A Guide to Working With Concrete in Cold Weather

Do you have an ongoing home addition project that might carry on into winter and worried how the cold weather will affect it? When your project involves concrete, you must take measures to ensure the proper curing of concrete in cold weather. Failing to do these can make the structure unsafe. Reliable Design-Build-Remodel, the premier remodeler and expert on concrete in the Birmingham, AL area, has this to say on the topic:

Reliable Design-Build-Remodel shares the do’s and don’ts your contractor must adhere to when working with concrete in Birmingham, AL, specifically in the cold weather months.

Water and sand/gravel may be preheated prior to mixing with cement to ensure that the proper temperature is present during the pour.
Never pour concrete on frozen ground.

Your remodeling service provider will use heaters to thaw the ground before pouring concrete. Frozen ground can settle when thawed and will likely result in the cracking of the concrete. The fresh concrete closer to the frozen ground will also cure slower and the structure will be undermined.

Prevent the concrete from freezing.

Concrete must be kept at 50 F. A curing blanket will be used to keep the concrete at the optimal curing temperature. Insulation blankets or heated enclosures will also be used to maintain the temperature for three to seven days.

Don’t use cold tools and forms, as these can affect the temperature of the concrete that comes in contact.
Wait until all the bleed water has evaporated before finishing.
Sealing must not be done when the temperature is below 50 F. Also, use a sealer that works well in extreme weather.
Use real-time temperature sensors. Proper temperature is crucial to ensure the quality of the concrete, thus real-time temperature sensors are important.

Reliable Design-Build-Remodel is a full service general construction firm and remodeling contractor operating in the Birmingham metro and Jefferson and Shelby County areas and surrounding communities, including Birmingham, Helena, Chelsea, Mountain Brook, Hoover, Homewood, Montevallo, Alabaster, Vestavia Hills, and Pelham, with over 30 years of servicing our valued clients. Offering full service suite of general remodeling, design and build services. Our specialties include bathroom remodeling, kitchen remod eling, exterior renovations, interior renovations, painting, and more!