Alyssa Ettinger on mon 17 dec 07
i'm having a hell of a time finding a studio space with a cement floor.
most of the other ceramicists i know here are laying down sheets of durock
(sp?), then a layer of firebrick, under their kilns. they all say it's fine.
everyone i speak with on the clayart list says it's not fine.
i've gone through old threads where people use these things, and it's the
same opinions: yes, it's fine. no, it's absolutely not fine.
so, more conflicting opinion and advice are welcome. and, here's a q: how do
people with wood-stoves keep them from burning down the house?
alyssa
www.alyssaettinger.com
WJ Seidl on mon 17 dec 07
Alyssa:
The problem arises when there is no air space between the kiln and
whatever is under it. I ran a wood stove twenty years on a carpeted wood
floor safely_because_I had it up on cinder blocks. That 8 inches of
airspace made all the difference. (And the carpet was HELL to clean when
ash got on it, let me tell you.) Admittedly, the woodstove is not as
hot as a kiln, but it is not nearly as well insulated, either. The stove
is still set up that way today, and it's just as safe now as it was then.
Here is a way to start:
Put the layer of Durock on top of the wood on the floor (with a layer or
two of newspaper between so you don't scratch the wood). Put down
cinderblocks, and put the kiln on those. (Use the standard 8X8X16
cinderblocks, holes horizontal). Now, you have an 8 inch air gap AND
two layers of cement material (the cinderblock) AND an additional layer
of cement material (Durock) between the kiln and the wood floor.
Put a thermometer on the Durock the first time you fire the kiln, when
it is up to whatever temp you fire to.
If the temp is higher than you would think safe, add more space, or a
layer of Durock on top of the cinderblock to guard against heat
radiating down onto the floor, or put small fans blowing through the
cinderblocks (across the air gap under the kiln. You can use those
little muffin fans from computers...they work well and fit in the little
cinderblock holes). One caveat: Do not do this if your floor will not
support the weight of (say) a side by side refrigerator.
Obviously, watch closely the first few times you fire. If anything
starts smoking, it's too hot. If the thermometer does not get over,
say, 100F you should be ok
There is a point at which we can become too scared by the naysayers to
do anything. Bah! All you can do is try.
Best,
Wayne Seidl
Alyssa Ettinger wrote:
> i'm having a hell of a time finding a studio space with a cement floor.
>
> most of the other ceramicists i know here are laying down sheets of durock
> (sp?), then a layer of firebrick, under their kilns. they all say it's fine.
> everyone i speak with on the clayart list says it's not fine.
>
> i've gone through old threads where people use these things, and it's the
> same opinions: yes, it's fine. no, it's absolutely not fine.
>
> so, more conflicting opinion and advice are welcome. and, here's a q: how do
> people with wood-stoves keep them from burning down the house?
>
> alyssa
> www.alyssaettinger.com
>
>
Lois Ruben Aronow on mon 17 dec 07
I have the durock floor of which you speak, and it is fine. Durock is, in
fact, concrete (not sheet rock, as many people think). Regardless, you can
never be too careful. The best way to be safe is when to be there when the
kiln is firing, or at least in the last few hours of firing.
Our kilns are on a purpose-built, heavy plywood platform which is covered on
all side by Durock. The walls surrounding it are brick, and we are
sprinklered. I have also undergone a fire inspection. Across the hall from
me is stained glass artist. She has a rather large kiln for annealing, and
that is also on a platform covered in Durock. She has never had a problem,
and has also passed a fire inspection. We are in a commercial building. In
my old studio, we had the kilns on the plywood floor and it was no problem,
but better safe than sorry. We thought about pouring a concrete floor, but
then you get into engineering issues with weight. Oh - make sure you have a
vent and a fan.
It's important to have your kiln on a stand and keep it AT LEAST 18" from
the wall. We keep anything and everything that might be combustible several
feet from the kiln. If purchasing a kiln, (which I'm assuming is electric)
go with 3" firebrick instead of 2 1/2". Most important: have your kiln on
it's own electrical line to avoid overloaded circuits. This is what causes
fires - not the heat from the kiln.
Regarding wood stoves: My dad has one, which is on a plywood platform,
covered in Durock, and then tiled in ceramic tile. The tile is decorative,
but also protective. My fireplace (which is wood burning) has slate in
front of it - about a foot out. The floor is wood, and the wall surrounding
the flu is brick covered in sheetrock covered in plaster skimcoat.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of
> Alyssa Ettinger
> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 9:30 AM
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Wood Flooring (yes, again)
>
> i'm having a hell of a time finding a studio space with a
> cement floor.
>
> most of the other ceramicists i know here are laying down
> sheets of durock (sp?), then a layer of firebrick, under
> their kilns. they all say it's fine.
> everyone i speak with on the clayart list says it's not fine.
>
> i've gone through old threads where people use these things,
> and it's the same opinions: yes, it's fine. no, it's
> absolutely not fine.
>
> so, more conflicting opinion and advice are welcome. and,
> here's a q: how do people with wood-stoves keep them from
> burning down the house?
>
> alyssa
> www.alyssaettinger.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> ________________
> Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, or
> change your subscription settings here:
> http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots2@visi.com
David Hendley on mon 17 dec 07
Air is the best, really the only, insulator. Insulating materials
are really just materials that create lots of air pockets.
So, what you need for a wood stove or a kiln close to a combustible
surface is: air - a barrier - and more air.
AIR is an important part of the package.
If you looked at the wood stove in my house you would see a pretty
rock wall behind it. What you wouldn't see is that there is actually
a 2 inch air space, with inlet and exit holes at the bottom and top,
between the rock wall and the sheetrock-covered studs.
Likewise, the stove sits on a rock hearth. Hidden under the rocks
is cinderblocks, which have huge holes in them.
To protect the wood floor under my electric kiln, I simply put
a couple of kiln shelves under the kiln (2 half-rounds, as in one
level inside the kiln), raised up off the floor an inch and a half with
pieces of broken tiles or bricks. I also raised the height of the entire
kiln a couple of inches, so the distance between the bottom of the
kiln and the kiln shelves is the same as a kiln set directly on a
concrete floor.
Kiln shelves with an air space underneath are a fine temperature
barrier, if you have extras around.
The wood wall behind my kiln is protected by sheet metal roofing,
about 5 feet high, held out from the wall with kiln posts, with air
space at the bottom.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
david(at)farmpots(dot)com
http://www.farmpots.com
----- Original Message -----
> most of the other ceramicists i know here are laying down sheets of durock
> (sp?), then a layer of firebrick, under their kilns. they all say it's
> fine.
> everyone i speak with on the clayart list says it's not fine.
>
> i've gone through old threads where people use these things, and it's the
> same opinions: yes, it's fine. no, it's absolutely not fine.
>
> so, more conflicting opinion and advice are welcome. and, here's a q: how
> do
> people with wood-stoves keep them from burning down the house?
>
| |
|
