Are all bricks fireproof?

psd99 · 18 Jul 2021 at 14:50

Hi due to my infatuation with Indian food.... I'm *attempting* to build an Indian tandoor oven, part of the design includes bricks around the outside of the chimney.

I was under the assumption that bricks are fireproof but looking online they can actually explode
obviously that could be quite dangerous if the oven is fired up, therefore are all bricks fireproof or am I going to need a special type of brick for this project and the exterior of the oven?

robfosters · 18 Jul 2021 at 14:55

I’d use fire bricks myself. Better safe than sorry.

fastwunz · 18 Jul 2021 at 14:56

Yep you need fire bricks

robfosters · 18 Jul 2021 at 14:58

Basically firebricks are made of kiln fired clay, which is incidentally, the exact material that tandoor ovens are made from.

psd99 · 18 Jul 2021 at 15:02

its gonna be an expensive project then.. ..
quick google suggest fire bricks are more expensive than 50p a brick

robfosters · 18 Jul 2021 at 15:04

psd99 said:
its gonna be an expensive project then.. ..
quick google suggest fire bricks are more expensive than 50p a brick

Indeed, and you can’t use ordinary cement either.

psd99 · 18 Jul 2021 at 15:05

robfosters said:
Indeed, and you can’t use ordinary cement either.

what kind of cement will I need?
yer eventually I will be cementing it but for now its a test etc

robfosters · 18 Jul 2021 at 15:09

psd99 said:
what kind of cement will I need?
yer eventually I will be cementing it but for now its a test etc

Outdoor oven cement. Normal cement will just crack and loosen under the extreme heat.

theone8181 · 18 Jul 2021 at 19:45

I've a tally ordered firebrick for work and they weren't that expensive. Believe it or not we use them to catch strays beams from lasers :cry:

. Iirc the postage was more than the bricks

.

dave28 · 18 Jul 2021 at 19:56

you need the right bricks for the right job. there are many types believe it or not.

200sols · 18 Jul 2021 at 20:23

Bricks around the chimney, not in direct heat? Fwiw you only need fire bricks if you use them in the actual firing chamber, you don't expose fire bricks to the elements.

robfosters · 18 Jul 2021 at 20:27

If you’re just doing it for a test and want to do it cheaply, you might wanna try the clay pot method.

peterwalkley · 18 Jul 2021 at 21:04

Why not just buy an electric tandoor?

BigBoy · 19 Jul 2021 at 00:19

robfosters said:
If you’re just doing it for a test and want to do it cheaply, you might wanna try the clay pot method.

This we had a clay pot tandoor oven for 3 years before it cracked .

pp111 · 19 Jul 2021 at 06:04

It is normal to use firebricks for an oven. I guess you don't have to because the temperatures are way below the danger point for bricks but why take the chance?

sovietspybob · 19 Jul 2021 at 08:17

You can use normal bricks for a chimney, you only need fire bricks when they're in actual contact with the fire pretty much.

Also you can't have them exposed to water so you'd need to clad it in normal bricks anyhow.

200sols · 19 Jul 2021 at 08:21

pp111 said:
It is normal to use firebricks for an oven. I guess you don't have to because the temperatures are way below the danger point for bricks but why take the chance?

Yes, for an a oven. Not for cladding a chimney.

pp111 · 19 Jul 2021 at 08:35

200sols said:
Yes, for an a oven. Not for cladding a chimney.

But isn't the chimney on those type of ovens pretty much the oven itself? Maybe I am imagining this wrong?

BigBoy · 19 Jul 2021 at 09:22

Tandoor ovens can reach 600°c far more than your average brick can handle, any air bubbles in side the brick will expand causing th brick to explode.

200sols · 19 Jul 2021 at 09:28

pp111 said:
But isn't the chimney on those type of ovens pretty much the oven itself? Maybe I am imagining this wrong?

Yes, but he says bricks around the chimney outside - exposed to the rain etc. You cant use firebricks in such a scenario, usually you will insulate between the hot surface and the outer facing bricks. Without seeing the plans we are just guessing.