PSA: wet cure with burlap saved my 60 foot driveway pour in Ohio

I kept getting surface cracks on big flatwork no matter how I finished, tried spray-on cure and plastic sheeting but the edges still crazed. Last week I soaked burlap, laid it overlapping a foot, and kept it damp for 5 days straight like my old timer boss swore by. Anyone else think the extra water and fabric is worth the hassle, or do you just trust the curing compound?

1 comments

1 Comment

troy_palmer761mo ago

...and that reminds me of the time my neighbor tried the damp straw method on his patio. He kept it wet for a week and then a dog got into it and spread straw all over the yard. Took him forever to clean up. But honestly the concrete looked great, no cracks at all. I mean, I just use the spray stuff because I'm lazy, but I think there's something to the old school way. The burlap thing sounds like a pain to babysit for five days though, especially if you got other jobs lined up. Maybe it's the constant moisture that does the trick, like the concrete never gets a chance to dry out too fast on the surface.