How is fire brick different than regular brick?

What will happen if I put regular brick in a place where fire brick is supposed to be used?

(side note: why does the software not remember my name and e-mail anymore? Not that big of a deal - it was just convenient before)

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), October 09, 2001

Answers

Firebrick are made with different materials than regular bricks. Putting regular bricks where firebrick are needed it a bomb, just waiting for enough heat to heat the air pockets inside them and will explode, and that will spoil your day if not kill or maime someone. Firebrick have air passages, regular brick do not; also use fireclay to mortar firebrick into place, not cement mix. Regular bricks are like putting shotgun shells in the campfire.

As for the cookie, your name and e mail address, need to be "set up" into the system, you will find instructions in the paragraph of instructions after clicking the "ask a question" intro, its a single click at the proper place. My puter often kicks mine out and I have to reset it.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), October 09, 2001.

What makes firebrick different? What is the different stuff?

Cookie: I looked there and cannot see the link you mention.

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), October 09, 2001.

I must be having a "senior moment", the cookie is not where I thought I saw it last, someone will need to step in here with correct info.

I do not know the exact material that either brick is made of, but I am sure you could find it in your search engines. Fire brick are lighter and more costly than regular brick.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), October 09, 2001.

Firebrick is made with less contaminated aggragates than regular brick. Thus it can be fired at higher temperatures and in turn will withstand hotter temperatures for which it's designed. Not all firebrick has air passages. Hearth brick does but most brick to line woodstoves, evaporator arches etc. do not. For outdoor fireplaces and grills regular brick has been used for years. Regular brick will break down quicker when used in high heat conditions meant for firebrick.

-- Peter (pdfitz@mkl.com), October 09, 2001.

FWIW I used to live in an area where "fire clay" was mined for fire bricks etc. It's comes out of the ground in rock form and is white in color. It's not what I would strictly call clay.

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), October 09, 2001.

Last year , Countryside had an article on making an outdoor bread oven that had an explanation of stone selection for firebrick. As I recall Jd and Steve explained what type of stone or brick would work and the reasons why.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), October 09, 2001.

If you respond to a question, after you click on "Submit," you get the "Success!" page. On that page is a link to set a cookie on your computer.

-- Laura Rae Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), October 10, 2001.

Anybody remember which issue had the stuff on picking those stones?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), October 10, 2001.

There - got the cookie thing working! Thanks for the tip about finding the link after posting!

I bought some fire brick yesterday. 88 cents per brick. I needed a little for use when doing small welding projects.

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), October 10, 2001.

The outdoor oven article is in the Nov/Dec 2000 issue (vol 44 no. 6).

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), October 10, 2001.