Spraying curing concrete with water?

[Bottlecapdigger]

Does this actually do anything? Does is make the concrete harder ? Or is this and old wives tale? BCD

 

[larry_g]

Not wives tale. Curing concrete generates heat. The cooling of the water stretches out the process and keeps the top of the pad from drying and separating from the rest of the mass. The longer, cooler, drying time also increases the strength.

The above is the armatures opinion. The experts may come along and give the science of the cure.

lg
no neat sigline

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

We pulled the forms of on wed, and lm just watering it today, is that to late?

 

[lakeroadster]

"Without an adequate supply of moisture, the cementitious materials in concrete cannot react to form a quality product. Drying may remove the water needed for this chemical reaction called hydration and the concrete will not achieve its potential properties."

Here's a great article on curing concrete: http://www.nrmca.org/aboutconcrete/cips/11p.pdf

 

[theoldwizard1]

The longer, cooler, drying time also increases the strength.

The above is the armatures opinion. The experts may come along and give the science of the cure.

TRUE. I don't know the science.

 

[checkthisout]

Yeah, wet and cold curing conditions lead to longer crystal growth which makes the slab less likely to form cracks or spall.

 

[dakota98]

All that matters is the cement powder hydrates before the water evaporates.
I'm pretty sure there is no crystalline structure to concrete, but you can't go wrong curing it wet and cool.

 

[Cairo94507]

Just use a bunch of old scrap carpet, rugs, moving pads and cover the concrete and soak the rugs, etc. Keeps the moisture in and slows the drying process.

 

[slip knot]

Did the concrete contractor apply a curing compound?

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

Never mentioned anything about this, so I doubt it. BCD

 

[Jess]

I don't think it would hurt to spray it for a few days at least. Best would have been the next day after the pour and then for about a week. I did my 1200sq ft pour in August and kept it flooded for a week after. Now 9 yrs old and no cracks at all. If its outside and exposed to sun and warm temperatures, it would be more important yo keep it wet.

 

[1jjpop]

I worked constuction for 41 years , we always cured concrete , with white curing compond or cover with wet burlap [kept wet] & putting plastic over wet burlap for 7 days..

 

[joes169]

We pulled the forms of on wed, and lm just watering it today, is that to late?

Yes, it's too late to start now, or even last Saturday. The concrete needs to be KEPT WET as soon as it can be flooded (typically a few hours after the final pass, not days) and for a minimum of 3 days. Thus the reason curign sealants have become so popular.