Roofing material question

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leoric

Newbie
Original poster
Jun 26, 2015
20
10
Hi all,

Im just thinking about putting the lid on my smoker which is a brick shaft about 660mm wide by 1350mm long.  I was going to use concrete but I'd have to cast this on the ground and lift it into place and if i do it at 100mm thick for that size its going to weight an absolute ton.  Plus the walls are only single skin brick and I'm a bit worried about the weight.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?  Does the roof need to have a lot of thermal mass to keep the heat contained or could I get away with a large piece of cement board?  

Thanks in advance for any help.

Leoric.
 
Form the top and pour in place concrete....   1 bucket at a time...   I've done that to one of my smokers...   I put hooks in the lid to hang meat also.... 
 
Dave,

Did the concrete overhang the edges of the smoker shaft?  What did you use as a form, plywood?  I'm struggling to see how i can build a form up at that level, over and around the top of the shaft.
 
This may sound stupid, I'm not a builder, but what's wrong with a plywood roof with shingles?

Al
 
Its a hot smoker - my only worry would be that it would burn, and I'd thought you might need some thermal mass up there to keep the heat even and insulate the space.

Plywood would be perfect if it would work!
 
 
Hi all,

Im just thinking about putting the lid on my smoker which is a brick shaft about 660mm wide by 1350mm long.  I was going to use concrete but I'd have to cast this on the ground and lift it into place and if i do it at 100mm thick for that size its going to weight an absolute ton.  Plus the walls are only single skin brick and I'm a bit worried about the weight.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?  Does the roof need to have a lot of thermal mass to keep the heat contained or could I get away with a large piece of cement board?  

Thanks in advance for any help.

Leoric.
Leoric, the last picture you posted on your thread you were square on top.  Did you step it down to a flue?   If so,  a simple chimney cap to fit the size of your flue liner.    If you are still square at the top,  I don't see why a roof wouldn't work, but there is a risk of fire.   Like Dave said,  you can form a top.  Its pretty simple, but is complicated to explain.   It wouldn't have to be super heavy.   If you have a picture of where you are,  it would be helpful.     Love your build!   
 
Thanks both.

The three sides of the shaft are open at the top as per my last picture.  I'm assuming from Daves image that I lay a piece of ply across the whole open top and pour the conc onto that.  In which case the plywood is permanently fixed in position.  Is that a fire hazard?

 
Not a fire hazard...    A flat piece of plywood is difficult at best to burn...  Usually, a smokehouse does not get above the flash point of wood...   My smokehouse, had a BIG fire in it....   The drip tray had lots of fish oil and brown sugar in it....  3-400 #'s of salmon my buddy put in it...  He loaded up the fish with butter and brown sugar...    I looked at that and knew trouble was brewing....   It lit off and sounded like a rocket taking off...  I looked like a Chinese fire drill running around closing air inlet and exhaust dampers and shutting off the external firebox....     fire went out...   fish was charred and overcooked....   smoker must have gotten up to 1100 degrees or so but the plywood just turned black....     even if it had burned, the rebar and concrete would have survived....  If the plywood burns, you've got bigger problems than that....  
 
Dave,

Great story!  Thanks, that's settled then, i'll go with plywood.

Thanks all.
 
Last question on this, promise!

Would you bother with the concrete roof?  Is it easier and convenient to just build a plywood lid with waterproof covering such as roofing felt as smokin al suggested?  Would be a lot easier to construct.
 
I would go with a wooden roof system...   The concrete roof collected condensate which dripped on food...   It took forever to heat the structure above ambient to avoid condensate...  Put your exhaust openings in the side walls using adjustable floor registers to control the air flow...  You could put 2 X 10" on top of the existing walls with the registers cut into them...  then add the roof to that...
 
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