That comment about wet curing vs. sealing changed my mind on my whole approach

I was at the supply yard last Tuesday and overheard this old finisher talking to a guy about a driveway they did together 10 years ago. He said 'you seal it too early and you're just trapping moisture that'll pop the surface off in 2 years.' I've always been a seal-it-and-forget-it person, you know? But hearing that made me think about the 3 jobs I've had to go back and patch in the last 5 years. He was talking about wet burlap and keeping it damp for a full 7 days instead. Has anyone else switched from sealing to extended wet curing for flatwork? What's your go-to method?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_garcia1mo ago

Honestly, how many of those 12-year jobs are really holding up if you go back and check them in another 5 years though? Modern admixtures help the pour but they don't change the fact that concrete is still just a chemical reaction that needs water to get strong. Tbh I'd rather tie up a driveway for a week than explain to a customer why their brand new slab is flaking in year two.

the_wesley1mo ago

Is there any data actually proving modern concrete is different enough that skipping wet cure doesn't bite you later, or is that just something sealant sales guys push?

mark4361mo ago

I'm gonna push back on this one because I've been sealing flatwork for 12 years and I've never had a failure that I can trace back to sealing too early. That old finisher might know his stuff but concrete these days is WAY different than what they used 10 years ago. With modern admixtures and water reducers, extended wet curing is overkill for most residential jobs. You're tying up a driveway for a full week with burlap and soakers when you could seal it in 4 hours and move on. The REAL problem is people not using the right sealer or applying it too thick, not the timing.