Vent: That $200 broom finish I ruined because of dew on a Tuesday morning

I was finishing a driveway in Cleveland last June, right around 6 AM. Thought I was safe because the forecast said clear skies. Got about halfway through the broom finish and the whole slab started sweating on me. Pulled the broom right through the fresh finish and it looked like a scratched CD. Had to grind it down and acid stain just to save the job. My boss just looked at me and said "shoulda checked the ground temp." Has anyone else had morning dew totally wreck a finish?

3 comments

3 Comments

jennifer8331mo ago

Honestly, "shoulda checked the ground temp" is the kind of thing my buddy Dave heard after he did the same thing on a job in Ohio. He said the slab looked like someone dragged a rake through wet cement.

luna_wright1mo ago

Eh, sounds like an easy fix with a little grinding.

amy_anderson1mo agoMost Upvoted

luna_wright I mean, "sounds like an easy fix" is kind of a hot take. I've done this exact thing, and it's not that simple when you're on a deadline and the boss is breathing down your neck. You gotta grind the whole thing down and hope the stain takes evenly, which is a gamble. Jennifer's buddy Dave nailed it. That raked-through-wet-cement look is exactly what happens. For anyone reading this, the pro move is to check the concrete surface temp with an infrared gun before you even mix. Dew point can change in 10 minutes, especially in Ohio in June. And if you see any moisture forming, just wait an hour or cover the slab with plastic until it's dry. It's annoying but way cheaper than a redo.