Alright, so I needed some fire bricks. Don’t ask me why, just know that I needed them. I started by trying to figure out what these things even are.
Turns out, they’re made from some special kind of clay – refractory clay, they call it. Sounds fancy. Apparently, the better the clay, the more expensive the bricks. Makes sense, I guess.
I also found out that there’s this thing called soapstone. It’s a type of rock that’s good for holding heat, but I wasn’t sure if that’s what I needed. I just wanted regular fire bricks, you know?
So, first, I went to search for some local stores. I figured the best place to start would be a local brickyard. I mean, they’ve got “brick” in their name, right? It seemed like a logical first step. I drove around to a few, talked to some guys there, but most of them didn’t have what I was looking for. They had regular bricks, sure, but not the fire-resistant kind.
Then I remembered Lowe’s. I went to their website and found their address, then drove there. And guess what? They had them! They were about 4.5 inches by 9 inches by 1.25 inches, and they came in packs of six. Perfect for what I needed – a fire pit and maybe a pizza oven later on. I grabbed a few packs and checked out.
- Went to local brickyards first. No luck there, just regular bricks.
- Drove to Lowe’s. Found the fire bricks!
- Bought a few packs. They were the right size and came in packs of six.
The Lowe’s fire bricks were labeled as “medium-duty” and could handle temperatures up to 2700 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s pretty hot! They also said something about “high thermal shock resistance.” I’m not exactly sure what that means, but it sounded good.
What I Learned
Buying fire bricks isn’t as easy as it sounds. Local brickyards might not have them, but big home improvement stores like Lowe’s probably will. And, always check the size and temperature rating to make sure you’re getting the right ones. And that’s the story of how I found fire bricks.
