We want our feature concrete walls in the Atrium, Kitchen and Dining Room to be crack-free.

Reducing the risk of cracking is a function of several factors, one of which we can manage after pouring the concrete starts to cure.  Cracking can be attributed to (1) excess water in the concrete mix, causing shrinkage; (2) weak or low-strength concrete; (3) inconsistent shrinkage in the concrete; and, (4) insufficient reinforcing steel in the concrete.  Once the concrete is in place, these factors cannot change.

After the concrete has started to cure, not dry, keeping the concrete moist helps the concrete to cure evenly and to reduce shrinkage.  Bryan and Nikolas put soaker hoses at the top of the feature concrete walls to keep the concrete wet as it cures.

Putting in Soaker Hoses

First stop was the Home Depot.  Then, the job site.  Nikolas was very careful when climbing the ladder and the scaffolding.  Bryan ensured Nik always had three (3) hands/feet on the ladder/scaffold at all times.  And Nik didn’t look down.

Overview showing the wet concrete feature walls behind the plastic shrouding. The plastic helps to keep the moisture in so the surface doesn

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