Concrete..

[GazSuttonUK]

I layed some concrete(7' x 4' x 4") outside my garage two days ago, when will it be ok to take the shuttering way?
Does it have to be fully hardened?

Cheers.

 

[Aqua]

You laid it Tuesday? If so give it till the weekend and it'll be fine....should go a nice white colour when it's gone off properly

 

[GazSuttonUK]

Thank you..much appreciated.

 

[Norcon]

You can strip the following day as general rule with shuttering.
The highest wall we've shuttered to date is 5.7m in a single pour and we wouldn't hesitate to strip it down the next day unless it was really cold.
(Some refer to it as "striking" for some bizarre reason)
Though 4" deep could be stripped in a few hours in most cases especialy if the temp is above 15c.

 

[wavetrain]

I hope you watered and covered it 24 hours after it was placed to help keep it damp while it cures over the next month?

 

[djm1311]

Hi Guys

Talking of curing I know this may have be brought up and answered before, but how long generally does concrete take to cure. We had a conservatory slab base done over a week ago. The surface is very dusty and even when swept it will need doing the following day. The surface appears to be soft when it is rubbed or when it gets wet.

Apprecaite any advise

 

[wavetrain]

After 24 hours with the temperatures we have had recently, concrete is hard enough to walk on and will not be dusty or soft. Whoever did yours did not either mix it with enough cement (very common bodge to save cement costs), or allowed it to dry out before it had cured. Did you see my previous post in this thread?

You will need to get your contractor back and redo the whole job. Who did this work?

 

[digdilem]

Next day is easier, since the concrete is still a little soft and doesn't hold onto the shuttering so much.

But - if there is ANY chance of people walking on it, leave it up as they'll knock the corners off. They're vulnerable for at least a week. That's usually just a cosmetic issue, but it can be a big one.