Gaps in the Brick Floor

[Leepinla]

The bricks I bought are good but not perfict
What do I do about the gaps.
Do I have to cut/shave each brick???

[jahysea]

Don't worry about gaps

Hi, the firebricks I used had many imperfections as well. I set the worst of them aside and laid the floor with the best of them. There were gaps here and there, but they fill with ash as you use the oven. Vertical irregularities are a bigger deal, my advice would be to try to get everything flush vertically and don't sweet minor gaps between bricks.

[Leepinla]

Thankyou, I will try that today.
I hope I have enuff good ones,,,.

[jwnorris]

Grind 'em flat

The alternate is to get a 4" gringer and a masonary wheel and grind the irregularities after laying the floor but before you construct your walls.

J W
Casa 110

[james]

I think JC and JW have it right.

Bricks out of line vertically will catch your pizza peel, and will be hassle. You can either tap them with a rubber mallet to get them smooth, or grind them out. You'll be glad you did.

Gaps horitonally between the bricks are les of an issue, though you should be able to get them pretty tight. Worst case is that you get a little ash in there, which isn't a problem.

We have a pizzeria nearby, where the oven is as old as the hills. The floor appears to be real stone pieces worked together (or some very, very old floor tiles) that have huge gaps, and the pizzaiola just keeps cranking out pizzas -- both for sit down dinner and take out. The place is always packed and humming away.

James