Fire bricks

[waltiti]

Hi guys!!!

I have a question, I want install firebricks , but I want to take them out easy, and use them again, in a new concrete slab in the future ( the slab have a crack, but I want to use it, the longest I can The slab fell down, when installing it.
).

So may be a mortar with less portland, or sand and the firebricks on the top with mortar on the joints or no mortar. ??????

The dome is already done, and I can remove out all the dome easy, is not atched to the floor. So is not a problem.

Thanks for the advices
Walt

[altamont]

Re: Fire bricks

I am a Ceramic Engineer with over 15 years field experience working 100% in the field.

I would not use any mortar at all for the floor brick. Period. This is what I did for the floor of my wood fired oven and there are no problems.

As a matter of fact, you will be building up small fires at the start to cure the oven. The ashes left over from these fires can be swept out. That will actually push some ash into the joints between brick filling those joints up. The mortar is not needed to 'glue' the brick together - they certainly can't fall anywhere. Additionally, if a floor brick does actually break or shift a little so the floor is no longer as smooth as you like you will be able to take them out and shift them around or replace them.

[kebwi]

Re: Fire bricks

Yeah, no need to mortar the floor, the very fine ash from from the fires will easily fill in the tightest of cracks. Plus, by not mortaring the floor you can replace chipped or damaged floor bricks, as unlikely as that is.

[waltiti]

Re: Fire bricks

Thanks guys for the help,

I put the bricks, lying close to each other, or leave a space of 1 / 8 or 1 / 4 between them for the ashes.

The extreme heat can cause the bricks to expand, and break or crack, if they are really tight each other.?

Thanks
Walt

[Tscarborough]

Re: Fire bricks

Brick are at their smallest fresh from the kiln and increase in size throughout their life, although the amount taken individually is extremely small. Concrete on the other hand, is at it's greatest size when new and shrinks throughout it's life, although it is also a small amount.

[Neil2]

Re: Fire bricks

"I put the bricks, lying close to each other, or leave a space of 1 / 8 or 1 / 4 between them for the ashes. "

Set them tight to each other. They don't expand enough to worry about.

[altamont]

Re: Fire bricks

My apology for not getting a reply back to you faster.

There is no need to put any gap between the bricks for your floor.

Generally, for firebrick the thinner the joint the better. Especially for a floor that is laid 'dry' (i.e. without mortar). That statement about joint thickness has one caveat: It assumes that a true refractory mortar is being used.