DIY Builds
DIY Builds
Photo: Josh Hild
With scorching and freezing weather ruled out for the best possible results, that leaves the spring and fall for optimal concrete pouring. April and May tend to be big months for concrete work, with the temperatures firmly above freezing but not usually climbing into the nineties yet.
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If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to pour your new concrete patio, September may just be when you should seize the moment. The key to pouring perfect concrete is (among other factors) to avoid extreme weather. Unless you’re a seasoned pro, that pretty much rules out months like July and January, when the temperature is either boiling or freezing most of the time. Here’s why: In freezing weather, the water in wet concrete will (predictably) turn to ice, expand, and cause cracks in your brand new surface. To combat this, some contractors will take measures to get the concrete to set before nighttime comes and the temperature plummets, such as using hot water in the mix, adding fast-drying chemicals, and even using tents and space heaters. However, it’s definitely not a job for amateurs. In hot weather (that is, temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit), you’ll have a different but equally perilous set of problems on your hands. The problem is not the temperature itself; concrete isn’t like plastic or chocolate, melting in the sun. The issue is actually that the top of the concrete will set faster than the bottom, causing a civil-war-style split as the top portion shrinks while the bottom stays still. The result: a shaky, quaky slab of concrete unfit for much. Of course, concrete can still be poured in steaming temperatures, if you know how to prevent this staggered drying process. It can be done by using extremely cold water to mix the concrete, then keeping the slab moist with a sprinkler or wet burlap for as long as a few days. It takes a practiced eye to know if the concrete is curing too fast, however. With scorching and freezing weather ruled out for the best possible results, that leaves the spring and fall for optimal concrete pouring. April and May tend to be big months for concrete work, with the temperatures firmly above freezing but not usually climbing into the nineties yet. Nonetheless, rainy conditions can present challenges, since too much moisture on a newly poured slab can weaken the final product. And since May is the second rainiest month of the year, there’s a fair chance Mother Nature will decide to mess with your project. With its generally mild temperatures and lower rates of precipitation, September wins the contest as the best month of the year for concrete work. So if it’s July and you’re having visions of a freshly poured driveway, you may want to wait a couple months for concrete-pouring primetime to come around. Of course, Shamrock Construction Solutions is glad to take charge of your concrete projects at any time of year. We’re experts in the installation of driveways, slabs, walls, foundations, patios, sidewalks, steps, curbs, and more, so if you want to make sure your project comes out rock solid, contact us today!
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Read More »No, it is more likely to crack when concrete is poured on a dry surface. Hence, you better moisten a dry ground surface to be poured with concrete to avoid cracking. Save this answer.
Civil engineer here. The concrete needs to stay wet in order to cure properly. As noted before, concrete doesn't dry out to harden, it cures through a chemical reaction that needs water to facilitate the reaction. If the ground is dry, the ground will absorb moisture from the concrete and it won't cure properly. The ground should be very moist and compacted as well as you can manage. Also, wet clay is notoriously weak and you may end up with uneven support under the concrete, which will then lead to it cracking and settling after it's cured. Hard to say without seeing it but if you can remove as much clay from beneath the concrete slab, you'll have less chance of it settling and cracking. This is especially true if the clay is expansive. It will expand when wet and shrink when dry and your concrete slab will be a disaster. Best to get as much clay removed as possible, compact the sub-grade evenly, and make sure to water the ground before placing the concrete. Have you thought about proper joints? Concrete will crack. If you can get it to crack along a joint, no one will see it. Look at some professionally done concrete flatwork and you'll see what I mean. Good luck.
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