Building an Horno (Clay Oven) - Adding Insulation Layers

Part 6 in a series of instructional videos from the www.adobecollege.com online course called "Horno Design and Construction" deals with adding insulation layers made up of clay, sand and straw to a traditional New Mexican horno/clay oven.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• adobe
• construction
• cob
• earthbuilding
• horno
• clay
• oven
• green
• building

[maradonasssssss]

whats better to use for the flat surface ?clay bricks? and for the walls adobe? which holds heat better?is the same to use adobe for the whole?

[adobecollege]

@maradonasssssss

We use fire bricks for the oven floor, unstabilzed adobe bricks or a 3" layer of mud mortar troweled smooth. All work well but I find that the fire bricks are cleanest and easiest to work with (especially for pizza baking).

[hotaironly]

we've used hay instead of hay. is that bad? also, the clay dome has shrunk around the base and around the firebrick arch. what are we doing wrong? thanks for any help you can extend.

[adobecollege]

@hotaironly

@hotaironly

Straw is probably better. Hay is a food source for animals and is usually not used with adobe. It is normal for the dome to shrink a bit but if you are getting excessive shrinking (and cracking) you probably have to much clay in your mud mix. Try adding more sand to the mix. Straw can also reduce shrinking and cracking in a mix with high clay content.

[dustytrayl]

Wish I could find the first 5 videos. Looks like fun!

[mogges1]

what are you using inside for the racks to place the food on

[jonboda]

has anyone got a link for the previous 5 videos?

[fricky7069]

can i mix in cement with the straw and mud

[jmg1957]

well done.

[Fix0a0project]

Nice video!Thank you!

[maradonasssssss]

@adobecollege yes i have tried trowling clay on the floor once(which i collected from a field). it cracked a bit once it dried and then turned grey, but its way cleaner than adobe. it became ceramic and doesnt peel off.

One more question: i have found that the opening usually peels off or cracks a little bit if its adobe. i dont want to put any metal panel to hold the door . what do you reccomend? will adding some cement in the adobe mixture make it stronger?