Concrete Curing Membrane
Photo thanks to www.civilblog.org
One simple thing to improve the quality of concrete is to use a spray applied curing membrane. . . it’s a pity that this techniques doesn’t seem to be used much in Australian domestic building.
Purpose of Membrane
These membranes main purpose is to prevent the loss of moisture during the Curing Period.
Some membranes can also help with surface hardening the concrete and help prevent dust.
Types of Membranes
When looking at types of membranes you will find
- Water based
- PVA based
- Chlorinated-rubber based
- Resin based.
In my opinion a water or PVA based membrane will be quite suitable for the typical house slab or driveway.
A further consideration is whether to use a clear membrane or a white pigmented material.
Unless I was using the compound on a coloured concrete, or an exposed aggregate finish, I would go for the white pigmented finish. It has the following advantages:
- The colour makes is easier to check the whole surface has been covered evenly.
- The white colour, which will fade during the curing period, will reflect more sun reducing the temperature of the concrete during the cure.
Always check that the membrane coating is compatible with anything that will be later applied to the concrete, such as flooring materials.
Further Information
For further information you can check the following websites
Chemical cures have their disadvantages to be aware of. I refer to a particular product Concure A99.
This product needs to be removed for some after trades. Removal required for levelling slab surface with some self levelling products for products like vinyl planks. I am unsure if standard tiling is ok after trade without removing Concure A99. Levelling products I have looked at require the curing coating Concure A99 to be removed. A sales rep from Parchem said that the product would need to be grinded off as even the commercial type high pressure cleaners won’t remove all of this Concure A99. I now intend to do my slab cure with leaving the form work in place for 7 days and slab covered with builders plastic for water retention. Volume builders don’t do concrete curing from my reading on the subject and that includes forums like Homeone.
Certainly curing compounds aren’t the only way to cure concrete but they are a good option for a lot of concrete jobs where you won’t be applying further finishes
Brian