Concrete dries faster than most earth and is an excellent option if you live in a dry climate. However, that also means it must be irrigated more frequently to keep the moisture levels up. In the first few weeks, the pattern of your concrete will be set and it’ll take some time for it to fully dry. Once that’s done, you need to stay on top of your watering schedule. Read on for everything you need to know about how often you should water new concrete.
How often should you water new concrete?
This is a matter of some debate, and there are conflicting recommendations. But one thing everyone seems to agree on is that you should water your new concrete a lot more often in the first couple of weeks. This is because the concrete will still be curing, and the whole process can take up to three months. During this time, the concrete will still be taking in water, and excess water will cause the concrete to be weaker and more prone to cracking. So if you don’t water your new concrete enough in the first couple of weeks, you can actually end up with a weaker foundation that’s more likely to crack and break.
How To Water New Concrete?
Watering Hoses
A watering hose can be an effective solution for watering new concrete. If you have the space available, you may want to invest in a watering hose for your building site. This will make it very easy for you to water the fresh concrete, as you can use a hose and a simple trigger to control the flow of water. Although watering hoses can be effective, they have a few disadvantages. For starters, it’s not easy to direct the water exactly where you need it. If you’re not careful, there’s the potential for water to drip onto nearby surfaces and cause staining and discoloration. Watering hoses are also extremely wasteful. Since they rely on a continuous flow of water, they will use more water than a person spraying a concrete surface with a handheld sprayer. Spraying water directly onto the surface of new concrete is a much more effective solution.
Light Spraying
If you want to reduce water use while still providing your concrete with the right amount of moisture, you may want to consider light spraying. This technique involves spraying water directly onto the surface of the concrete, rather than spraying beneath it. When you are light spraying, you are spraying directly on the concrete surface so that the water drips off. This is the perfect solution when you don’t have the room to use a watering hose, or you want to be very careful with how much water you are using. Because you are spraying water directly onto the surface of the concrete, you can direct it exactly where you want it to go. Light spraying also allows you to use a smaller amount of water. This is particularly useful if you want to avoid staining and discoloration, as it reduces the amount of water that is available to seep into nearby surfaces. A handheld sprayer is a great tool for light spraying.
Use Dehumidifiers
If you’re concerned about the amount of moisture that is present in the concrete on your building site, you can invest in a dehumidifier to help reduce it. Dehumidifiers are devices that remove moisture from the air and are commonly used in basements and other areas with high relative humidity. You can use these devices to help reduce the amount of moisture in the air around your concrete before it hardens and adds water to the concrete material. Dehumidifiers can help to prevent a number of issues, such as cracks and discoloration, by lowering the amount of water in the air around your concrete. This also means that the concrete won’t need as much water when it’s being sprayed, which will help you to be more efficient. To reduce the amount of moisture in the air, dehumidifiers direct warm air through a series of filters. These filters remove water droplets and other impurities from the air, lowering the relative humidity and making concrete less likely to crack.
Heavy Spraying
If you have enough space on your concrete surface, you may want to consider heavy spraying. This involves spraying water so that it soaks into the concrete, rather than just spraying it on the surface. While light spraying directly on the concrete surface is a good solution for smaller areas, heavy spraying is better for larger areas like floors. By spraying water directly into the concrete, you will ensure that it is fully saturated with water, meaning it will take longer to dry out and will need less water in the future. Heavy spraying is an effective way to water new concrete, but it does have its drawbacks. If you want to make sure that the concrete is properly covered, you will need to use a lot of water to get the best results. This means that you will need to pay particular attention to drainage issues to make sure that water flows away from the concrete.
When Should I Stop Watering New Concrete?
It’s Too Hot Out
If you’re living in a part of the world with warmer climates, you want to avoid watering your new concrete at all costs. This is because water that’s too warm and sits on your concrete for too long can create “hydration” which can actually make the concrete weaker over time! If you’re living in a place where the temperature in the summertime gets into the triple digits, you should keep your concrete dry at all costs! It’s not worth the risk of having your new concrete slowly degrade just because you want it to look nice. Keep in mind that concrete needs water in order to cure. However, it can’t cure if it’s too hot outside! In fact, concrete needs to stay at a certain temperature range in order to properly dry and cure. If it gets too hot, it can dry inside out and actually cause it to crack or split!
Your Concrete Is Still Setting
Concrete takes a while to cure, but you don’t want to risk damaging it before it even has a chance to finish setting! To be on the safe side, you should wait until your concrete has set enough to be somewhat hardened before you water it. This can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the type of concrete you’re using. If you’re not sure when your concrete has been set, make sure to ask your contractor for the advice! They’ll be able to let you know when your concrete has reached its full strength and hardness. You don’t want to risk causing your concrete to crack or break before it even has a chance to cure!
There’s Excessive Rainfall
In some parts of the world, they joke that it rains nine months out of the year! If you live in an area with a high level of rainfall, you need to find a way to prevent that water from seeping into your new concrete and ultimately causing it to crack. Avoid watering your new concrete when there’s an excessive amount of rainfall in your area. Instead, cover it up with a tarp or other waterproof barrier. Concrete is an excellent material that can withstand a lot of force. However, it’s porous and will allow water to seep inside of it if left uncovered. This water will cause your concrete to weaken over time, which is why you need to take precautions against excessive rainfall.
Tips For Watering Your New Concrete
- Water from above – For best results, water from above. If you’re using a sprinkler, make sure you’re not watering it from below, as this can leave puddles. Watering from above will also help you avoid wetting the grass too much.
- Select the right watering schedule – You can check online or use a calendar to help you select the right watering schedule. You want to water enough to keep the concrete moist, but not enough to make it soggy.
- Pick the right watering method – You can water new concrete with a sprinkler, a hose with a spray nozzle, or a garden hose.
- Avoid sprinklers in the middle of the day – You don’t want to water in the middle of the day, as this can actually make things worse by increasing the rate of evaporation.
Summary
Concrete is a great option for those living in a warm, dry climate. For best results, you need to water it more often in the first few weeks after pouring it. After that, you can reduce the frequency of watering to once a week. For best results, water from above with a sprinkler, hose with a spray head, or garden hose. Select the right watering schedule, and pick the right watering method for your setup. Avoid watering in the middle of the day, and you’ll have healthy, strong concrete that should last a lifetime.
