A hot-wall atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) reactor has been adapted for silicon oxide thin film deposition using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) vapor carried in nitrogen gas. The deposition rate and film microstructure were investigated as a function of the substrate temperature (up to 800 degreesC), and of the carrier gas flow rate. The decomposition of the precursor, initiated in the gas phase, induces the deposition of dense films, with an increasing roughness. After optimizing the control of film growth conditions, a silicon oxide coating was applied to graphite samples. The protection efficiency of the silicon oxide coatings in air was investigated at up to 1400 degreesC, involving thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and three-point flexural strength techniques.