questions about toscana ovens

[CelesteU]

I have some general weatherproofing questions about the Toscana ovens...I live in a very, very wet climate (30" rain thus far in July). As I understand it, an oven shouldn't be fired when wet unless it has some sort of weatherproof covering.

Now for the question: is the Toscana series sufficiently weatherproof as delivered, or am I still going to need to build a lean-to over the oven? I see so many beautiful uncovered outdoor kitchens, but all are in climates far drier than mine. I don't want to pony up the $$ for a Toscana if I'm still going to need some sort of enclosure--I might as well buy an oven insert & encase it in something weatherproof from the get-go.

Any general comments or advice on wet climate oven installation is appreciated.

[david s]

Re: questions about toscana ovens

Igloo style ovens out in the weather will tend to get wetter than those with an enclosure. The general idea is to waterproof the dome so it stays dryer. Unfortunately this also locks in any moisture that does get in. Some people are of the view that it is better to leave the dome unwaterproofed so it can breathe and dry out by itself. No matter how well you have waterproofed the dome water will still get in after torrential rain, probably through the entry, perhaps around the flue If it is not sealed properly and simply through absorption from the 100% humidity atmosphere. We live in the tropics and get around a metre of rain annually, but that usually all falls in a few months. After the initial curing of the oven, even if it has got really wet you don't need to back to the initial curing fires, just a few long slow fires bring the oven back to normal with no adverse effects. A hand held to the outside shell will tell you if the oven is wet (it will be hot). A roof over the oven is a pretty good idea, but adds to the expense. I haven't found the need to do so.

[ronh]

Re: questions about toscana ovens

I bought a cover intended for patio furniture for my Primavera to keep it dry. Works great and cost me about 30 bucks. Did this after several driving rains left the inside wet. Same idea would work for the Toscana, perhaps just a bigger cover meant for a table and four chairs.