If you’ve lived in Northern Colorado for a while you probably know that the end of October usually marks the start of the cold weather.
Now for all you skiers out there, cold weather is a welcome sight, but for concrete companies like ours, it creates some challenges.
Not because it can’t be done.
You can absolutely pour concrete in cold weather, there are just a few more steps that you need to take during the installation process to do it right.
Actually a lot of concrete contractors completely stop working for about three months during the coldest part of the year.
Even though some people choose not to lay concrete in the winter, it is definitely possible.
Just use these pro tips that we’ve gathered throughout our 30 years of concrete experience.
Why The Cold Weather Affects Concrete
Concrete actually has to undergo a chemical reaction called hydration to harden and get strong.
This reaction uses water to kickstart the process.
So you can imagine that if you start to mess with the water used to make the process work, you might end up with some poor results.
In fact if the temperature starts to drop below 40°F, the curing process starts to slow down.
If you take it even further and the concrete freezes before it completely cures, according to the Portland Cement Assocation concrete can lose up to 50% of its total strength.
Not exactly what you want from concrete which is supposed to be strong.
That’s why it’s super important to follow these pro tips if you’re thinking about starting your concrete project in colder conditions.
Preparing The Ground for Cold Weather Concreting
One of the most important steps in a successful winter concrete project is making sure that the ground is not frozen.
The ground should be at least 40°F before you even think about pouring concrete.
There are several options you can use to thaw out the ground.
- Ground heaters that use heated tubes that you lay on the area in a back and forth pattern.
- Heated blankets can be used to warm up the ground as well. You can find heated blankets at your local Home Depot.
- Black plastic can also be used if you don’t have access to other heating options.
If you skip this step and decide to pour on the frozen ground anyway, it can ruin the curing process, cause cracking, and uneven setting.
Warming Up the Concrete Mix
After the ground is prepped and ready for concrete the next step is actually warming up the concrete mix.
If you’re bringing a truck in they can heat up the concrete mix before they bring it to you.
Also it’s important to mention that you should keep your tools and the forms warm.
That way they don’t cause a rapid temperature decrease in the concrete.
Once you heat up your mix you should get it poured ASAP to make sure you keep as much heat as possible in the concrete.
Maintaining the Concrete Temperature
After you’re done pouring the concrete, then you need to make sure it stays warm.
If the temperature drops too much the curing process will slow down or potentially stop altogether.
So place some insulation blankets on the slab after it’s poured to keep that heat trapped.
If it’s going to be really cold you might need to use some temporary heaters to keep the temperature right.
A good rule of thumb is that the temperature should stay above 40°F for at least the next 24 hours.
The easiest way to make sure that it stays at the right temperature is just to get yourself a little infrared thermometer, so you can monitor it by pointing, and pressing the button.
That way you can tell if some spots are getting too cold and if you need to add some more heaters or insulation.
You can even look into getting a heated enclosure if your concrete project is large enough.
These are mostly used for big projects like foundations though.
Choosing the Right Concrete Mix
There’s a couple of things that you can do to make sure you’ve got a mix that will stand up to the elements.
First is you could add some extra cement to make the concrete set up faster.
This adds additional heat to make the chemical reaction progress quicker and helps to eliminate the possibility of freezing.
Another thing we usually do in our area of Colorado where it gets well below freezing is to use air-entrained concrete.
What this does is create millions of little pockets inside the concrete so that it can expand and contract without cracking.
There’s also additives that you can use to speed up the curing process even when the lower temperatures threaten to slow it down.
Planning Your Cold Weather Concrete Project
Timing is everything if you want your project to be a success.
The curing process is going to take longer, which means you’ll need to accommodate for the extra time.
Check the weather and pour on the warmest part of the day so it can set before it gets cold.
Another tip is to monitor the weather app on your phone.
Try to plan on knocking your project out when the weather is gonna be relatively stable for a couple days.
You definitely don’t want to try and pour concrete in a cold snap.
Conclusion
Starting a concrete project in the winter definitely has its challenges, but it can certainly be done.
If done right, it will be just as strong as if you would have poured it when it’s warm.
It takes a lot of work to make sure all the precautions are taken and the project gets planned properly.
Especially if you’re thinking of taking it on yourself.
If you would prefer to let a professional team handle everything for you instead, you can contact us!
We’ll make sure your project goes off without a hitch.
