Old timer on a job site near Tulsa changed my mind about curing blankets

Was working a driveway pour last Tuesday with a guy named Dale. He's been doing concrete since the 80s. I always used plastic sheeting for curing. He told me I was losing all the moisture control. Said blankets hold the heat better in cold weather. I tried his method on a small pad. The finish came out way smoother with less cracking. Anybody else swear by blankets over plastic?

2 comments

2 Comments

evan5437d ago

Dale out of Tulsa sounds like the real deal. I was all plastic sheeting for years too, figured it was cheap and easy. Then my neighbor convinced me to try blankets on a 50 yard slab last fall. The difference was night and day - no surface checking at all compared to plastic where I always get a few hairline cracks. The blankets hold the heat steady and keep the moisture right where it needs to be. Now I use them every time the temps drop below 60.

ivan_harris6d ago

Hold the heat steady is the whole secret, isn't it. Once you feel how evenly a blanket cures compared to plastic, there's no going back.