I finally had a guy explain why my edges keep chipping on driveways

Was talking to an old timer from Omaha last week while waiting for a load to show up, and he told me I was running my mix too wet for the weather we've been having. He said the extra water makes the surface weaker and that's why the edges blow out after a couple freezes. Anyone else ever get that advice and actually change their mix because of it?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_clark11d ago

Mixed my stuff way wetter than I should have for years in northern Ohio. Finally took some advice from an old school guy at the quarry and dropped my slump down a good 2 inches for cold weather jobs. Made a huge difference on driveways and sidewalk edges. The drier mix just holds up better against freeze-thaw cycles, plain and simple. Also started waiting an extra day before I let anyone drive on it when temps are below 40 at night. Your water content is the main thing you can control, so yeah, listen to the old timer on this one. It's one of those little things that adds years to your work.

julia_jones7211d ago

See, I have to push back a bit. I've had better results keeping my mix a little wetter for cold weather and just covering it up good with blankets.