Water wicking into dome Design Styles, Chimneys and Finish Discuss Water wicking into dome in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; We are getting a good bit of rain and I am noticing the water that sits on the support slab ...

[trockyh]

We are getting a good bit of rain and I am noticing the water that sits on the support slab is wicking up the soldier coarse into the dome.
I put one layer of blanket on the oven yesterday and kept a fire going all day to drive out the moisture.
I have an idea how to solve this, but would like to hear from others what they have done.
The first plan was to build a structure to inclose the oven, but after my wife saw the ovens at the expo we are now going to stucco the igloo.
So...ideas please?

Thanks,
Tom

[david s]

You will probably need more than one day of fire to dry out the moisture. after stucco wrap for a week to retain moisture in the outer layer, then give the oven about 7 good firings, then a final waterproof coat. Try to keep the oven covered in the meantime to keep off rain.

[Neil2]

Do you have any pictures ?

One thing that might help is to use your angle grinder (everyone should own an angle grinder) to bevel the slab slightly away so there is no standing water next to your dome.

[david s]

Good point Neill. I think it is better to slope the supporting slab away to the outsides in its initial construction.

[brickie in oz]

Rain water after construction is a lot different to construction water.
If the oven has already been fired after construction and the construction water driven off then the rain wont affect the stability of the oven.

[david s]

I agree, but after months of rain where I've been seemingly emptying a full rain gauge daily and pumping out an overflowing swimming pool countless times, my oven was pretty wet even though the outer shell is waterproof. It has taken about four decent fires to get it behaving normally again. The outside was quite hot to touch until it dried out properly. Uh oh, it's raining again.