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My uncle told me to add a cup of sugar to the mix for a driveway in cold weather
He swore it kept the concrete from freezing overnight when we poured a big job in Duluth last October. We tried it on a small section and the next morning it was still soft and set way slower than the rest. Ended up having to tear it out and repour. Anyone else heard this old trick and had it backfire?
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stella11117d ago
Wait, sugar in concrete mix? That sounds like a recipe for trouble. Sugar actually slows down the setting process a lot, which is why your patch stayed soft. In cold weather, you want to use an accelerator or just protect the pour with blankets, not mess with the chemistry like that. I've seen similar old tricks cause weak spots and cracks later on. It's better to stick with proven methods for cold weather pours.
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vera2916d ago
Oh man, this totally reminds me of my buddy's garage floor disaster. He tried the sugar trick last winter because some old timer told him about it, and his whole slab stayed mushy for like a week. He ended up having to chip it all out. @kevin_williams is right, it can basically stop it from setting. It's one of those things that sounds clever but just ruins your concrete. My friend learned the hard way that blankets and the right mix are the only way to go in the cold.
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Yeah, I read that sugar can actually stop it from setting at all.
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