I finally got a smooth finish on a hot pour in Phoenix without a single crack

We had a 110-degree day last week on a driveway job, and the mix was setting up way too fast. My usual trick of just spraying more water was making a weak, flaky top layer. I was about to call it a loss and come back for a grind and seal. Then I remembered this old guy at a supply house told me once to keep a spray bottle filled with a 50/50 mix of water and denatured alcohol. I sent my helper to grab a gallon. We misted it over the surface right as we started the final trowel pass. The alcohol evaporated and pulled heat out without adding extra water to the cream. It bought us the extra 15 minutes we needed to get a glassy finish that cured evenly. Has anyone else tried something like this, or got a different trick for fighting the heat?

2 comments

2 Comments

markm2718d agoMost Upvoted

Forget the spray bottle, try a bag of ice. We lay a thin plastic sheet over the fresh pour and spread a layer of crushed ice on top for ten minutes. Pull it off, the surface is cooled down and workable without adding any moisture at all. It's messy but saved a patio pour last summer.

colej7418d ago

Used to think that was overkill until we had a driveway pour on a 95 degree day. The ice trick kept the surface from setting up too fast, gave us time to get the broom finish right. Might look messy but it beats watching concrete crack because you rushed.