Hot take: Too many finishers skip the curing step on flatwork

I was on a job site last week in Denver helping a buddy pour a 40x60 garage slab. The crew finished it smooth, got their lines in, and then just walked off. No wet cure, no curing compound, nothing. Three days later it had hairline cracks all over the north side where the sun hit it hardest. Am I the only one who thinks this is a lazy shortcut that costs everyone down the line? How do you guys handle curing when the weather is dry like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

mark67620d ago

Am I the only one who thinks this is a lazy shortcut" - reminds me of that time I saw a guy use a leaf blower to dry his concrete instead of curing it.

evan_stone20d ago

Honestly, you're spot on with the leaf blower thing. I've seen guys hose it down for five minutes then call it good, thinking that's enough. The real problem is nobody wants to wait around for the cure. They want to get paid and move to the next pour. If you're in dry weather like Denver, you gotta wet cure with burlap or mist it for at least three days. The hairline cracks are just the start, wait 'til that slab sees a freeze-thaw cycle without a proper cure.