Herringbone Hearth Surface vs. Linear Hearth Surface

I understand from the forum herringbone is “stronger” but I like the linear (with staggered joints) look as done by a few others on the website’s Cupola galleries. Is it really verboten to lay the floor like the pictured Mertz Family oven: linear not herringbone? What is the strength in reference to? Supporting the dome? Support for building/moving fires around? There are also a lot of little pieces in a herringbone floor this small right where the dome sits, yes? Am I about to make a mistake or just a reasonable choice?
Base done and getting ready to lay the floor on a 36” in northern Michigan

The 45° Herringbone pattern isn’t for strength… it’s so your pizza peel can slide over any firebrick that may have risen a tiny bit.

If you lay hearth firebrick pattern in a Horz / Vert pattern… and just one firebrick lifts 1/34"… your thin wood or aluminum pizza peel can easily hit that elevated brick and do one of two things:

  1. Stop the peel instantly (sending a nice shock down your arm).

  2. The peel can possibly break / chip the hearth firebrick - causing damage to the hearth firebrick surface… (additionally, this can possibly break / chip your teeth if any of the firebrick chipped off when your peel hit it).

When you lay your hearth firebrick at a 45°, and you have one or two elevated firebrick, the peel will continue to slide across the hearth suface with little effort (and no sudden stopping or brick breaking).

Roger that! I was aware but thought there may further reasons. Still think I may go linear. Gotta decide in the next couple days. Finishing the brick perimeter course today…

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