curing in cooler weather?

[stmbt_embers]

I am getting ready to put together my casa 2g100 in about a week, and am wondering how the curing process of the high temp mortar, that came with the modular oven, will do in cooler weather? I am in higher-elevation Colorado, it is warm in the daytime, but temps. are occasionally still falling below freezing at night. Any thoughts or advice?

Thank you.

[vtsteve]

Re: curing in cooler weather?

You should insulate the dome before you start to cure. Then leave a halogen work light on inside the oven, with the door opening closed off (just dry-stack bricks outside it) for a couple of days. This will drive off some of the water and warm the bricks all the way through, which, with the insulation in place, should keep the temperature from dropping too much between your actual curing fires.

[brickie in oz]

Re: curing in cooler weather?

A lot of folks cure with the insulation off, this allows the moisture to escape rather than being trapped.

[C5dad]

Re: curing in cooler weather?

I did as Brickie mentioned - cured my oven in December with the insulation off - went low and slow with a propane burner. I could not believe how much moisture was in the dome. When I decided to cure without the insulation, I was really concerned about trapping water. It was cool to see steam coming off the dome during the cure though!

[Neil2]

Re: curing in cooler weather?

If your insulation is vemacrete it is quite porous. As long as it can vent at the top of the dome, moisture will escape just fine during the curing process.

If your final dome finish is either a portland stucco or an acrylic stucco, it is wise to leave a small (1 inch or so) vent in the top in any case. This can be covered with a loose cap to prevent precipitation form entering. I also placed 4 one inch vents at the structural slab level into the insulation layer.