Found out the hard way that wetting the subgrade before a pour actually matters

I skipped it on a 20x30 patio slab last week because I was behind schedule and figured it was fine. The edges started crusting before I could even get the bull float on it, had to dump an extra 50 bucks worth of curing compound to fix the mess. Anyone else got a simple step they learned not to skip the hard way?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai_knight123d ago

Well I'll be, I used to think wetting the subgrade was just old timers being fussy. This post definitely changed my mind on that one.

ward.mason22d ago

@kai_knight1 Same here honestly. I fought it for a couple seasons thinking it was just extra work for nothing. But last year we had a real dry spell and I tried wetting the subgrade before a big pour on a garage slab. Night and day difference in how the concrete finished out. No crusty spots or random cracking from the dirt sucking the moisture out too fast. Now I do it every time even if the ground looks fine. Just a light sprinkling a few hours ahead makes the whole pour go smoother.