The debate about wet curing vs. curing compound on big slabs

I was working a 5000 square foot warehouse floor in Fresno last August, middle of a heat wave, and we had to decide fast on curing method. The foreman wanted to spray on curing compound because it's faster and we could move on to the next job. I argued for wet curing with burlap and soaker hoses because that's what I learned from my old mentor who swore by it. We went with the compound and three days later we had serious surface checking in a corner section that dried too fast. Now I'm stuck wondering if wet curing would have saved that slab or if we just didn't spray enough compound in that spot. Has anyone else had a slab fail because of a curing method debate and what did you end up changing for the next job?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_scott4415d ago

Burlap's the way to go in that heat, compound just ain't the same for big pours.

uma_reed2615d ago

Wait burlap's still a thing for big pours? Last time I tried that I ended up with more fabric fuzz in my concrete than actual fiber. Guess I should stick to my day job and leave the fancy finishing to the pros.