from rain. If you can, build a moisture dam around the outside of the final vermicrete base to keep water from seeping in from the sides. It is good practice to slope your supporting slab so water runs off quickly...but since it's already poured, the dam idea might be the best option. It is also a good idea when possible to drill several drain holes through the slab under the insulation layer for additional water drainage. Looks like your slab is pretty thick, so drilling a few holes might not be practical. Again, I'd advise increasing the thickness of the vermicrete by adding another similar layer on top. Also, leave the forms on during your build since the vermicrete is easily damaged.

Are you planning to build an enclosure around the oven? That certainly helps prevent moisture and water from returning to the oven after it's been cured. The tarp will be really important for you during the build with the normal Netherlands weather.

Looking forward to your build.

[atak]

Thank you for all the advice.
I went to work immediately and covered everything well an ordered plates of calcium ciliate that will come between the vermicrete and the oven floor.
I will chance now to the newbe forum.

Thanks again from a very rainy Holland. Adrian.