Show your buddy this, it's what all the guys use from the bbq forums and say it never needs replacement. It's meant for furnaces and stoves.Looks good. My buddy has a big green egg he uses for grilling and smoking so it gets used a lot. He changes the gasket every year. Makes things easier.
https://www.amazon.com/Rutland-Inc-...PB6S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332857751&sr=8-1