Concrete sets in hours and gains strength for weeks. In New Orleans the weather, more than anything else, decides which day the truck comes.
How long does concrete take to cure?
Concrete reaches most of its design strength in about 28 days. It is hard enough to walk on within a day or two and gets to roughly two-thirds strength in a week. Curing is a chemical reaction that needs water, so the slab should be kept damp or covered with a curing compound for the first several days. That step matters most in summer.
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 anything with small hard wheels off for a few more days, since they mark the surface. Do not drag furniture across it in the first week.
How long before I can drive on new concrete?
Wait about 7 days before you drive on new concrete with a car or a light pickup. Wait 28 days for heavy trucks, loaded trailers, boats and moving vans. For the first month, stay off the edges and do not turn the steering wheel while standing still.
How long does it take to pour a driveway?
A typical driveway takes one to two days of preparation and one day to pour and finish. Preparation is where the time goes in this city: breaking out the old slab, digging out soft soil, bringing in and compacting fill, setting forms and tying steel. Rain can stop the work between those steps. Permits for the curb cut are applied for ahead of time.
Can concrete be poured in the rain?
Concrete should not be poured in the rain when the rain is heavy or steady. Light drizzle on a covered slab can be managed. The danger is a downpour in the first few hours, which New Orleans gets on many summer afternoons. We pour early in the day, keep plastic sheeting ready, and move the date when a storm is on the way. A wet base is pumped or dried out before the truck arrives.
Is it too hot to pour concrete in a New Orleans summer?
It is not too hot to pour, but summer pours have to be handled differently. Above about 90 degrees concrete sets fast and can crack on the surface as it dries. So we start at first light, wet the base and the forms, ask the plant for a mix that sets more slowly, and begin curing as soon as the finish is done. A mid-afternoon pour in August is asking for trouble.
Can concrete be poured when it is freezing or too cold?
It can, with care, and here the question comes up only a few days a year. New Orleans seldom drops to freezing. When a hard freeze is forecast we wait a day or two. Fresh concrete must not freeze in its first day, and below about 40 degrees it sets slowly, so a winter slab may need longer before you drive on it.
What is the best time of year to pour?
The best time of year to pour in New Orleans is roughly October through April. The air is cooler and drier, afternoon storms are fewer, and concrete cures more gently. Summer work is done every day too, with early starts. From June through November we watch the tropics, and nobody pours with a named storm heading for the coast.
Can I use salt or deicer on new concrete?
You will almost never need deicer here, and you should keep it off new concrete if ice ever does come. Sand gives grip without harm. Salt matters in other ways in south Louisiana. Pool salt systems, water softener discharge and fertilizer left on a slab can all mark or pit the surface, so rinse them off.
What should I do in the first week?
- Keep it damp or leave the curing compound alone.
- Keep sprinklers from washing soil out along the edges.
- Leave the forms and stakes to the crew.
- Park in the street for 7 days.
- Call us if a storm floods the slab on the first day.
The real number for your address comes from a free visit and a written quote. Call (504) 732-1542, or text a photo of the area and we will tell you what we see.