Time to cure hearth

[Jack Chastain]

How long should I wait for rhe concrete hearth & perlite insulation mix to cure before I start installing the fire brick cooking surface. I live in the Puget Sound area & moisture,rain, can come at any time. I will be building a 36" Pompeii oven.

[maver]

hearth cure

Jack, I think the primary wait in the cure for the hearth is for form removal - give it a week. For applying the firebrick hearth you're ok once it is firm - overnight should be ok depending on the concrete used. I kept my slab wet for several days with a wet blanket over it but that's really overkill - I did it primarily because I did not have the time for the hearth brick application right away.

Are you starting to make progress or still planning?

[james]

I think Maver has it right. Concrete takes a long time to fully cure, but you can start building on top of it when the top is firm, and take the forms off at your leisure.

You will be in good shape curing the hearth while you are building the dome itself.
James

[CanuckJim]

Curing

James, Maver,

Agreed. The industry rule for concrete is thirty days for a full cure, but that doesn't mean you can't build on it while it's curing. I wouldn't do any firing for a month, though.

Jim