Tried using a leaf blower to dry a slab in a pinch and it went about as well as you'd think

I was finishing a small patio in the late afternoon and a surprise drizzle came through, just enough to mess with the surface. I panicked, grabbed my gas leaf blower from the truck, and figured I could dry it off quick. All I did was blow a bunch of dust and tiny debris right into the wet cream, leaving a finish that looked like a bad paint texture job. Learned my lesson about trying to rush the dry (and that a leaf blower is for leaves, not concrete). Anyone ever had a weird idea to save a pour that totally backfired?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace892mo ago

Oh man, that's a classic panic move right there. @the_christopher is onto something with the hair dryer, it's the same kind of desperate logic. I once tried to smooth out a patch with a paint roller, which just made a bigger, fuzzier mess.

the_christopher2mo ago

Man, that reminds me of the time I tried to use a hair dryer to fix a dent in my car's plastic bumper.

carr.sarah2mo ago

My buddy tried something similar after reading a forum post. He used a heat gun on a cracked motorcycle fairing, which @the_christopher would appreciate. The plastic did get soft, but then he poked a hole right through it with his finger. Had to order a whole new piece. The look on his face was pure defeat.