WHY POURING CONCRETE IN THE RAIN SHOULD BE AVOIDED

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June 23, 2017 / By Groupa Concrete

As the rain season continues to ravage Ontario, many may find themselves asking as to why their concrete jobs are being postponed. In fact, the rainfall being experienced now is the highest it has been in 60 years according to the Toronto Star. Searching on the internet, one may find sites claiming that concrete can be poured in the rain. This however is not entirely true, and in today’s blog we will be taking a closer look as to why.

Firstly, if freshly poured concrete comes into contact with the rain, it will ruin the finish. While this may seem obvious, many people do not stop to think about it. Some may argue that a tarp can be built over the concrete, however, building a tarp systems over an entire project would be costly to the customer and not be 100% guarantee that water won’t leak through. Even though a day may also call for breaks in between the rain, concrete usually needs at least 4-8 hours after being poured to stiffen to a point where rain will no longer be an issue. If a stamp is being added to the concrete along with colouring, this also cannot be done in the rain, for the same reason.

Concrete mixtures are also very ratio specific in order for them to achieve maximum strength upon hardening. The amount of water in these mixtures is measured down to a millilitre and any additional water which would make it into the mixture could compromise the entire overall composition.

We at Groupa Concrete understand the frustration these periods of waiting may be causing clients and we apologize for any inconveniences this may cause. It is however being done in order to deliver only the best quality in our products.