The difference a curing blanket makes is night and day

I poured a 500 square foot patio down in Tucson back in May. Left it uncovered for the first two hours and came back to surface checking already forming on the edges. On my next job I put the wet blankets on right after finishing and kept them moist for 5 days. The second slab came out smooth with zero cracks. Has anyone else noticed how much curing method alone changes the final look?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew_wood721d ago

Honestly, that's wild. I tried a trick I saw on some YouTube channel where they just set a sprinkler on mist over the slab and it worked pretty decent, but I bet the blanket keeps the moisture way more even.

hugo_moore1d ago

Honestly, that's wild" - yeah it is wild but I gotta say the sprinkler trick is a gamble in dry climates. I'm in Phoenix so I know Tucson weather, and misting just evaporates too fast in that heat. The blanket holds the moisture right where it needs to be, not just on the surface. Plus with a sprinkler you're washing out the surface cement if you're not careful, making it sandy and weak. I've seen guys think they're curing right but end up with a dusty top layer that flakes off later. The blanket is the way to go for sure if you want that nice dense finish.