The pour takes a morning. The waiting takes a month. In Scottsdale the calendar and the clock both matter, because summer pours have to be finished before the day heats up.
How long does concrete take to cure?
Concrete reaches most of its strength in about a week and its design strength in about 28 days. Curing is a chemical reaction that needs water, not just drying. In our dry air the surface can lose its water within hours, so the slab is kept damp or coated with a curing compound for the first days. A slab that dries too fast ends up weaker on top.
How long before I can walk on new concrete?
You can walk on new concrete after about 24 to 48 hours. Keep dogs, bikes and furniture off for a few days longer, since claws, wheels and chair legs mark a young surface.
How long before I can drive on new concrete?
Wait about 7 days before you drive on new concrete with a car or pickup. Give it the full 28 days before a motorhome, a loaded trailer or a moving truck. Stay away from the edges in the first weeks, because that is where a young slab is weakest.
How long does it take to pour a driveway?
A typical replacement driveway takes two to four working days on site. Day one is breaking out and hauling the old slab. Then comes grading, base, forms and steel. The pour and finish are done in one morning. Rock or caliche, a pump truck setup, HOA approval and city review for work at the street add time before we start.
Can concrete be poured in the rain?
Not in a downpour. Light drizzle on a covered slab is manageable. A monsoon storm is not, because it can strip the surface and flood the forms. The monsoon season here runs from June 15 to September 30, and storms tend to build in the afternoon and evening. That is one more reason summer pours start at dawn.
Is it too hot to pour concrete in a Scottsdale summer?
It is not too hot to pour if the job is planned for heat, and crews here pour all summer. The work starts before sunrise and the finishing is done by mid-morning. The mix can be ordered with a retarder and cool water, the base is dampened so it does not pull water from the concrete, and curing starts at once. What does not work is a pour that begins at 10 a.m. in July.
Can concrete be poured in cold or freezing weather?
Yes, and here it is rarely an issue. Freezing nights are uncommon on the valley floor and a little more frequent in Cave Creek and Carefree. Fresh concrete should not freeze in its first day or two, so on the few cold nights the slab is covered with blankets. Winter days in the 60s and 70s are close to ideal for placing concrete.
What is the best time of year to pour concrete in Scottsdale?
The best time of year is October through April. Days are mild, the air is dry, storms are few, and the slab cures slowly and evenly. May and early June are hot but dry. Mid June through September is workable with dawn pours and an eye on the radar.
Can I use salt or deicer on new concrete?
You will not need deicer in Scottsdale, and it should never go on concrete in its first winter anywhere. The salt to watch here is a different kind. Saltwater pool splash, water softener discharge and fertilizer left on the surface all attack concrete over time. Rinse a pool deck now and then and keep softener drains off the slab.
When can I seal it or put patio furniture on it?
Light furniture can go on after about a week. Wait about a month before sealing, so the moisture in the slab can leave first. Sealing too early is a common cause of the white haze seen on decorative concrete.
Your own price comes from a free visit, a tape measure and a written quote. Call (480) 771-7722 or text a photo of the area.