Hot take: Should you float concrete on a fresh slab or wait for it to set a bit?

I was doing a driveway pour up in Spokane last Thursday and my buddy was pushing to float it right away. I always wait like 15-20 minutes for the bleed water to come up, then start floating. He said I was wasting time and his way gives a smoother finish. We tried his method on one section and mine on another, and his section had some cracking after 2 days. Mine held up fine but took longer. What do you guys do - float right after pouring or wait? Does it depend on the mix or weather?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_west26d ago

Spokane concrete sets fast in the summer heat, wait every time.

janarivera26d ago

You mentioned "Spokane concrete sets fast" and that is SO true. I was helping my uncle pour a small patio in his backyard a few summers ago and we thought we had plenty of time to finish. But the sun was blasting and by the time we got the last batch mixed, the first stuff was already getting stiff. We ended up having to work like crazy to get it all smoothed out before it totally hardened. It was basically a race against the heat and I sweat through my shirt in like ten minutes. Never again will I pour concrete in July without checking the temp first.

jamesroberts26d ago

Yeah the heat really makes or breaks a pour. I started pouring first thing in the morning around 6am and it gave us way more working time before the sun got brutal.