Blew a 4x4 slab outside Austin because I ignored the weather report

I was doing a patio pour for a guy in Round Rock about two months ago. Looked fine in the morning, sunny and all, but by 2pm those clouds rolled in fast. I figured I could finish before the rain hit, but I got too confident and didn't cover the edges. That storm dumped on us for 20 minutes straight, and the surface turned into a mess of pitting and washout. Had to grind it down and redo the top layer, which added like 8 hours to the job. Now I check radar every morning before I even load the truck, no exceptions. Anybody else get burned by sudden Texas weather like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa_wilson8723h ago

Man, did you learn that the hard way? I got caught once in San Antonio doing a driveway, thought I could beat the storm, ended up with tire tracks from trying to cover it with tarps too late. Now I always have a roll of poly film in the truck ready to go. Texas weather is like a wild card, you think you got it figured out and then it throws a curveball.

gray_gibson15h ago

My old man swore by the 6-mil plastic for everything, I always thought he was overdoing it until I spent a wet afternoon trying to scrape a half-cured slab clean. Now I keep two rolls stashed behind the seat, one for covers and one for emergencies, plus I never leave the yard without checking the radar first. That Texas weather will humble you real quick, no matter how many summers you've been pouring concrete.