When To Install Concrete?

Attention to the weather is required when pouring a concrete driveway or a foundation for a building project. Certain times of year are better for installing concrete than others.

INSTALLING CONCRETE SEASON

 Extremely hot temperatures can cause problems with concrete setting, as the top of the concrete sets before the rest of the concrete below. Extreme cold, on the other hand, can freeze the water in concrete. This can cause cracks and instability in the concrete.

Then there’s the issue of precipitation. Too much rain can weaken the finished concrete surface. Soaking wet concrete does not set like concrete that has been sitting out in the sun.

It is therefore best to pour concrete in Michigan in early fall. In general, the weather is dry, and the warmer daytime temperatures allow the concrete to properly set. A spring installation is possible, but it’s difficult to predict when it will rain (or snow, as Michigan springs are unpredictable).

Is it possible to pour concrete in the winter?

Snow and ice can make it difficult to pour concrete in the winter. Concretists working in the winter need to use tools like heated ground blankets or heated tents to simulate setting conditions. Throughout the process, the ground and concrete must be kept warm and dry. For this reason, many concrete contractors close during the winter. If you must begin your concrete project in the winter, there are ways to avoid the icy conditions.

Summertime projects are no exception. Concrete contractors have methods for ensuring proper setting of concrete on hot days. Concrete can be kept cooler longer by mixing it with ice cold water or by dampening it to slow its setting. It takes more work, but it is possible. Contact us now.