Door materials to avoid?

[dbhansen]

I've been thinking about various ways to make an insulated door, and I was wondering if anyone has thoughts on construction materials that should not be used in combination with high heat and food, i.e., that will release harmful chemicals into the oven. For example:

• Durock?
• Zinc screws or bolts?
• Hi-temp fireplace adhesive/sealant?
• Hi-temp grill paint?

I believe galvanized metal is a no-no, right? Any others that definitely should not be used? (Obviously, I'm only considering materials that can withstand the heat, not plastic, wood, etc.).

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

Galvanized metal is a no-no? Clue me in on that one please, because my door is sheided by galvanized flashing...it was the only metal I could find at home depot!
Drake

[RTflorida]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

Hi temp grill paint?
isn't that what it was intended for? - painting a surface that gets very hot and will be in close proximity to food being cooked......I've had NO issues with my first door painted with grill paint(boiler plate, with galvanized handles and legs). Just completed an insulated door yesterday that I also painted with high temp grill paint.
Maybe I am slowly poisoning myself and just don't know it.

RT

[jcg31]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

Drake,
At the right temps galvanized metals put off zinc oxide fumes which are fairly toxic.

If you are looking for something to replace your steel side casing you might want to try fiberglass tape. It is used in high heat gasket applications. The type I bought comes in a 2" width x 1/8" thickness. I am assuming now that you have some sort of insulation board inside the door, I have the same. Each board's edge is covered all around in aluminum tape, to which I adhered the 2" fiberglass tape using oven gasket adhesive. The adhesive is made to adhere fiberglass gaskets to cast iron and steel but also works fairly well with the aluminum tape and the aluminum tape (and its adhesive) when in place withstands some pretty remarkable temps. And as intended the fiberglass provides a real nice fit and seal against the brick. It is $60 per roll, but the roll is 100ft long of which I have used about six feet. This is yet another oven purchase that has caused my wife to question my sanity, so I wouldn't mind in the least selling a length sufficient to wrap your door at sixty cents per foot plus postage to recoup my cost and restore her faith. If interested, just send me the length you need.

Jim

[dbhansen]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

Hi temp grill paint? isn't that what it was intended for?

I assume so, RT, but my can says not to expose it to flames or food, and that it's good up to 1200 degrees, so that's why I'm questioning. There probably is no alternative for paint, at least for something that's available at the hardware store.

[RTflorida]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

I'm good on the temp range for the grill paint, I've only used my door for heat retention after the fire has dissipated; and will be using the insulated door for the same purpose.
To be honest, I didn't read the can...other than the temp range (pretty stupid - I never read instructions first). As for not "exposing" to food, I am curious exactly what that means...the food never contacts the door and is usually about a foot into the oven; no closer than the food on a grill (which the paint was originally intended).
I have heard about the extreme heat and galv. steel issue; can't say I have ever seen and smoke or smelled anything noxious coming off my door handles.

All of this does have me rethinking things...guess I will splurge on a Stainless Steel skin for my next door...I just hate the astronomical cost of anything stainless.

RT

[Wiley]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

I don't know about Durock but Hardebacker starts to outgas something that smells awful at about 450F to 500F and above. I wouldn't want to close up and try to retain heat overnight or cook with it as a part of the door in direct contact with the hot interior of the WFO at those sort of temps.
Wiley

[dbhansen]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

I agree about the grill paint, RT, it must be fine if you can use it on the inside of a grill. You're not supposed to use it on the grate itself where it touches fire and food. Maybe they don't want you to eat it. In a WFO, the door never touches the food, usually wouldn't touch flames, and (absent those flames) wouldn't be exposed to temps above 1,100 degrees, so I bet it's fine.

Good to know about the Hardibacker, Wiley. I hope Durock is okay; the only issue might be the plastic-like mesh used as reinforcement.

[egalecki]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

I thought that the mesh stuff was fiberglass, but maybe it isn't?

[dbhansen]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

I thought that the mesh stuff was fiberglass, but maybe it isn't?

You're right Elizabeth, thanks! I should've Googled that earlier.

[egalecki]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

well, I have a vested interest here too, since I'm still waiting for a door... I'm thinking that my best bet for "homemade" is like the one you did, just without the wood panel. If I could find a sheet of copper, I could maybe wrap the front in that- I really liked the door on one thread which was had a copper front. It was beautiful.

If you did yours over, would you get some of the stove gasket and use that around the edge where the door fits into the arch?

[dbhansen]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

Elizabeth, I did use stove gasket around the inside edge, and I will do that again on my next version. The wood never scorched anywhere, it just cracked down the middle. I am basically replacing the wood panel with a steel one now, and trying to decide which materials will not poison me or make my food taste bad! I think the Durock is okay. My only other concern is the hi-temp adhesive to seal it up.

I'm having trouble finding steel handles with wooden grips that I can attach to the front of the steel panel. Any ideas where to look?

[egalecki]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

I'm having trouble finding steel handles with wooden grips that I can attach to the front of the steel panel. Any ideas where to look?

How about in the kitchen cabinet handle/pull aisle? If you have the handle attached to the panel before you assemble the whole thing, the heat shouldn't get into the handles. The hardware would be next to your insulator, not the fire... so only transferred heat from the edges of the panel would heat them up, and that should be lessened by the gasket, right?

[dbhansen]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

I'll give that a try, Elizabeth. The handles on my wooden door were attached in the way you described, but they loosened up after the first use (and of course I couldn't open it all up to tighten them), so I think some thread adhesive (Loctite) might be a good idea.

[egalecki]

Re: Door materials to avoid?

Hm. I didn't think about them loosening afterward. Not a good thing. Would a lock washer function better than the locktite under these conditions, though? I think the door I was so enamored of had the inside of the fastener welded or soldered so it couldn't turn again. I don't have the ability to do that, unfortunately.