Learned a trick for fixing cold joints from an old timer in Waco

I was on a driveway pour last Wednesday outside Waco, Texas and we hit a cold joint that looked terrible. Another finisher nearby, guy named Rick who's been doing this 40 years, showed me his trick. He sprayed a light mist of water on the joint before pouring the next load, then worked it with a magnesium float. I was skeptical at first but it blended way better than anything I've tried before. Has anyone else tried this water mist method or do you have a different go-to for cold joints?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimw5711h ago

Oh man, that water mist trick actually works? I gotta tell you my last cold joint disaster ended up looking like a crooked scar on a pretty pour. I tried everything short of bribing the concrete to behave. Rick sounds like a legend, those old timers always have the weirdest little hacks that just work for no good reason. I'm the kind of guy who forgets his own float half the time so I'm definitely trying this next job, probably with a water bottle I stole from my kid's lunchbox. It makes sense though, a little moisture probably helps the new stuff grip without drying out too fast. Thanks for sharing, I love a good cheap fix that doesn't involve buying some overpriced gimmick.

abby_cooper11h ago

Feel you on that crooked scar comment, nothing worse than a joint that looks like you did it blindfolded. Rick sounds like the kind of guy who has a solution for things that shouldnt work but somehow do. Water bottle from the kids lunchbox is a solid move, I do the same with a squirt bottle I grabbed from the kitchen. Its surprising how much a little moisture changes the bond, like it gives the concrete a second to breathe before it grabs on. Love hearing about cheap tricks that actually beat the expensive stuff.

the_nancy8h ago

I mean is a cold joint really that big a deal on a driveway anyway? Seems like people make way too big a deal out of a little line in the concrete.