I'm all prepped (8ft x 8ft shed base) for mixing 1:5 concrete tomorrow - just a bit worred that it's cold. forecase is to start day about 0 degrees, get u to about 5, and maybe fall to -1 first night. My plan was keep it all covered until pour (as I've done all week), and tonight, stick a fan heater under tarp, to keep it warm all night. to use hot water for mixing, and then cover it with plastic, then 4 king size duvets and then the tarp above. maybe put fan heater in again, to keep it a bit warmer. is this a good plan or am I being mad - and should put up with having 2 tons of aggregate on my drive, and hire a cement mixer in a few weeks or a months time when its not as cold?
only pour when 2 degrees and rising
To ensure proper cold weather concrete pour, add warm or hot water to the concrete mix to prevent it from freezing. You can also use an accelerator to allow the concrete to set when it is being mixed. Also, you must always ensure to use the right concrete grade and the right mix when setting concrete.
If not fully prepared for cold weather it may be a good idea to wait a couple of days until the weather warms.
When working with cements, anything below 5 degrees requires precautionary measures to be taken.
Some cements have a frost protection additive already but if not you can add your own, purchased per litre at most hardware stores. A frost blanket must also be used, lay your tarp first to retain the moisture in the concrete then your duvets will work well.
I wouldn't add a fan heater as this will draw water from the surface of the concrete before it has had time to cure fully.
I usually advise friends to build their sheds on concrete pad stones, this reduces labour and costs drastically and once the shed is down the beautiful concrete masterpiece is hidden by the shed flooring.
For my shed / man cave I used the polished concrete slab as my finished floor, this was laid on 50mm styro insulation, damp proof membrane, A142 reinforcing mesh and then 100mm concrete with polished finish.
All the best.
To ensure proper cold weather concrete pour, add warm or hot water to the concrete mix to prevent it from freezing. You can also use an accelerator to allow the concrete to set when it is being mixed. Also, you must always ensure to use the right concrete grade and the right mix when setting concrete.
Personally, I would of waited for the temperature to rise and use a concrete firm who have a barrowing service to save having all that material and mess on my driveway.
You can buy antifreeze of eBay for mix best suggestions a would buy tht with hessi to cover up and keep frost of it save it from cracks
I would personally wait until it was slightly warmer.
DO NOT heat using heater as this may force dry the surface and cause cracking.
Get your self some frost proofer you put a glug in the water.
when your adding the water to your mix you should be fine.
My advice is don't lay when the top is dropping and only lay when it's rising
No the concrete will crack
Add Warm Or Hot Water to the concrete mix to prevent it from freezing
Add Warm Water Or Hot Water To The Mix Then Cover it Over After
If you can’t wait for warmer weather add warm or hot water to the concrete mix to prevent it from freezing. You can also use an accelerator to allow the concrete to set when it is being mixed
Concrete is to be poured up to 2 degrees and not below that. There are additives from SIKA that helps a lot for Frost and fast Curing, but still it s a gamble if poured at 0 degrees. if in the day when poured goes from 2 to 5, should be fine curing enough for the night to come with Sika additives.
Personally I would wait until we have a better forecast, I understand your idea witch could work but it's not worth the cost of materials for the concrete to fail in the lower temperatures and crack
Please try and wait to the weather picks up as it’s not warm enough to pour concrete without costing an absolute fortune ,
Otherwise it will crack all over the place and not set correctly
To ensure proper cold weather concrete pour, add warm or hot water to the concrete mix to prevent it from freezing. You can also use an accelerator to allow the concrete to set when it is being mixed. Also, you must always ensure to use the right concrete grade and the right mix when setting concrete. By doing so, you won’t face any problems when pouring fresh concrete, even in very cold conditions