What type of brick is used in a hearth oven?

[Engineered Ceramics]

Is it typically a standard Firebrick, or do some designs use Insulating Fire Brick (IFB).

Also, do you place any insulation under the deck to prevent too much heat from being sucked down into the substructure?

I'm thinking of building my own, and for me, the IFB would be much easier to use, as you can cut it with a standard band saw.

I've included a photo of a kiln rebuild that used some IFB.  IFB kinda looks like styrofoam made from ceramics.

[Christopher]

Hello,

I built a wood burning oven recently and from i hae read, standard fire bricks are the way to go. The insulated ones will not absorb and release the heat the way a hearth needs to from what i remember reading. Your fire bricks will weigh between 6-8 lbs each.

The forums at fornobravo.com have a ton info on this subject if that helps. That's where i got the plans for my oven from and i love my oven.

Yes, you would want insulation under the floor or else you'll use a lot of wood and lose heat.

Christopher

[pcampbell]

Regular firebricks - you definitely want to insulate everywhere, especially anywhere firebricks are coming into direct contact with anything else.  The insulating firebricks could be used as insulation from what I've heard - I've also heard it takes a good amount of them to get the proper insulation.  I just picked up a piece of "FB Board" from forno bravo that is supposed to bring up to 2000F down to 180F.  It is sort of stryofoamy feeling but very dense and very heavy.  I was planning on using this between my floor and my 5" concrete slab so that I am not losing heat trying to heat that entire slab up before my floor gets hot.