I’ve used our pizza oven for a number of years now and always cover the oven with a tarp between uses. I really want to get away from that tarp. There are slight gaps around the door and my concern is that rain and snow will get to the hearth and wick into the sand causing major headaches. Should this be a concern? Are there any suggestions? I’ve considered building a shed around it but that seems like overkill. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Good to see you here again! It sounds like your oven has gotten all the use you’d hoped for and that you’re taking good care of it.
Tarping it does get old after a while. I recall you decided to seal it at the time you built, and that does keep most of the rain out. A fiberglass gasket applied to the door will do two things for you:
- Keep out most of the rain
- Keep in more of the heat when you’re baking bread
It’s not a 100 percent waterproofing solution, but it will seal out falling rain and snow for the most part.
Use the Search function for “door seal” or “door gasket” and you’ll find all the information you need. At one point BWO sold the gasket and seal but I don’t think he is any more. It’s an easy item to snag at your local hardware store.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the quick reply. I have one layer of the rope gasket around the edge of the door as described in the instructions from the kit they sell for $38.99. It seals most of the door but there is still a small gap where the bricks are uneven. Is this the gasket you are referring to? Do you think a second gasket would be beneficial? Thanks again.
You may hit some diminishing returns there. Without the tarp (call it the “100 percent solution”) some water will always find its way in. The only way I know of to prevent it is to have a fully-hinged door like this one:
You’ve grown accustomed to the 100 percent solution, which keeps all the rain out, so it might take some time and experience to trust a 90 percent solution that allows some seepage. Your best bet is to renew the waterproofing in the hearth frame bricks (but not the hearth itself—ick! ugh! poison!) and if there is a gap at the lip of the hearth make sure you keep brushing ash into it as you sweep out your oven. The hearth and barrel are made of firebrick, which will absorb a lot of water before that water ever makes its way down into the sand.
Looking at your original post, it remind me that my spouse and I are still considering some kind of shelter over the oven. For example:
or this:
a third example:
And if you want some true outdoor living space, one of these:
Sharing these in the spirit of seeing what’s possible. They all beat a tarp, for sure.
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