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Picked up a trick from a old timer in Austin about curing blankets
Was on a job outside Austin last week and this older finisher saw me using cheap plastic sheeting for curing. He told me to switch to insulated blankets and wet the concrete twice a day for 7 days instead of just covering it once. I tried it on a 400 sq ft patio and the surface came out way harder with zero cracking. Cost me like $60 more in materials but saved me from a call back for sure. Anyone else use blankets over plastic or is that just overkill for smaller pours?
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price.alice22d ago
Oh man, blankets are totally the way to go once you've tried them. That old timer knew what he was talking about for sure. The insulation holds the moisture in way better than plastic so you don't have to babysit it as much especially in hot weather. I use them on all my flatwork now even small stuff like walkways and patios. The extra cost upfront is nothing compared to dealing with a cracked slab later.
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leo_campbell22d ago
Yeah the wet cure is what really makes the difference every time.
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nathan_foster6022d ago
...and honestly once you switch to blankets you'll never go back to plastic. I had the same thing happen a few years back, some old guy set me straight on a garage slab. The trick is you gotta wet them good before you put the blankets down, then keep at it for a full week like he said. Yeah it costs a bit more but I look at it like cheap insurance. I've had plastic blow off in the wind or just not seal right and end up with surface checking that drove me nuts.
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