Appreciation post: My old crew in Tacoma taught me the best trick for hot weather pours.

Back when I was working on a big warehouse slab job in Tacoma three summers ago, the afternoon sun was brutal. The concrete was setting up way too fast and we were fighting it. The lead finisher, a guy named Ray, told me to keep a spray bottle with a mix of water and a little liquid dish soap in my truck. When things started to skin over too quick, a super light mist over the area bought us just enough extra time to get a clean finish without burning it. I still use that trick every July. Anyone else have a simple hack for dealing with fast-setting concrete?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_wells661mo ago

Three summers is a long time. That soap trick sounds like a band-aid. How much weaker does that top inch really get from a little mist? Seen plenty of slabs done that way holding up fine.

the_lucas1mo ago

Hey, that soap trick is a lifesaver for sure. But careful with the misting, you can really weaken the top layer if you overdo it. We always mixed in a little retarder with the spray bottle water instead, gives you more control. What did Ray say about keeping the slab wet after the finish?