Watched a guy at a jobsite in Phoenix use a garden hose to finish a slab - changed my whole approach

I was pouring a driveway for a new build last Tuesday and the old timer next door just sprayed water on his concrete and kept troweling like it was nothing. He said it helps the cream rise and keeps the surface from crusting too fast in that brutal Arizona sun. Has anyone else used a light mist instead of curing compound on hot days?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jesse10d ago

Did he have to mess with the water-to-cement ratio at all, or does the mist just sit on top without messing with the mix?

paulc9310d ago

I saw a video a while back where a guy tested this exact thing with a misting nozzle and a slump cone. He had to drop the water by about 3% in his mix to keep the slump where it was supposed to be. The mist does sit on top mostly but over a long pour it'll soak into the surface and start affecting the top layer. If you're just doing a short burst it's fine but if you're running the mist for like 20 minutes straight it'll mess with the surface water content. Concrete guys I've talked to say you gotta watch it on hot days especially because the water evaporates slower than you think and it can make the top a little weak.