Questions about weather sealing

[Ken524]

Since it's too cold to work on the oven, I figured I'll solicit some advice from you guys about finishing the landing area, just outside of the vent.

When I finish the oven, I plan on either pouring concrete or using concrete board & tile to bring the front up, level with the vent landing.

I have a serious concern about water seeping in the crack between the vent landing bricks and my front landing area. The insulation board underneath the bricks must be kept absolutely dry.

I would like to seal this joint to eliminate water seepage; or, if water gets in, how to direct the flow of water away from the Kaowool board underneath the bricks. This area does not get very hot during fires.

I thought about shaping some flashing and sliding it about 2" under the landing bricks and bending it so water flows away from the insulation (pictured). The problem with this idea is that I don't know where the water will go. If the water is being directed away from someplace with flashing, it needs a planned destination; so I'm not sure if this is my answer.

Maybe just pouring concrete against the firebrick landing would be enough?

Another part of the plan is to fashion some sort of cover to protect the whole front of the oven from water when not in use.

I would sure appreciate any advice or thoughts!!

Finally, If you guys in the Southern Hemisphere have any surplus warm weather, we'd sure appreciate it if you would send it up here!

[asudavew]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

Good to hear from ya Ken!

How bout some Marine grade waterproof paint/epoxy?

I think that might solve your problem.

Here is a link to an online dealer.....they sell stuff for waterproofing basements, grain silos, etc. etc. etc.

Wet Basement Waterproofing, Foundation Finishing & Flooring, Swimming Pool Deck, Roof, Concrete Floor Coating & Crack Repair, Radon Gas Mitigation

I am pretty sure you could find something locally.
But this should be a good start.

Been doing any cooking?

Dave

[Ken524]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

Thanks for the link Dave. I'll take a look.
As for cooking; nope. It's been too darn cold to split wood and start a fire. It was in the single digits (F) all last week.

I'm patiently waiting for some spring weather to open the pool and get cracking again on the WFO!

[gjbingham]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

Ken,
I poured concrete flush against the vent floor bricks. I suppose water could potentially leak down between the two materials, but is seems like a really tight joint. Also, I put a slope on the landing so that any water hitting it would run off to the front vs. back into the oven.

I've also been thinking about a weather door with a perimeter gasket that could be pressed into the entryway to waterproof the entryway as much as possible.

George

[Acoma]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

Ken, I agree with Dave. Why not a slab of granite? Shouldn't cost much? That would be added benefit.

[gjbingham]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

To continue on Robert's thoughts, you could surround the ceramic board with concrete to take it out of the picture, place some v shaped groves on the top of the concrete that run from entryway to the front of the landing, then put in flashing so that the any water drains into the grooves and out the front, then finally finish with tile, granite, or whatever.

Get my drift?
G.

[Ken524]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

Yep, I think I get your drift, George. I would have some small "weep" holes or drain holes in the front of the landing if I understand your idea.

I definitely like the idea of pouring concrete right up against the ceramic board and against the landing bricks. Maybe pour it halfway up the landing bricks to lock them in, then finish with concrete board and tile.

Robert, I do like your granite idea. I'm considering that as well. I don't think it would be too costly to have a piece cut to to shape. Wouldn't be very big.

Thanks for the help guys!!

[arevalo53anos]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

This is as I did.
Ceramic flat following the hearth of refractory bricks. Joint filled with a mixture of cement and refractory clay.
The landing area remanin covered by the chimney.
Never had any problems (well, the coldest days here, if some, are around the 15...?C <g>)

[gjbingham]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

Ken,
You got my meaning exactly. I'm not sure its the best answer, but it will probably work. The main thing is to seal your ceramic board insulation and get the water to drain away from it.

You could also pour the concrete above the layer of the board and set the flashing at mid-pour (but above the level of the ceramic board) then place drainage groves laterally, against the flashing wall, that lead to each side of the landing. That may even be a better idea and more cosmetic.

[Ken524]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

You could also pour the concrete above the layer of the board and set the flashing at mid-pour (but above the level of the ceramic board) then place drainage groves laterally, against the flashing wall, that lead to each side of the landing. That may even be a better idea and more cosmetic.

Yeah! I like that idea.

Arevalo, thanks for posting the pics of your oven entry. They gave me some other ideas as well. I like how your took your tile under the arch a bit. That would be easy for me to do at this point.

Excellent ideas guys. Thanks!

[DaveHI]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

I had real problems with h20 soaking my underfloor insulation before I got my enclosure built. Had to start the drying cycle over twice.

I ended up using hydraulic cement (20 lb bucket from Home Depot) to seal the cracks around the entry area and to cover the edges where the insulation board was exposed. Also smushed it into the seams in the durock enclosure since I had left over. The stuff is supposed to be good for sealing leaks through basement walls, I figured it would do the trick on keeping water out.

I then used that pink/red waterproofing membrane over the whole thing to make sure it shed water. (also Home Depot which is about the only place we have for that sort of thing). I doubted stucco would stick to the membrane so I've skim coated the enclosure with tile thin set. If it even stops raining I'll stucco over that.

So far my hearth seems dry but I probably should go put some plywood over the entire entry area. We have horizontal rain today (30 MPH winds and showers). Haven't been able to use the over due to time/weather for about 3 weeks so not sure how successful any of this has been. Last time I peeked inside everything still seemed bone dry.

[Ken524]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

Dave,

Thanks for the info!

Ken

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

Hi Ken, I know you're looking for a solution making it water-tight at the front edge of the vent landing but since I'm going to build my WFO on FB board (just like you did with super isol) I want to address it earlier. What is your (or anyones) opionion on cutting the insulating board 1" short of the front edge, leaving your firebrick landing overhanging 1" over it and filling that 1" deep by the width of the landing with Heatstop or Refrax and then doing whatever granite-tile etc right up to it? Is this a good solution, I'm not proficient at this stuff so it may not solve the issue.
Thanks, Dino

[jet]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

I was thinking that it might be good to pour a "raised hearth" section under the insulation with the idea being that if water seeped in on the hearth, it wouldn't come into contact with the insulation. I tried to capture the idea in the attached diagram.

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Questions about weather sealing

That makes sense Jet. I was trying to avoid doing any other concrete pour after the hearth slab but I seem to recall seeing another picture/post here where someone did just as you've shown on your pic. But I think it was a vermiculite/conc. mix and it following the contours of the oven floor & landing. More to ponder...