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Took me 5 years to figure out I was jointing concrete wrong
I used to start jointing right after I finished floating, thinking I was being efficient. Then a foreman on a big parking lot job in Phoenix stopped me and pointed out the edges were already crumbling from the pressure. He said you gotta wait until the bleed water is gone and the concrete firms up a bit, otherwise you're just tearing it. Now I wait 30-45 minutes depending on the temp and the joints come out clean every time. Has anyone else had that moment where you thought you knew the basics but someone older showed you a better way?
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wren30722d ago
Man that hit close to home. Same thing happened to me on a driveway job a few years back. I was rushing and started jointing while the concrete was still a little wet, ended up with jagged edges that looked terrible. This old timer came by and told me the same thing about waiting for the bleed water to disappear. Now I just sit back with a coffee and let it set up proper before cutting joints. It feels like you're wasting time at first but the results speak for themselves every time.
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seana1422d ago
Oh man that's the truth right there! I started doing the same thing after messing up a sidewalk section, sat there for 20 minutes watching the water sit on top before finally cutting and the joint came out buttery smooth. Now I bring a chair and just watch the concrete do its thing, no sense fighting it when you can just wait.
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