Improving your property can be an ongoing task as you add in trees and other landscaping along with hardscaped surfaces. Hardscaping within your yard provides an area to grill for outdoor events, so a patio will make a great addition to your property and can be stained or finished to have one of a variety of looks. But when you are managing any of the concrete patio installations, be sure to follow the recommendations provided by professional concrete contractors. Here are some tips and recommendations to help your concrete patio installation be a successful and manageable project for you.

Watch for Concrete Issues

You need to consider many factors when you are pouring your own concrete. As you pour it, remove any air pockets with a shovel as you smooth and level it into place. Some concrete may bleed water upon its surface. If this happens, leave the water standing on the concrete as it will evaporate as the concrete cures.

The weather conditions in your area can affect the concrete's cure time and can also affect it adversely if you are not careful. You don't want your concrete to end up forming cracks through its slab or the surface peeling away through spalling damage. For this reason, determine if the weather is going to be extra hot during and after its installation. Hot and dry weather can cause the poured concrete to dry out too quickly, resulting in a weak cure. The moisture level within the concrete needs to remain at a stable level to form a strong and full cure. 

After you pour concrete in hot weather conditions, cover the poured concrete with wet burlap or a concrete cure blanket to protect it from evaporation. You can also adjust the concrete mixture to have a bit more water to compensate for any evaporation. After the first 48 hours, you can remove any protection barrier from the concrete to allow it to continue its cure over the next three to four weeks.

In freezing weather conditions, you can also use a concrete cure blanket as a covering to protect the concrete and its moisture from freezing during cure time. Straw and a plastic covering will also hold in hot or wet weather.

Consider Cure Time

Plan for the concrete to fully cure over the next few days and weeks after you pour it. You should wait up to 48 hours for the concrete to harden enough so you can walk on it, but don't drive or park your vehicles on its surface until after one week. Over the first 28 days following its installation the concrete will come to a full cure.

For more information about the process, contact companies like Cutting Edge Concrete.

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