[Cob] All this rain and humidity a concern for drying?

[phil]

You can certainly go ahead and fire the oven to help it dry but don't try and cook in it until it is fully dry. Also, you may have to patch cracks inside the oven if you fire it too soon. I did in my large oven because I wanted to speed up the drying. A small hassle.

You should definitely build a shelter for the oven. A tarp is a good short term solution (a simple lean-to works). I have seen my first oven "melt" from the rain. No amount of plaster will keep it dry and if its wet, it takes longer to fire and wastes wood.


Phil Hawn

 --- On Mon 07/24, Peter Kaulback < peter at thesilverwheel.ca > wrote:
From: Peter Kaulback [mailto: peter at thesilverwheel.ca]
To: coblist at deatech.com
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 14:01:46 -0400
Subject: Re: [Cob] All this rain and humidity a concern for drying?

Thanks Amanda, I was wondering about the tarp touching and after one heavy storm yesterday afternoon the oven showed some clay run out on one area.Some tall Aspens died on our property recently so now I have some free poles for my roof :)Peter KaulbackAmanda Peck wrote:> I think that at least one person has reported that tarping cob through a > rainy period is counterproductive. At the very least it needs to be held > above the cob so you don't get condensation dripping and pooling on your > surface.> > A roof would be nice.  And in some climates, traditional.> > I can't answer for the other.> > I've certainly> ..................> Paul wrote:> > I have a cob oven with only the insulating layer added, haven't decided > on what kind of plaster yet. Now with all the continual daily rain plus > high humidity I'm concerned that the oven may not dry out any time soon. > I was kind of hoping to have it dry out on it's own, but it's spent > almost all of it's time under a tarpaulin, 
and now I'm thinking I might > fire it early. Last summer it would have dried out in no time at all :)> > And on the subject of plasters, is there any health concerns with using > a manure based plaster? Or rather possible concerns if the oven is used > commercially?> > > > _______________________________________________> Coblist mailing list> Coblist at deatech.com> http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist> > __________ NOD32 1.1675 (20060723) Information __________> > This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.> http://www.eset.com> > > _______________________________________________Coblist mailing listCoblist at deatech.comhttp://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist

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