Old timer told me to wet the ground before pouring and I always thought he was nuts

Been doing concrete for about 8 years now. There's this guy Jerry who's been at it since the 70s, always giving advice nobody asks for. He kept telling me to spray the subgrade down before I pour, especially in hot weather. I thought it was dumb, like why add moisture when you're about to mix in water anyway. Last summer we had a job in Phoenix, 105 degrees, and I skipped the wetting step because I was in a hurry. That slab cracked in three places within a week. Jerry just looked at me and said 'ground stole the water from the mix.' Now I wet everything first and haven't had a crack since. Has anyone else had an old timer give you advice that turned out to be dead right?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbara_jenkins665d ago

Read somewhere that dry ground acts like a sponge.

paul_ramirez5d ago

Bet my lawn was like a brick last summer before the rain hit.

young.michael5d ago

Huh. Sponge theory sounds nice but I've seen a dry lawn turn into a solid slab. Mine was so hard last August I couldn't push a screwdriver into it. Barbara's got the science wrong, dry ground actually repels water until it's real wet.