Is it too late to pour concrete in Omaha this year?
It's the middle of October and you just decided you want that patio. Here's how late in the year we can still pour, and when it makes more sense to wait for spring.
The short answer
For most jobs, no, it's not too late. We usually keep pouring into early December. But every week after Halloween the margins get a little thinner, and there's a point where waiting is the smarter call.
What cold does to fresh concrete
Concrete doesn't dry. It cures, which is a chemical reaction with the water in the mix, and that reaction slows way down as it gets cold. Below about 40 degrees it barely moves.
The real danger is the first day or two. If fresh concrete freezes before it's built up any strength, the water in it expands and damages the slab for good. You might not see it right away. You'll see it the next spring when the surface starts coming apart.
So pouring in the cold isn't impossible. You just have to keep the concrete warm long enough for it to get going.
How we pour in late fall
- The plant heats the water, so the concrete comes off the truck warm.
- We add an accelerator, which speeds up the early cure so it gets past the danger zone faster.
- Insulated blankets go on as soon as it's finished and stay on for several days.
- We look at the overnight lows for the next three or four days, not just pour day.
None of that is unusual. It's a few extra steps, and a bit of extra cost, usually a few hundred dollars on a typical job.
When we'll tell you to wait
The ground matters as much as the air. If it's frozen, we can't dig it out and pack the base properly, and we won't pour on frozen dirt. A slab poured on frozen ground settles when the ground thaws in the spring, and then you've paid for a driveway with a dip in it.
So once we get a stretch of hard freezes in December, most jobs are better off waiting. A slab that went in right in April beats one that got rushed in December, and we'll tell you that even if it means waiting on the work.
Things that shouldn't wait
Some problems don't care what month it is. A trip hazard on the front walk, a stoop pulling away from the house and sending water at the foundation, steps that are actually dangerous. For those we'll find a way to fix it, or at least make it safe, and do the rest when the weather turns.
Booking for spring
If your job does end up waiting, now's a good time to call anyway. We'll come look, give you a written price, and put you on the spring schedule. The people who call in March are usually the ones still waiting in June.
Give us a call at (531) 236-6623.