Question about finishing a driveway with weird timing

I had a driveway job last month where the concrete started setting way faster than I expected. It was a hot day, about 92 degrees, and I figured the retarder I mixed in would buy me more time. Turns out the water I used was warmer than I thought, so I only got about 45 minutes of workable time instead of the usual 2 hours. Had to rush the broom finish and it came out okay, but not great. Anyone else run into this and what do you do to test water temp beforehand?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant.kevin22d ago

Keep a cooler of cold water on site for mixing. Makes a huge difference.

willow_anderson8522d ago

I mean nothing like a surprise speed set to really humble you, I once thought I had an hour and ended up doing the jitterbug trying to get a finish in 20 minutes.