Had to pick between a fast cure additive or waiting an extra day on a patio pour last Friday

I was doing a big patio job in Phoenix and the forecast showed rain coming Sunday. Had to choose between using a calcium chloride accelerator or just covering it and hoping for the best. Picked the accelerator because the customer was already mad about delays. Big mistake. The surface set too fast and I got a ton of craze cracking. Looked like a spider web by the end of the day. Anyone else get burned by accelerators on hot days or am I just an idiot?

2 comments

2 Comments

val9494d ago

Did you check your mix temperature going in? In my experience, a hot load plus an accelerator can turn into a race against the clock real quick. A bag of ice in the truck mixer or some cold water can save you every time.

laura_allen4d ago

Tossed a 50lb bag of crushed ice right into the drum before adding the dry material. Brought the temp down enough that I had a solid 45 minutes of workability instead of panicking with a stiff load. Cold water alone didn't do it for me, the ice was the game changer.