Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 12, 2013 10:42 am Our slab is being poured today in very hot Melbourne weather. The concreter this morning advised to mist it tonight on top and water around the edges and then hose it down from tomorrow until the weekend to wet cure it. Did anyone here wet cure their slab? Looking for some tips on how to mist it down without walking on it? Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 2Mar 12, 2013 11:09 am Hi, No, not yet Have looked in to options though, and this might be a starter for you. http://www.concrete.net.au/publications/pdf/Curing06.pdf I plan on a 28 day cure, for 95% strength, as I can afford the time delay. Your builder may want to move a bit faster than me. It may also help to find if the concreter intends adding anything as well that speeds up curing. Maybe check out types of sprinklers that would cover your slab area. Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 3Mar 12, 2013 12:05 pm Sprinklers or a hose with a fine spray should be fine. The concrete should be hard enough to walk on after 24 hours. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 4Mar 12, 2013 6:50 pm You look like a moron watering concrete, but soak it for as long as you can stand there. Just take a hose and some fittings, provided there is a tap , is all good. Hot and Melbourne - two words you dont see together very often Timeline Aug 08-Land Mar 09-Demo/Titles Sept 10-Handover No1 Sept 11-Handover No2 April 12-Sold No2 Aug 14-Land/Demo Jan 15-Slabs viewtopic.php?f=31&t=25736 Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 5Mar 29, 2013 11:36 am moxie Our slab is being poured today in very hot Melbourne weather. The concreter this morning advised to mist it tonight on top and water around the edges and then hose it down from tomorrow until the weekend to wet cure it. Did anyone here wet cure their slab? Looking for some tips on how to mist it down without walking on it? Hi ya moxie, Just wondering why you would be worried about walking on the concrete? Either way the best method of cure is to roll out some plastic (builders plastic) that way you are reducing the evaporation of moisture from within the slab. If you wet down and it evaps and you wet down and it evaps you are creating a cycle, better if you stop the cycle. This will help maintain the temp in the curing concrete. Further to walking on the slab: As soon as the guys have 'finished' the slab (as you will see they are walking on the slab to finish it) you will be able to walk lightly on it, by the next morning you will not be able to impress the surface. By the third day we are grinding concrete for the polishing process. It is more that the surface needs to be cured and restrict vehicle traffic from cutting the surface while turning( for example a tractor delivering bricks or the laydown area for frames etc. Just my 2 bobs worth Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 6Mar 29, 2013 10:25 pm My slab had a curing compound applied to it. Something that was sprayed onto the slab about 4 hours after it was poured. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 7Mar 29, 2013 11:08 pm concur or other curing agents apply a barrier...no good if you're having tiles or other things stuck to it. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 8Mar 30, 2013 12:55 pm Mine was cured with what I think is a PVA based coating. I hope I can tile on it, since I've just done the outside terrace, which was cured, and will be get tiles laid on it in a few months time. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 9Mar 30, 2013 2:05 pm PVA Poly Vinyl Acetate a water based curing agent. That does re-emulsify. Now what good would that do with the pressure that is developed by moisture evacuated from a concrete slab... ? Anything or nothing that its nothing like the specification required. But hey I'm only a dumb grano. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 10Mar 30, 2013 2:21 pm The cheapest and the most effective method of curing concrete slab is by ponding. All you need to do is put sand barrier to the perimeter and flood the slab. You will have leftover packing sand on site. I have done it many times and it's the best Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 11Mar 30, 2013 5:40 pm Using builder plastic will cost you $1 per sq mtr. If the Slab is perfectly flat and you don't have any wet areas then you can pond but if the slab has minimal deflection ponding of less the say 20mm in the summer heat, will evaporate the water in no time why would plastic not be the ideal cover? Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 12Mar 30, 2013 6:03 pm There is nothing wrong with plastic method, I have used that many times as well, but you have to have a roll of plastic $ 80 and if it's windy it's hard to do or impossible, and when you are finished you will have a pile of used plastic you have to get rid of. Ponding is just my preference. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 13Mar 30, 2013 6:19 pm Just as impossible as rolling it out for the WPM (water proof membrane) underneath the slab. Use the wind. And save thousands of litres of water several times....and you don't have to return to site a few times. Not many cure anyway, I would suggest about 1%. and is why so many cracks happen. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 14Mar 31, 2013 4:20 pm This might be a stupid question, but isn't this something the concreter/builder should be taking care of as part of the build? I've never heard of anyone who have been told they have to take care of the slab until the next stage of the build. Settlement: 10.02.13 Slab: 06.03.13 Frame: 08.03.13 Lock-up: 05.04.13 Handover: 03.06.13 Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59555 Brisbane Photography Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 15Mar 31, 2013 4:34 pm Yes you are right Viktoria it's builder's job to cure the slab, but many don't. I was making my comments as a builder. By the way progress on your house seems to be going along nicely. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 16Mar 31, 2013 5:09 pm Thanks, B-E! It's coming along very quickly, very exciting! I thought that was the case about curing the slab, I was confused about the whole purpose of this thread if it's something the builder should be doing anyway. But if many don't do it, that explains it. We never got asked to do anything with the slab. Settlement: 10.02.13 Slab: 06.03.13 Frame: 08.03.13 Lock-up: 05.04.13 Handover: 03.06.13 Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59555 Brisbane Photography Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 17Mar 31, 2013 8:51 pm I think that the thread was most relevant to OB's When the concreter has poured and finished the slab he is usually paid then gone. Then you as OB got to take care of the curing. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 18Mar 31, 2013 10:27 pm Ah I see. Settlement: 10.02.13 Slab: 06.03.13 Frame: 08.03.13 Lock-up: 05.04.13 Handover: 03.06.13 Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59555 Brisbane Photography Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 19Apr 01, 2013 12:26 am this thread has been valuable to me, as an OB in planning stage. No covering/flooring to any of my slab, except for bathrooms, so I hope to cure for as long as possible, and to hopefully have the minimum number of cracks. I can think of a couple of ways to re-use the plastic sheeting after it's finished with during the curing time. Maybe draped over my SIP walls until the roof goes on ? Weather protection for other bulk supplies? Then later on, in the bottom of a small artificial pond ? I'll not be in a rush, so might let it cure for as long as possible, if it's of value in the long term. I do know that builders often only wait a day or 2 to start framing though, and they must be satisfied that the slab is OK for them to go ahead. Re: Did you wet cure your slab? 20Apr 01, 2013 12:05 pm Unfortunately tezzab it is less to do with 'it's ok' and more to do with $$$s and finishing stages and collect the next progress payment. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... All sorted guys. Just needed to buy a blade with the correct bush. Dunno how to delete this post, can't find any help file. Cheers. 1 3635 Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 39260 No the fireplace doesn’t work. It’s been enclosed. I’m not sure what was removed, as it was done quite some time ago - well before what I can see with photos online… 2 11530 |