Old timer told me to wet the subgrade before pouring and I thought he was wasting time

Last month I had a 30x40 slab to do behind a house in North Portland. This guy Mike who's been finishing since the 70s kept saying to soak it good first. I figured it was just some old habit and skipped it on the first section. That part set way too fast and got all crusty on me before I could finish it right. Had to grind down like 80 square feet the next day. Has anyone else had that happen or was it something else?

2 comments

2 Comments

mitchell.thomas9d ago

Had a buddy who tried the same thing on a driveway pour down in Salem. Skipped the soak on a hot July afternoon and the edges turned into a cracked mess within an hour. He spent the whole next day busting out chunks and re-patching them with new mix. Took him longer than if he'd just done it right the first time. You really think the ground sucking moisture out makes that much difference?

jana5099d ago

90 square feet of grinding on a hot day. That's insane. I would have lost my mind. You really think the dry ground just sucked all the water out of the mix that fast? Sounds like it created a weak crust right on the surface. Did you have to feather it into the new stuff or just patch it in deep?