curing-in-construction

This is way out from the blue but it is well worth being aware about. My lovely Sherry and I had to have some expensive concrete replaced. I have known about wet curing concrete for a long time. I am surprised concrete contractors don’t discuss this with home owners. I am surprised I don’t see more contractors explaining the need and offering the process to customers etc. It is a pain and tedious. I live in Georgia, heat and humidity are a factor, high heat and a little breeze can strip critical moisture from concrete in a hurry resulting in a weaken concrete structure. If you are home building or having walkways, driveways poured it pays to do a “wet cure” if possible. Concrete is an expensive purchase and 6 days is a small price to pay! It also helps you talk intelligently with your contractor or concrete person. I am using a sprinkler hose and it is a pain. Concrete cures from the inside out. Water is required during the initial phase of curing, first 6 days at a minimum, for a critical structure 28 days with careful monitoring of water content of the concrete. If the top drys it contracts more quickly than the interior of the concrete object (drive way, steps, side walk, house slab etc). As concrete dries it contracts, the top contracts quicker than the interior, this leads to stresses and weaker structure. Concrete molecules are like Velcro. They have prongs that extend and mesh together giving strength. If concrete dries instead of curing you have fewer of the prongs and they are weaker , add to that the stress added by lack of uniform contraction and you end up with much weaker concrete. I am continually amazed at the number of contractors that “pour and go”. If a concrete person belittles the process be aware that google will lead you to many references documenting the validity of wet curing.