I finally got my new driveway poured. Question: Should I let it dry out, and
if not, how long should I keep it wet? I've been going out several times a
day and hosing it off to keep it wet. It's not hot, but the wind is blowing
and the sun is shining, and it drys out after a few hours. At what point do
I stop and just let it dry?

The first 3 days are the most critical. If you had a way to
cover it with visqueen or set a lawn sprinkler to run
continuously, your task would be easier.
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com
delete the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in message
...
I finally got my new driveway poured. Question: Should I let it
dry out, and if not, how long should I keep it wet? I've been
going out several times a day and hosing it off to keep it wet.
It's not hot, but the wind is blowing and the sun is shining, and
it drys out after a few hours. At what point do I stop and just
let it dry?

How critical is it that it not dry out? I wasn't paying attention, and part
of it got a bit dry for a few hours. I've kept it wet ever since. The
weather is cool, with occaisonal sprinkles, so it's not hard to keep it wet.
And when can I finally let it dry out?

"DanG" wrote in message
...
The first 3 days are the most critical. If you had a way to cover it
with visqueen or set a lawn sprinkler to run continuously, your task would
be easier.
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the
Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in message
...
I finally got my new driveway poured. Question: Should I let it dry out,
and if not, how long should I keep it wet? I've been going out several
times a day and hosing it off to keep it wet. It's not hot, but the wind
is blowing and the sun is shining, and it drys out after a few hours. At
what point do I stop and just let it dry?

There is still a chemical reaction going on in concrete after 40
years. The initial set is 28 days. The slower it cures (stays
wet) the higher the ultimate strength. This strength has nothing
to do with the concrete's ability to crack which is more a matter
of shrinkage, thickness, and subsoil preparation.

Because of the hastles of keeping a slab wet, most contractors use
curing compound. On flat work, you will still see a very few old
school type who build a dam around the perimeter of the slab and
keep it under water for





a minimum of 3 days, just like I posted the first time.

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com
delete the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in message
...
How critical is it that it not dry out? I wasn't paying
attention, and part of it got a bit dry for a few hours. I've
kept it wet ever since. The weather is cool, with occaisonal
sprinkles, so it's not hard to keep it wet. And when can I
finally let it dry out?

"DanG" wrote in message
...
The first 3 days are the most critical. If you had a way to
cover it with visqueen or set a lawn sprinkler to run
continuously, your task would be easier.
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com
delete the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in message
...
I finally got my new driveway poured. Question: Should I let it
dry out, and if not, how long should I keep it wet? I've been
going out several times a day and hosing it off to keep it wet.
It's not hot, but the wind is blowing and the sun is shining,
and it drys out after a few hours. At what point do I stop and
just let it dry?

On Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:57:26 -0700, "Ook" Ook Don't send me any
freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the Don't send me any freakin'
spam wrote:

I finally got my new driveway poured. Question: Should I let it dry out, and
if not, how long should I keep it wet? I've been going out several times a
day and hosing it off to keep it wet. It's not hot, but the wind is blowing
and the sun is shining, and it drys out after a few hours. At what point do
I stop and just let it dry?

We would put hay over the wet concrete and wet it down about once a
week.

"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the
Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in message
...
How critical is it that it not dry out? I wasn't paying attention, and
part of it got a bit dry for a few hours. I've kept it wet ever since. The
weather is cool, with occaisonal sprinkles, so it's not hard to keep it
wet. And when can I finally let it dry out?


Thousands of yard of concrete are poured every day and allowed to dry. The
few hours your dried will make little difference. The longer you can keep
it wet the better though, as it will cure stronger. A week would be great,
but a few days will be sufficient.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
t...

"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the
Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in message
...
How critical is it that it not dry out? I wasn't paying attention, and
part of it got a bit dry for a few hours. I've kept it wet ever since.
The weather is cool, with occaisonal sprinkles, so it's not hard to keep
it wet. And when can I finally let it dry out?


Thousands of yard of concrete are poured every day and allowed to dry.
The few hours your dried will make little difference. The longer you can
keep it wet the better though, as it will cure stronger. A week would be
great, but a few days will be sufficient.

In my case, the cement company had electrical problems, so they could only
send one truck. My driveway is done, but the sidewalk in front of it
probably won't get poured for a few more weeks. This driveway will not see
vehicle traffic for a month, and it will rain on it most of that time.

I've seen a lot of concrete where the top has eroded over the years due to
rain. My old driveway was badly eroded, and there are sidewalks all over the
neighborhood that are in bad shape because the top has eroded. Is that
because the outer layer dried before it could setup hard, or is that just
what happens over time to concrete?

I guess what I'm really after is, what is the difference between a few days,
a week, and a few weeks? I'd love to see a hardness or strength versus time
kept wet curve.

"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the
Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in message
I guess what I'm really after is, what is the difference between a few
days, a week, and a few weeks? I'd love to see a hardness or strength
versus time kept wet curve.

I'd bet you cold find it with google

Results of Proper Curing

• More Durable Concrete: Good concrete, properly cured, has fewer pores and
crevices where water can enter, freeze, expand and crack the concrete. Air
entrainment helps make more durable concrete, but its use must also be
accompanied by proper curing.

• More Wear-Resistant Concrete: Well cured concrete (28 day curing period)
will develop a surface twice as wear resistant as a surface that is cured
for only three days. Proper curing prevents dusting and means less cracking,
crazing and spalling of the concrete. All in all, the better the curing, the
better the concrete.



http://www.concretenetwork.com/concr.../watercure.htm

After concrete is placed, the concrete increases in strength very quickly
for a period of 3-7 days. Concrete which is moist cured for 7 days is about
50% stronger than uncured concrete.

Water curing can be done after the slab pour by building dams with soil
around the house and flooding the slab. The enclosed area is continually
flooded with water. Ideally, the slab could be water cured for 7 days. Some
builders on a tight schedule water cure for 3 days as this achieves
approximately 80% of the benefit of water curing for 7 days.

Consider planning your job to pour at the end of the week, build berms, then
flood over the weekend. You get he benefit of water curing without losing
too much time in the schedule.

Ook wrote:
I finally got my new driveway poured. Question: Should I let it dry
out, and if not, how long should I keep it wet? I've been going out
several times a day and hosing it off to keep it wet. It's not hot,
but the wind is blowing and the sun is shining, and it drys out after
a few hours. At what point do I stop and just let it dry?

Concrete does not dry hard, it cures. The problem that happens is when
it does dry before it cures. Water is part of the cured concrete.

What you want to do is to keep the surface area from going too dry
during the initial cure period. Most people will suggest that three days is
good and that is a good starting point. If it dries out sooner the surface
will be less strong. It you can keep it from drying (it need not be wet)
longer is better. In some applications it takes years to reach full
strength.

Commercially they often spray on a paint like material to retard
evaporation or use plastic.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

This idea only works on flatwork that is level as in floors. A
driveway dropping 5' or 5" doesn't lend itself to flooding.

Rain and water do not erode concrete unless you have acid rain in
your area or subject the concrete to sulphite attack. Wind,
freezing within the first 3 days, too hot without curing, and
overfinishing/jitterbugging can all cause the top to delaminate.
Salt can be deadly. Failure to use air entrained concrete in a
climate that has freezing temperatures will lead to freeze/thaw
damage.

Hopefully you used low water/cement ratio mix, 3000 or 3500 # air
entrained concrete, properly cured that was poured on a well
prepared sub grade that has more than enough contraction joints
tooled or cut into the concrete. No concrete over 12' in any
direction without a joint!

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
. ..

"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com
delete the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in message
I guess what I'm really after is, what is the difference
between a few days, a week, and a few weeks? I'd love to see a
hardness or strength versus time kept wet curve.

I'd bet you cold find it with google

Results of Proper Curing

• More Durable Concrete: Good concrete, properly cured, has
fewer pores and crevices where water can enter, freeze, expand
and crack the concrete. Air entrainment helps make more durable
concrete, but its use must also be accompanied by proper curing.

• More Wear-Resistant Concrete: Well cured concrete (28 day
curing period) will develop a surface twice as wear resistant as
a surface that is cured for only three days. Proper curing
prevents dusting and means less cracking, crazing and spalling
of the concrete. All in all, the better the curing, the better
the concrete.



http://www.concretenetwork.com/concr.../watercure.htm

After concrete is placed, the concrete increases in strength
very quickly for a period of 3-7 days. Concrete which is moist
cured for 7 days is about 50% stronger than uncured concrete.

Water curing can be done after the slab pour by building dams
with soil around the house and flooding the slab. The enclosed
area is continually flooded with water. Ideally, the slab could
be water cured for 7 days. Some builders on a tight schedule
water cure for 3 days as this achieves approximately 80% of the
benefit of water curing for 7 days.

Consider planning your job to pour at the end of the week, build
berms, then flood over the weekend. You get he benefit of water
curing without losing too much time in the schedule.

On Mon, 19 Mar 2007 07:41:56 -0400, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

It you can keep it from drying (it need not be wet)
longer is better. In some applications it takes years to reach full
strength.

They told me in 1971 that the locks of the Panama Canal were still
getting harder after about 70 years.

Commercially they often spray on a paint like material to retard
evaporation or use plastic.

mm wrote:
On Mon, 19 Mar 2007 07:41:56 -0400, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

It you can keep it from drying (it need not be wet)
longer is better. In some applications it takes years to reach full
strength.

They told me in 1971 that the locks of the Panama Canal were still
getting harder after about 70 years.

Same with Hover dam. They built in water pipes to cool it as the
curing operation is exothermic.


Commercially they often spray on a paint like material to retard
evaporation or use plastic.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

On Sun, 18 Mar 2007 17:27:49 -0500, "DanG" wrote:

There is still a chemical reaction going on in concrete after 40
years. The initial set is 28 days. The slower it cures (stays


That answers your question.
Keep it wet for 40 years and your problems are solved !!!!
This means that on March 20, 2047 you can shut off the hose.
Set your calendar.

On Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:29:57 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 18 Mar 2007 17:27:49 -0500, "DanG" wrote:

There is still a chemical reaction going on in concrete after 40
years. The initial set is 28 days. The slower it cures (stays


That answers your question.
Keep it wet for 40 years and your problems are solved !!!!
This means that on March 20, 2047 you can shut off the hose.
Set your calendar.

I think you can use X-10 to turn the water off automatically.

replying to Ook, new homeowner wrote:
Tagging on to this very old thread because I just can't seem to find an answer
to a related question: Assuming the concrete dries out in between being hosed
down, should one keep on watering it for the full week or more? I started
hosing it down the night it was poured, and it of course gets dried to the
touch in between. The longest it goes without watering is overnight, and for
the past few days I have been hosing it down 10 or more times a day. When
it's pretty warm, though (sunny and 80), it looks like it dries out within 20
minutes or so... and today, for example, it is 65 and overcast, but it seems
to "dry" out within an hour or so. So, if it appears totally dry during the
morning/day, it is still beneficial to keep on with the intermittant watering?
In particular, the day after it was poured, it was quite sunny and hot, and
while I watered it at least a dozen times, it definitely LOOKED bone dry in
between....

Your advice and experience would be much appreciated! Thanks.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...et-203834-.htm

On 6/4/2018 2:44 PM, new homeowner wrote:
replying to Ook, new homeowner wrote:
Tagging on to this very old thread because I just can't seem to find an
answer
to a related question: Assuming the concrete dries out in between being
hosed
down, should one keep on watering it for the full week or more?Â* I started
hosing it down the night it was poured, and it of course gets dried to the
touch in between.Â* The longest it goes without watering is overnight,
and for
the past few days I have been hosing it down 10 or more times a day.Â* When
it's pretty warm, though (sunny and 80), it looks like it dries out
within 20
minutes or so... and today, for example, it is 65 and overcast, but it
seems
to "dry" out within an hour or so.

Concrete reaches 70% cure in a week. Curing also generates heat.
Thinking about a slice of bread, keeping it moist keeps it soft and
pliable. Concrete does not work that way but the water helps to cool it
so it cures slowly and evenly. There is no penetration.

I've seen concrete with burlap on it so the water stays longer,
especially in the sun. You may have already helped as much as you
could. BTW. it takes about 28 days for a full cure.

On Monday, June 4, 2018 at 3:00:36 PM UTC-4, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 6/4/2018 2:44 PM, new homeowner wrote:
replying to Ook, new homeowner wrote:
Tagging on to this very old thread because I just can't seem to find an
answer
to a related question: Assuming the concrete dries out in between being
hosed
down, should one keep on watering it for the full week or more?Â* I started
hosing it down the night it was poured, and it of course gets dried to the
touch in between.Â* The longest it goes without watering is overnight,
and for
the past few days I have been hosing it down 10 or more times a day.Â* When
it's pretty warm, though (sunny and 80), it looks like it dries out
within 20
minutes or so... and today, for example, it is 65 and overcast, but it
seems
to "dry" out within an hour or so.

Concrete reaches 70% cure in a week. Curing also generates heat.
Thinking about a slice of bread, keeping it moist keeps it soft and
pliable. Concrete does not work that way but the water helps to cool it
so it cures slowly and evenly. There is no penetration.

I've seen concrete with burlap on it so the water stays longer,
especially in the sun. You may have already helped as much as you
could. BTW. it takes about 28 days for a full cure.

Easiest thing is probably to get some plastic sheeting, wet it down
and loosely cover it. I'd think even if it dries out somewhat in between,
watering it still prevents it from drying out more, deeper, etc.

On Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at 2:34:54 AM UTC-4, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
On Mon 04 Jun 2018 11:44:02a, new homeowner told us...

replying to Ook, new homeowner wrote:
Tagging on to this very old thread because I just can't seem to
find an answer to a related question: Assuming the concrete dries
out in between being hosed down, should one keep on watering it
for the full week or more? I started hosing it down the night it
was poured, and it of course gets dried to the touch in between.
The longest it goes without watering is overnight, and for the
past few days I have been hosing it down 10 or more times a day.
When it's pretty warm, though (sunny and 80), it looks like it
dries out within 20 minutes or so... and today, for example, it is
65 and overcast, but it seems to "dry" out within an hour or so.
So, if it appears totally dry during the morning/day, it is still
beneficial to keep on with the intermittant watering?
In particular, the day after it was poured, it was quite sunny
and hot, and
while I watered it at least a dozen times, it definitely LOOKED
bone dry in between....

Your advice and experience would be much appreciated! Thanks.


When we lived in NE Ohio we had a 6" thick triple width driveway
poured in early summer. The contractor recommended (and supplied) a
series of lawn misters that would cover the entire surface at once.
It was set on a timer for 10 minutes every half hour, 24/7. This ran
for a full week. We nver had a crack, and could easily handle the
weight of heavy trucks.



It's like watering when trying to establish new grass. Without an automatic
system, even small areas quickly become a pain in the ass to keep constantly
wet, hot weather just makes it much worse. That sounds like a smart
contractor you had. Lending the customer some sprinklers, hose and a timer
is an excellent idea. Good for the homeowner and contractor.