Whether you’re preparing to renew your backyard or want to know the basics of commercial landscaping, concrete plays a major role in both. It’s a cheap material that is commonly used in almost every project. Not to mention, it’s crucial for basic construction work.
Plus, it doesn’t matter if you’re new to the world of construction or are well-experienced in the field. Concrete is a material that almost everyone can use. Perhaps that is why people wonder how long concrete takes to dry, even though that is the wrong question to ask.
How Long Does Concrete Take To Dry?
If you’re bouncing your leg up and down, curious to find out how long it takes for concrete to dry, let us help you out.
Technically, the question you’re asking is wrong because concrete doesn’t dry; it cures. Moreover, since concrete is a mixture of sand, crushed stone, and other aggregates, it takes around 24 to 48 hours for it to dry.
What Is Curing?
Curing is a different procedure than drying. Where drying is done on the surface level, curing is more extensive.
Essentially, curing is what causes the concrete to look the way it looks. It’s the process of maintaining the perfect temperature and moisture in the concrete. This helps the materials inside the concrete to bond together and harden.
How Long Does It Take For Concrete To Cure?
There’s no stopping for concrete when it comes to curing. That is to say, concrete is always hardening, getting stronger, and curing underground. Despite the surface layer drying in a matter of two days, curing can last for weeks or months on end.
However, to obtain the ideal strength, industrial concrete mixes have a curing period of 28 days.
What Makes Concrete Harden?
Hands down, water is the fastest way to harden concrete. When water is poured into the dry concrete mix, it goes through the process of Hydration. This is a reaction that causes water molecules and cement to form chemical bonds with each other.
In addition, when the moisture levels rise, it can give birth to rock-like crystals. These crystals are what help the concrete harden.
Therefore, more moisture leads to more crystals. But this is a fragile process. If you miscalculate the amount of water, the entire mixture can collapse, preventing the crystals from growing at all.
What Factors Affect The Drying Time Of Concrete?
There are mainly three factors that play a huge role in the drying time of concrete. These aspects are:
- Moisture
- Temperature
- Concrete Formula
Conclusion
To sum it up, concrete takes as long as 24 to 48 hours to dry. After two days, you can walk over the concrete pathway and even drive a vehicle over it. However, the curing time for concrete varies and takes way longer than expected. In fact, there’s no end to the curing period of concrete.
Nonetheless, if you would like to know more about commercial construction or landscaping, reach out to Advance Construction & Development today. Just give us a call at (936) 521-2446. Or, if you’d like to come to visit us, you can find our outlet in Conroe at 1135 Grand Central Parkway, TX 7730, near Marcel Boulevard.