Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

[glowthb]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Neil,

True...I could have used a few more vanes. But I did not expect to hit that point until the vanes were close enough to bridge the bricks.

The chopstick idea is a good one. I agree the styrofoam overall is a proven technique but with some things to consider. I am pleased with their performance overall and think I still prefer them to the indispensible tool...at least for me. Particularly when I get impatient and want to get more done at a single sitting. The indispensible tool certainly has proven results of incredible quality. I am amazed at some of the projects on here and enjoy the dialogue.

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Nice job! I like your angled vent and the way you put the anchor plate on. It will draw smoke well, you'll have no worries there. You're right, use the heat-stop and just point it in where you need it. So there's a little mortar over the edges, your brick work looks pretty sharp.
Keep up the good work,
-Dino

[glowthb]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Dino...Thank you for your comments. I have to say it has been a very enjoyable project. A bit of an obession at this point but a rather good one I think.

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Looks Great! Now the fun part begins! Cooking! I used a vanes approach and had almost the opposite problem that you had, not enough mortar on the inside joints. I had to go in an point the inside of the oven. I think if I ever build another, I will use the indespensible tool instead of the vanes, but that said, my oven is extremely functional if not as pretty inside as some of the newer ones! Enjoy (from a fomer Floridian...Go Gators!)

Drake

[glowthb]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Thanks Drake.

[jalvarez]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Gentlemen,

It is great to see others with the same issues as I am having. I live in Central Flordia also and got my material from harwood and cemex. I used the smooth firebricks for the floor as well and the rough firebricks from harwood in the dome and entrance.

I realized the problem for the form as I started my first couple of chains, I will post some pics of my jig that I made and while tricky my bricks at the top stayed in place fairly quickly. I used a mixture of heatstop and homemade fire mortar. I just decided to check the forum and thought it would be cool to touch base with someone local and share stories.

[efleifel]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Welcome aboard,

This is one of the neatest forums you will ever join. Tremendous knowledge, and various experience.
Looking forward to see the photos.

cheers

Eddie
My Web site

[glowthb]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Agreed. Informative and supportive.

J drop some photos of your build when you get a chance.

I fired my oven this weekend using the charcoal pan from a smoker with some all natural lump in it. Kept it nice and low but threw in some wet cardboard to get a nice smoke going to root out any leaks. Had about 7 leaks in the dome I have since re-mortared.

You can see from the photos I have got most of the house started. House will be covered with concrete board with metal roofing. The only wood I intend on using will be to form the drip edge. Any thoughts on how close I am placing the chimney cap to the roof line?

[jalvarez]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Here are some pics and I don't have the new ones downloaded yet. The jig I used for the dome is in one of the pics. I put a center mark on the floor and just moved the jig around centering it on the mark. I was able to clean the mortar joint from the inside which helped out on lining the brick up correctly. The mistake I made was not staggering the seams like I wanted. I was able to use the jig all the way to the end. I can still put the jig in and move 360 degrees. I had a hard time with the angles at the end, this was also due to cheap tile saw. My first firing to see if it would draw ok went well. I am going to wait a few more days unitl I start the curing process.

I will get some new pics soon...

Josh

[glowthb]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

J...Oven is looking good. How big is it?

[glowthb]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Got the walls up, loose vermiculite and perlite poured in, and the roof on. I am definitely going to add to the chimney height....it is a wee bit tight.

The first bake ended up being bread for Xmas dinner. A nice German Farmers bread. It came out pretty good for first attempt. Admittedly, my timing was off and I did not let it rise as much as I should but there was a lot going on around here on Christmas as may imagine. But the bread had a wonderful hard crust and dense and chewey center. Definitely reminded me of Europe.

Merry Christmas everyone.

[Lburou]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Merry Christmas to you too, A day late

I'm happy you jumped right in there and used the oven to supplement the menu for Christmas. Very impressed with the rapidity of your build. I'm looking at the dates on your posts and it seems like you really got things done in a hurry. Congratulations on a milestone piece for your landscape.

[glowthb]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Thanks L. Most thankful for an understanding wife while I have worked on this thing almost everyday in some form incuding under flloodlights, head lamps, cold, rain..LOL. I guess I just do not want to have the proverbial unfinished DIY project in the backyard.

I do think a break is due soon though...get recharged before I laydown the patio and set the stone walls. I am looking into natural stone as it appears to be the least expensive in this area....about $3 a sq ft here. Manafactured would probably be easiest but it is actually more then the real stuff. Amazing!

[Lburou]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

Thanks L. Most thankful for an understanding wife while I have worked on this thing almost everyday in some form incuding under flloodlights, head lamps, cold, rain..LOL. I guess I just do not want to have the proverbial unfinished DIY project in the backyard.

I do think a break is due soon though...get recharged before I laydown the patio and set the stone walls. I am looking into natural stone as it appears to be the least expensive in this area....about $3 a sq ft here. Manafactured would probably be easiest but it is actually more then the real stuff. Amazing!

The local limestone here (called Granbury stone) was $5 a square foot three years ago is now pushing $8-10 a square foot on a wall and $6-8 as flagstone. $3 is a slam dunk, cultured stone can't compete with the look of real stone!

Lee

[glowthb]

Re: Building in Central Florida, Question about insulation beneath cooking floor

First Pizza! Amazing! Thanks to all.