Curing concrete?

[onetechyguy]

Hi, I am about to have my new garage footings and floor poured tomorrow. Should I do anything special to help it cure slowly? I read online placing burlap on top of it and keeping sprinklers going for 7 days would help it cure slowly and make it stronger. Would just the sprinklers be enough? or should I just do nothing? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

 

[worn shoes]

just water it a couple times a day. I think that if you bought quality concrete and prep the the area properly you will have a strong foundation anyway.

 

[holdover]

ask the finishers what to do. poured mine in July and it was real hot they told me to keep it damp during the day with a sprinkler for a few days. No cracks etc...

 

[paullie]

keep it wet, it's that simple

 

[ConCretin]

keep it wet, it's that simple

X2. Continuously moist for seven days. Wet it down and cover with poly so you don't have to stand out there with a hose for a week.

 

[38Chevy454]

Wet the ground under the concrete for a few days before pouring. This way the ground does not **** moisture out of the concrete. Just wet the top surface a couple times a day, as suggested.

 

[Zeke]

Wet the ground under the concrete for a few days before pouring. This way the ground does not **** moisture out of the concrete. Just wet the top surface a couple times a day, as suggested.

Yeah, that's the other reason for a vapor barrier.

 

[VWandDodge]

In addition to wetting it, cover it with newspaper. Then, while you're wetting it the paper will absorb some water and act as a barrier to prevent the moisture from evaporating and the concrete will absorb any remaining water from the newspaper.

 

[Gary S]

keep it wet, it's that simple

Yes, it is that simple. No need to overthink the simple things in life.

 

[stafford]

You got it right the first time onetechguy, I've worked on jobs where that was exactly what we did. burlap and soaker hoses for seven days. That was per Gvt. specs. it might be hard to get that much burlap these days, the soaker hoses would do it.

 

[darkk]

Put 6 mil poly sheeting under the slab. After the pour, keep the concrete wet wet wet. I bought a fan sprayer for $20 at walmart. Keep it soaked for 7 full days. My concrete slab is 30 x 30 x6" with no cracks. It is 2 yrs old now and no relief cuts either.

 

[trainer]

for applications that call for maximum strength they keep it wet for 28 days so it will cure slowly.

For a garage floor, a few days is probably fine, depending on the weather.

 

[smallbloc]

I worked for county engineers test lab, we tested all construction materials. class C concrete is 90% cured after 7-9 days. Keep it wet.

 

[Improved700]

Inside my 25 X 75 shed, had the floor poured, finished and saw cut. Put sealer on half of it. Never watered it at all. No issues with cracking.

 

[petee_c]

i used out sheets, towels, and t shirts (soon to be rags) to keep the top of my concrete from drying out.

Beware. 2 of the Tshirts were black, ugly, free, and I had never washed them. They stained the concrete dark blue and a purplish red for the other tshirt.

P

 

[W650Mike]

If you are in the hot dry regions (I’m in N. Central TX) it is a must to keep it wet this time of year. Sprinkling without a cover is OK but constant wet is best. There are also hydration retardants that reduce the potential for cold joints between trucks when it is hot, dry and windy.

Pour it stiff and keep it wet.

 

[ConCretin]

Pour it stiff and keep it wet.

Follow these seven simple words and you'll be well on your way to a strong, crack free floor.