A warning from a guy at a supply yard in Phoenix that saved my hide

I was picking up a load of quick-set mix for a small patio job, maybe 5 years back. This old timer, Leo, who ran the yard, saw me loading the bags and just shook his head. He came over, put a hand on my truck, and said, 'You check the forecast for tonight?' I hadn't. He pointed at the sky and told me, 'They're calling for a 40 degree drop after sunset. You lay that down now, the top will skin over and the core heat will blow the surface to pieces by morning. Seen it ruin a $3,000 slab.' I waited a day, and he was dead right. That quick chat in the dust of his yard changed how I plan every pour now. Anyone else have a simple tip from an old hand that stopped a big mistake?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaret_white4829d ago

That line about the core heat blowing the surface to pieces is so real. My buddy had a similar thing happen with a fence post concrete job. Some guy at the hardware store saw him buying bags and asked if he was doing it that day. Told him the ground was still frozen a few inches down from a cold snap, and the concrete wouldn't set right, it would just crumble in a month. My friend blew him off and did it anyway. Sure enough, spring came and half those posts were loose. He had to redo the whole thing.

victorb7429d ago

Yeah that "ground was still frozen" part is key. I learned the hard way too, tried to set a mailbox post in late winter. Now I just wait for a solid thaw and use a cheap soil thermometer to check a few inches down. If it's above 40, you're usually good. Saves so much hassle and wasted concrete.

kelly.nora24d ago

Honestly, I have to wonder if some of this gets overblown. A 40 degree drop is a lot, but how often does that really happen exactly when you're pouring? And sure, frozen ground is bad, but a lot of guys work through the winter with no issues if they prep right. Sometimes it feels like these old yard stories are more about luck than hard rules.

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