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**dmun** · 12-29-2009, 09:09 PM

Re: Anyone used Insulating Bricks??

Insulating firebrick is good for insulation, it has roughly the same insulation value as vermiculite concrete. They are completely unsuitable for the interior of your dome. They won't absorb and reflect heat: They will just keep the air hot inside the dome.

You might want to read our firebrick primer.

**Johnny the oven man** · 12-29-2009, 11:07 PM

Re: Anyone used Insulating Bricks??

Originally posted by rob_jenny View Post

I have a bit of a dilemma of which bricks to use. I can get insulating bricks for $2.50 each as compared to firebricks at about $8.00 each..a big difference. The guy who sells these insulating bricks (in Auckland NZ) tells me they work fine for pizza ovens and he has sold thousands of them for such projects. I asked him what the difference was between his bricks and a regular fire brick, he said his were lighter (much) they heated up quicker but did not hold the heat as long as a normal FB. Has anyone used these insulating bricks for building the dome and what were the results?? At the end of the day I rreally dont think I will do much if any bread baking so dont really see the need for holding onto the heat long after the fire has gone out..Comments please

Who did you get your quote from, try Thermal Ceramics, or Andreco-Hurll.
Ins. bricks will not work

**kebwi** · 12-29-2009, 11:08 PM

Re: Anyone used Insulating Bricks??

If you want an oven that reacts faster, instead of using some other material I would lean toward building a thinner oven so you can saturate the bricks with heat more quickly. However, that said, dmun himself did exactly that, building a 2.5" inch oven where the rest of us are building 4.5" ovens and he has reported no significant decrease of firing time so there might not be much point...I'll let him comment further on that. Bottom line, I expect the Pompeii design is near optimal for the materials involved.

**GianniFocaccia** · 12-30-2009, 12:37 AM

Re: Anyone used Insulating Bricks??

If a 2.5" oven requires the same amount of firing time as a 4.5" oven, I wonder how much more fuel/time it takes to fire a 5.5" or 6" oven than a 4.5" oven. The reports of internal dome temperatures of 250-300* two days after initial pizza firing are really sexy. Has anyone seen or compared results of firing domes with added thermal mass?

**david s** · 12-30-2009, 12:49 AM

Re: Anyone used Insulating Bricks??

Every oven fires a bit differently, but generally more thermal mass will take longer for the heat to soak through and provided it is insulated well will hold the heat for longer.We find that it can be a nuisance to have to wait for ages for the oven to cool so we can put in the bread. On the other hand the temp drop from 400 C to 300 C can be annoyingly fast. It's a bit like a boat, a series of compromises. It all depends on what you want your oven to do. Size, fuel consumption, weight, insulation,cost are all factors.There is no ideal.

**dmun** · 12-30-2009, 05:20 AM

Re: Anyone used Insulating Bricks??

You can't get around the fact that more mass means more heat to bring it to a given temperature. I think my 36 inch thin wall oven is quite fuel efficient, but it just takes time to bring a big wood fire to coals. I don't think I have much of a time advantage over anyone else.

**spt** · 01-09-2010, 09:11 PM

Re: Anyone used Insulating Bricks??

Hi Rob and Jenny

I have also seen these bricks on Trademe advertising the fact they are suitable for pizza ovens. We are from New Plymouth and thought we would check them out when in Auckland last. Was not impressed after traveling one hour across Auckland to find very light brick with a rough surface. These would not be suitable for a WFO so we were glad we did not buy them on Trademe. Best brick I found is made by Shinagawa refractories in Huntly called the Shiral 35 KTW. The properties of the brick were very similiar to specs recommended by Forno Bravo. Best price was from Placemakers for around $6.50 a brick. We considered this money well spent considering the effort being put into building our oven. Hope all goes well with yours.

Regards

Dave