My kid asked me why we always pour concrete in the morning

We were setting up for a slab in Boise last week, and my 8-year-old pointed out we start at 5 AM every time. I told him it's to beat the heat and control the set, but he just said 'So it's like making pancakes before the sun cooks them?' That simple idea actually made me reconsider some of our afternoon pours. Do you guys ever adjust your schedule based on the sun, not just the temp?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade_jenkins8d ago

Buddy had a patio pour go sideways after lunch, totally get what @stone.lisa means.

allen.kai8d ago

Yeah jade_jenkins, gotta side with Lisa on this one. Morning pours are ideal but the real world doesn't always work like that. A good crew with the right plan can handle an afternoon pour just fine. Shutting down at noon would leave so many jobs half finished. It's more about managing the conditions than just chasing the shade.

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stone.lisa8d ago

Actually, that pancake logic is kind of cute but it falls apart on a real site. The sun is just one part of it. What about when you have a big pour that goes past noon no matter what you do. You can't just stop because the sun is up. Good crews use blankets, spray, and mix designs to handle the heat. Sticking only to mornings can wreck a tight schedule and cost a ton in overtime. Sometimes you pour in the afternoon because that's when the truck can get there or the inspection passed.