Been using a garden hose to spray my concrete for a week straight

I was working on a patio in Phoenix and kept getting these weird hairline cracks right after the pour. My boss came by, watched me for about two minutes, and just said, 'You're watering it like a flower bed, kid.' Turns out, I was using the jet setting on the nozzle, which was blasting the surface and washing away the cream. He showed me to use the mist setting and only do it when the surface starts to look dry, not on a set schedule. That one tip saved me from having to grind and patch the whole thing. Anyone else have a simple mistake that took way too long to figure out?

3 comments

3 Comments

troy_price1mo ago

Nah, you're both overcomplicating it. A solid soak with a steady, low-pressure flow from the hose is way better than misting. Misting evaporates too fast in hot sun, it doesn't penetrate deep enough to actually control the cure. I just keep the surface dark and damp, no puddles, for a full three days. Never had shrinkage cracks.

aaronsullivan1mo ago

Oh man, the "watering it like a flower bed" thing hits home. I did the exact opposite once, I was so scared of washing it out that I barely misted it at all. The whole slab dried way too fast in the sun and ended up with this crazy web of surface cracks. Had to go back with a slurry coat. It's all about that even, gentle dampness.

jana8811mo ago

Ugh, I have to disagree with you on this one, @aaronsullivan. In my experience, misting is the way to go for fresh concrete, not a steady water flow. That "gentle dampness" you mentioned can easily turn into puddles and wash out the cream. I've seen guys with a hose on a light spray create a weaker surface layer. A few passes with a fine mist from a spray bottle keeps it from cracking without messing up the finish.