I want to put a panel of insulating blocks or bricks floor to ceiling behind my woodburner and flue. I've never knowingly seen a thermalite block - are they hard enough to be left self finished or would they get damaged by contact or heat? If so what else would also insulate better than ordinary bricks?
cheers
Jacob
They are a mixture of cement and aluminium powder, it foams them. They are foam cement blocks. Light and fairly strong, but not really heat proof for direct contact.
Yuk.
There are three things I'd use.
(i) Bricks, because they look nice (to me) - especaily OLD bricks.
(ii) supalux or masterboard or multiboard - its a glass loaded gypsum board and is eseentyially the modern answer to asbestos. Takes paint very well. But the paint will need to take the heat as well.
(iii) Concrete blocks rendered over for a 'rough plastery' sort of finish.
BUT
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