To all,
HELP! I just spent the weekend pouring the oven base and insulating layer. The base went well and the rebar gave it a lot of strength. The Portland and Perlite layer is what I am worried about. I use Perlite, not Vermiculite. We mixed it in the 5:1 Ratio, five parts Perlite and one part Portland, by volume. We got it to the consistency of oatmeal. We screeded it off and it looked OK but did not trowel well. Problem is when it dried I could crush some of the screeded materials with my hand! This concerns me as to the strength of the mix.
I confess I was so concerned I took some Portland and sand and troweled on a skim coat while it was still somewhat wet. I have been standing on the top after two days cure and doing the initial layout but it is still worrying me that something is not right. I think it would be better to admit it and do it over than lose the oven later. Remember I live in Iowa! Cold Winters!
Any thoughts?? Hopefully it is OK and this is all normal, but like I say better to know now than when the dome is on top!
Thanks in advance for your help!
HELP! I just spent the weekend pouring the oven base and insulating layer. The base went well and the rebar gave it a lot of strength. The Portland and Perlite layer is what I am worried about. I use Perlite, not Vermiculite. We mixed it in the 5:1 Ratio, five parts Perlite and one part Portland, by volume. We got it to the consistency of oatmeal. We screeded it off and it looked OK but did not trowel well. Problem is when it dried I could crush some of the screeded materials with my hand! This concerns me as to the strength of the mix.
I confess I was so concerned I took some Portland and sand and troweled on a skim coat while it was still somewhat wet. I have been standing on the top after two days cure and doing the initial layout but it is still worrying me that something is not right. I think it would be better to admit it and do it over than lose the oven later. Remember I live in Iowa! Cold Winters!
Any thoughts?? Hopefully it is OK and this is all normal, but like I say better to know now than when the dome is on top!
Thanks in advance for your help!
Comment