Floor Insulation affected by wetness?

[ML38]

I'm in NH and finished my oven in Oct 2017. Used it quite a bit last winter but this winter was another story often derailed by weather or other commitments.

Quick summary before I ask my question:

Initial finish of the dome was only stucco and I had pretty bad moisture problem. I often had muddy ashes to clean out if we had severe rain.
I added sloped cement around the dome to force water away from the base of the dome and painted it with DryLok cement paint. This improved it greatly but it still seemed a little damp if we had heavy rain.

Here's my concern/questions
After not really using it much this winter, snow has melted off the dome and now spring coming so more rain for sure.

I expect it to be wet and I expect a few fires will dry it out but will the 2" ceramic fiber board under the floor be permanently affected from wetness?

I was just reading about raising the floor off the hearth and a moisture barrier but didn't see anything about that when I built it so that didn't get done.

Do I now have an oven that won't keep it's heat for long and my days of next day cooking are over?

Thanks
Marc

[UtahBeehiver]

CaSi board will be okay if it gets wet but it will require several fires to dry it out. As long as it is wet, the thermal properties will not be there and the moisture will wick out the heat from the floor. Nothing you can do about raising the insulation off the concrete hearth at this point. Do some drying out fires. You may have to resort to tarping the oven in the winter or building a roof over the oven to prevent water from reaching the CaSi.

[SableSprings]

Marc, be aware that creating that water barrier around the perimeter of the oven is also going to help retain water that comes in from cracks in your dome stucco. You may find that although the CaSi board is not going to be permanently damaged, it's going to take more than a few fires to dry it out if it's gotten really wet. As Russell pointed out, your best bets are to consider "inclement weather tarping" or building a roof over the oven. Another option is to build a brick facade over your oven that will help reduce the major water pathways into the oven's insulation. Also, don't forget that if your chimney is open (no cap), water can (and will) come down to seep into the CaSi from your landing area. To help provide an exit for water that has taken up temporary residence in your dome insulation, you can add a venting cap (breather cap or pipe with down turned fittings).

Here's a link to a breather cap install if you are not familiar with the concept.

https://community.fornobravo.com/for...699#post406699

[ML38]

Thanks for the replies

Marc, be aware that creating that water barrier around the perimeter of the oven is also going to help retain water that comes in from cracks in your dome stucco. .....Also, don't forget that if your chimney is open (no cap), water can (and will) come down to seep into the CaSi from your landing area...

Mike, Good point about creating a barrier. Hadn't thought of that. I was just trying to get water off the flat surface thinking it was collecting and wicking under. Which it probably was.

I do have a chimney cap but I'm sure there is water getting in somewhere. I may have to give up the 2 or 3 winter uses and close it up