Lost $1,200 on a concrete pour because I trusted the cheap form oil

Back in 2018 on a job near Boise, I skimped on release agent for the forms, bought the bottom shelf stuff from Home Depot, and the slabs came out pitted and stained so bad the client made us tear out the whole 40 yard pour. That invoice stung harder than the redo, has anyone else had a cheap material cost them way more than just the sticker price?

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thompson.xena11d ago

Man, I used to figure cheap was fine too, that the expensive stuff was just a brand name markup. Then I watched a buddy split a form on a garage slab because the cheap oil let it stick, and that one mistake cost him two weekends and a new crew. Now I read stories like yours and it just confirms that the savings on materials never add up when you factor in the rework and the lost trust.