The surface around my in-ground swimming pool was always slippery when it was wet. I decided last year after watching my three year old son slip and fall for the last time that I was going to have a contractor come out and resurface the area around the pool. I have spent the last several months looking into the different concrete finishing techniques that will not only provide a safe, non-slip surface, but that would also look really nice around the pool. To find out what options you have to create a non-slip beautiful surface around your pool, visit my site.
You can lay concrete during the winter; however, you need to be careful. Here are a few precautions that you need to take while laying concrete during cold weather.
#1 Never Lay Concrete On Frozen Ground
The key to laying concrete during the winter time is to never lay it when the ground is frozen or on top of snow or ice. When you lay concrete on frozen ground, the coldness will transfer to the concrete and will slow down the drying process. Additionally, when the ground thaws, it will settle and expand, which will cause the concrete to crack.
#2 Warm Up The Ground Before Laying Concrete
If you want to lay concrete during the winter time, you need to take the temperature of the ground. If the ground is frozen, you need to warm it up before laying the concrete. You can do this by thawing the ground. You can use either electric blankets, hydronic heat pipes or hydronic blankets to defrost the ground.
After you defrost the ground, you need to make sure that remove any standing water that is created. You don't want the water to mix into the concrete.
#3 Warm Up All Other Equipment As Well
You don't just need to warm up the ground; you need to warm up all the equipment that you will be using to lay the cement as well. All of your equipment needs to be above freezing as well as the ground, including your embedments and forms. Use a dial pocket thermometer to measure the temperature coming off your equipment.
#4 Cover Your Concrete Up With Blankets
If you decide to lay concrete during the winter, you need to keep everything warm. If you set up the forms and embedments the day before you lay the concrete, cover everything up with blankets.
After you lay the concrete, cover everything up with two layers of landscaping fabric so that there is a breathable layer on top of the concrete. Then, put the curing blankets on top of the landscaping fabric. This will keep your concrete warm as the temperature drop during the night.
The next day, when you remove the blankets, wash the concrete off to get rid of any residue left over from the blankets.
If you follow all of the tips above, and keep a close eye on the temperature, you should be able to lay the concrete during cold weather without compromising the concrete.
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