A Guide to Laying Concrete In Hot Weather: Advice From Our Experts

As the seasons shift from spring to summer, and the temperatures start to rise, those planning on working on commercial or DIY projects over the next few months should prepare to be laying concrete in hot weather.

This is not without its challenges, but with some thoughtful preparation, the weather shouldn't stop you from working.

At 2 Brothers Concrete & Pumping, we have over 25 years of combined experience, working in any weather thrown at us. We have some handy tips and tricks for working with concrete in the warmer weather so that you get the best result possible.

In this blog, we are going to discuss what you can expect when pouring or pumping concrete in hot weather, and how you can make it a smooth process.

How Does Warm Weather Impact Concrete?

The biggest issue with laying concrete in warmer weather is water evaporating too quickly.

Water is one of the three ingredients in concrete. When mixed with the cement and aggregates, it hydrates the mixture. As this sets, the water evaporates and the material gets stronger.

As you can imagine, in hotter temperatures the water evaporates quicker, reducing the setting time significantly and impacting the strengthening process.

This presents two main issues:

• Less time to place it
• Prone to cracking as it dries quickly - impacting the strength and durability of the material  

So how do you try and prevent these?

Optimising Working Time

Because the concrete will start to harden quicker when laying it in hot weather, you need to make sure you optimise your working time. This will give you a better chance of placing the concrete where it needs to be before it starts to cure.

There are several ways you can do this:

• Prepare your site - make sure you have prepared your site as much as possible before the concrete mix can be poured. As soon as the concrete arrives at your site, you should be in a position to get on with pouring it.
• Pump don't pour - concrete pumping will be far quicker than pouring, reducing the stress of having to work quickly.
• Create a plan - if your site is hard to reach, make sure that you plan a way to get the concrete to it. Don't waste time trying to figure out how you will get the concrete over the house and into the garden. Boom pumps are a great solution here, so speak to those supplying your concrete about this option.
• Arrange an early delivery - the best thing you can do is work with the concrete while it is cooler, so where possible try and arrange an early morning delivery so that you can pump or pour the material while it is cool.
• Dampen the base - before the concrete arrives, use some water to dampen the sub-base and timber around the concrete site. This will help to keep the project area cooler. If possible, set up something to create some shade over the site too.

Control The Curing Process

The heat isn't going to be your friend while laying concrete. The hot weather means quicker evaporation, which means a faster, more uneven curing process. This will cause cracks in the concrete.

You will need to try and control the curing process as much as possible to keep the moisture in the mixture for longer, helping the material to cure at a more even pace and preventing damage and loss of strength.

While we would recommend you speak to an expert about how you can do this, here are a few ideas:

• Cover the site - this will help to retain moisture in the mixture to cure more slowly.
• Use curing spray - use a curing spray over the surface to form a film over the top which will retain moisture within the mixture.

Choose The Right Mix

When laying concrete in hot weather, you will need to ensure you are using the right concrete design mix.

Most concrete mixes can be used throughout the summer, but they will all have the same issue with evaporation.

The various mixes will already have different strengths, so you should consider how the quicker evaporation process will impact the strength of the mix.

Lower-numbered mixes are usually used for domestic projects or small commercial work.

Get Expert Advice

Our team have many years of experience working with concrete throughout summer, so are experts at laying concrete in any conditions.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with them to discuss your project and how to deal with it. We are always happy to give advice and guidance.

2 Brothers Concrete & Pumping provide a comprehensive service that makes your life easier. We can provide a wide variety of concrete mixes using our volumetric concrete truck that can be pushed straight to the concrete pump for a smooth hassle-free process.

Our mix-on-site truck will arrive at your project site and produce the concrete design you need there and then. This allows us to make the exact amount you need, reducing waste and a disposal charge for you.

Using both our services means you don't have to coordinate several contractors and can leave laying concrete in hot weather to the experts.

By choosing us, you will benefit from:

• Experience and expertise
• No project is too big or too small
• Solutions for all projects, including hard-to-reach areas
• Accredited and licenced operatives
• Latest pump technology
• Excellent customer service

We are dedicated to providing not only excellent concrete services but also friendly and professional customer service across Hampshire, West Sussex, Dorset and further afield. We love a laugh and will work to build up a relationship with you and your staff to create a fun working environment while on-site.

For more advice on laying concrete in hot weather, or to learn more about our services, call us today on 01489 552737 or complete our online contact form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.