Installation guide

Pompeii Oven Instructions

13. Oven Insulation

Overview

After your oven dome and vent have been assembled, the

oven is covered with insulation, typically a woven ceramic

insulating blanket, such as Insulfrax, loose insulation, such

as vermiculite or perlite, or a combination of the two.

Unlike thermal mass, where too much can be a bad thing,

there isn't really such a thing as too much insulation.

Woven ceramic insulation has the advantages of being

more efficient and requiring using less space than other

insulating materials, and it provides better oven heat

retention and oven performance. There are a number of

commercial ovens that use Insulfrax (or something similar)

exclusively.

On the other hand, loose insulators tend to be less

expensive. If cost is the overarching consideration, or you

are unable to locate Insulfrax, vermiculite or perlite, both

sand and expanded clay are traditional insulators. They do

not work as well as modern ceramic products, but if that is

all you can find locally, they will do in a pinch.

Instructions

Blanket insulation such as Insulfrax is relatively easy to

work with, in that it is easy to cut and shape, and it tends

to stay where you place it. Always use a mask when

working with it.

13.1 Loose Vermiculite between the dome and walls.

An Igloo design oven can incorporate insulating concrete

(vermiculite or perlite and Portland cement) as part of the

Igloo shape. Alternatively, you can construct the Igloo

shape using rebar and stucco lathe, then pour loose

insulation into the cavity between the oven and enclosure.

If you are using a 1” layer of Insulfrax, you will want to use

about 4” of loose insulation. If you are not using Insulfrax,

you should cover the oven dome with 6" of vermiculite. If

you are using only Insulfrax, you should cover the oven

dome with 2”-3” of insulation.

13.2. Blanket insulation held in place with wire.

13.3. Insulfrax blanket held in place with metal bands.

For Walled House and Indoor partition wall installations,

you can again use all blanket insulation, all loose

insulation, or a combination of the two. The recommended