Firebricks or refractory bricks are totally over specification in a domestic fireplace or braai.
Do you need fire brick for an outdoor fireplace.
Firebricks are almost always used to line the actual fire pit of your outdoor fireplace.
All the firebrick are included in the kit.
Apply the corbelling technique.
If he did it without firebrick he probably just used a type n you need a high temp refractory cement and you should not see any mortar joints like you do with regular brick or stone work on a.
Proceed to recreating your outdoor fireplace building plan and construct its walls stacking the bricks around the firebox and adding a layer of ordinary mortar mix between them.
Note the airgap in the corner of the firebox.
Depending on the design the interior frame of the fireplace may.
Use a bendable board and wooden planks to create the frame of the fireplace s arch.
Be sure to note the cut pieces.
Building a firebox out of firebrick and then placing a layer of decorative brick around the outside may be all you need to do to build a small outdoor stand alone firebox.
Any clay face brick or semi face fired brick can be used for a braai.
They are also expensive and not easily available.
I did this video to give insight on working with the fire brick and an idea of how the smoke chamber can be made.
If you are building a fireplace for the house though the decorative brick and surround must be built up around the firebox and then connected to a chimney.
You also need a flue lining to fit within your concrete blocks.
The fire brick are an additional layer of masonry that keeps fire from attacking your structure.
All fireplaces must be constructed of heat safe materials which usually mean brick block concrete or stone for the exterior.
This material is exactly what it sounds like brick designed for use with fire.