# Forum Home Renovation Concreting  Just poured a concrete slad and now its raining, what to do??

## lukelegend

Urgent, 
I just poured a concrete slab for a path up the side of the house this morning and it has just started raining!, I have covered it with a tarp but it hasn't gone off yet and it still wet. I was waiting for it to go off a little then sprinkle some cement on it and broom it off. I'm not sure what to do now as it's fully raining and the forecast is rain for the next 7 days!! , what should i do???  
The slab is only 2.4x1.5m (i'm doing it in sections myself). I've done 1 slab and a few days ago and this next section today... 
I'll take a photo so you can see what i'm talking about..

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## BRADFORD

By the look of it you could put some bits of timber from the house roof down to the fence and place your tarp over that, this would keep the rain off and allow you to work under cover. 
good luck 
BRADFORD

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## lukelegend

Good thinking, I'll run and do that now  :Smilie:  Thanks 
It's really pouring down now ;(

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## journeyman Mick

Way to late to help you now, but if it happens again you can sprinkle some "Ardit" or similar floor topping compound over the wet concrete and trowel it off. This goes off very quickly and forms a shell over the wet concrete. The finish will look a bit odd, but it's better than the pock marked surface you'd end up with otherwise. 
Mick

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## chipps

Shovel into plastic bags & stick em in the fridge  :No:  
You poor bugga  :Cry:

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## bugsy

did you get any form of termite treatment against the house first?

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## lukelegend

Well, I did the tarp trick but it was too late  :Cry: , I now have a slab that has pit marks in it from the rain. I tried sprinkling cement and brushing it off but that only made it worse (there are now lumpy bits on the top and deep brush marks). I'm not sure what to do now. I was thinking maybe some sort of floor grinder to flaten it off but that would make it too smooth and slippery. I read another tread about self leveling compound, would this stuff do the trick to smooth it all out? Any other ideas apart from ripping out that section and starting again.. 
Yes the termite thing, The ground has some sort of barrier already around the perimiter plus the weep holes are quite high so it should be fine. I was always told to pour the concrete right up to the wall as it acts like a barrier itself.

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## Bros

I was over in Scotland a couple of years ago and I was amazed that they can build large buildings using concrete all year round and it is freezing and wet even in summer.

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## bugsy

I am more worried about not being able to see the concrete rebate edge then weepholes.
I dont want to alarm you but this is what makes us our bread and butter. :Biggrin:  
DIYers doing paving or concreteing against the house and not being aware of how termites work.
sometimes even the pros dont think about it.
Often people are thinking about the finished project and termite prevention is not thought about.
I just wanted to make you aware but i think i was too late.

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## Terrian

too late now I am thinking, but those pit marks would probably have trowled out just fine.

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## Dan574

Last thing you want to do too concrete that has been rained on is trowel the water off, I know this from experience.  Poured a slab for a garage and it poured down just as I was finishing off.  I tried to trowel the water off and then lay a tarp which was too late anyway.  End result was the cement coming to the surface causing it to have a dusty surface when it dried.  In hindsight i should have just left it.

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## Terrian

> Last thing you want to do too concrete that has been rained on is trowel the water off, I know this from experience.  Poured a slab for a garage and it poured down just as I was finishing off.  I tried to trowel the water off and then lay a tarp which was too late anyway.  End result was the cement coming to the surface causing it to have a dusty surface when it dried.  In hindsight i should have just left it.

  did say trowel the water off, said trowel the pit marks, have done it a few times around here and all has been fine  :Smilie: 
as for your concrete with dusty surface, a decent concrete sealer will fix that.

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## lukelegend

It's an absolute mess!!  
I think it's a combination of rain and too much cement sprinkled on top coat. It's chipping off at the edges and is so rough i have to wear shoes on it, plus its a powery grey color.  
Can anyone tell me what i did wrong? 
Also is there anyway to fix it? or do i have to cut up the slab and start again? 
Would grinding off the bumps with a diamond blade grinder and mising up bondcrete with a sand and cement mix work to cover and smooth it out? If so would it be the same color as the other slabs next to it? 
I have attached some photos of the mess  :Doh:

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## Terrian

> It's an absolute mess!!  
> I think it's a combination of rain and too much cement sprinkled on top coat. It's chipping off at the edges and is so rough i have to wear shoes on it, plus its a powery grey color.  
> Can anyone tell me what i did wrong?

  did you poke and prod the concrete around the edges, looks like a lot of air spaces, mix was a little too dry perhaps.
did you use an edger? using an edger will give you the rounded edge, like:  
notice the edges? (driveway at the in-laws)   

> Also is there anyway to fix it? or do i have to cut up the slab and start again?

   you could try grinding it, then sealing it.   

> I have attached some photos of the mess

   :Frown:

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## lukelegend

Hi Terrian, Yes it was a bit dry and now that i think of it, it wasn't poked and proded to get the air out. It was a very quick job because i saw the clouds coming. Yes i also forgot the edge it  :Frown:   too much happening at the one time. I've done the third slab now and it went all good, just going to finished the other two then think about that i'm going to do with that piece. might have the cut it up and start again on that section, I've asked all my mates and none of them know how to fix it ;(
I guess it's one to learn from  :Smilie:

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## Terrian

> Hi Terrian, Yes it was a bit dry and now that i think of it, it wasn't poked and proded to get the air out. It was a very quick job because i saw the clouds coming. Yes i also forgot the edge it   too much happening at the one time. I've done the third slab now and it went all good, just going to finished the other two then think about that i'm going to do with that piece. might have the cut it up and start again on that section, I've asked all my mates and none of them know how to fix it ;(

  cutting it up it the last resort, a grind & seal may save the day, there are a few companies that grind (seal it yourself) get a couple of quotes, it might turn out that it will be cheaper to tear it out, don't know.   

> I guess it's one to learn from

  yep, if concrete wasn't such a hassle to get rid of the messed up bits  :Smilie:

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## ron1mar

Yes it looks stuffed. Does it really matter? Maybe it can be a talk piece. This is the day it rained. Chopping it up and restarting may be the way to go. Because if you put another coat on, will be higher than the rest.

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## chipps

If it was mine, I'd prolly dig it up whislt it's still fresh. 
Anyways some ideas & good luck 
1. Remove & do it again. 
2. Covering entire path with stencil crete or something(crazy paving, or patterns etc), that way you can hide it & perhaps look better anyway. Would this work?

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## lukelegend

> If it was mine, I'd prolly dig it up whislt it's still fresh. 
> Anyways some ideas & good luck 
> 1. Remove & do it again. 
> 2. Covering entire path with stencil crete or something(crazy paving, or patterns etc), that way you can hide it & perhaps look better anyway. Would this work?

  
Hi, Yes I think stencil will work, but i'll have to seal it every year or two which would be a pain. I've done the slab next to it now and it doesn't look too bad, I'm going to see how it looks after i finish and if i can live with it i'll will, otherwise i think i might just cut that bit out and do it again as a grinder would cost more and would be more hassle. Plus i might stuff up the other sections and if so i'll just stencil or paver it  :Smilie:   
Thanks all for the advice  :Smilie:  Love this site  :Biggrin:

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