Cold Weather Curing

While most of us in the U.S. are still enjoying mild fall temperatures, I thought it would be a good time to get ahead of the winter weather by giving you some “best practices” for installing ReliableCure SOG® & ReliableCure VAB® wet curing blankets in cold weather conditions.

Reliable Concrete Accessories adheres to the guidelines published by the American Concrete Institute: ACI 306R-16: Cold Weather Concreting

1. A period when for more than three successive days the average daily air temperature drops below 40 ˚F (~ 4.5 °C), and
2. The temperature stays below 50 ˚F (10 °C) for more than one-half of any 24 hour period

ReliableCure Wet Curing Blankets: Cold Weather Recommendations

• The best temperature to pour concrete is between 40° – 60°F. When temperatures dip below 40°F, the chemical reactions that strengthen concrete slow down and can lead to weaker concrete.
• RCA does not recommend placing blankets in cold weather conditions below 50 degrees Fahrenheit due to the unpredictability of weather factors such as wind chill, freezing rain, nighttime temperature drops, etc.
• Windbreaks can help protect the concrete (and workers) from winds that can cause quick temperature drops and evaporation that is too swift. Generally, windbreaks about 6 feet high are sufficient.
• Use insulated blankets to cover wet curing blankets. For flatwork, the traditional, and still the best way, to protect concrete from the cold is to cover it with insulated blankets after it’s been finished.
• Heated enclosures may be necessary. These can be made of wood, canvas tarps, or polyethylene sheets—or you can use commercial rigid-plastic enclosures. Heating within the enclosure is best accomplished with electric heaters.
• TIP 1: Choose heaters that exhaust to the outside of an enclosure or building and just blow in warm air. This eliminates the problem of creating a chalky carbonated layer at the surface.
• TIP 2: Assign someone to be on-site overnight to monitor the ambient heat and make sure the heaters stay on.

Contact Us – Call, email, or text

We will be happy to advise on concrete curing solutions or refer you to one of our distributors.

We look forward to speaking with you soon!

Denice Evans – Global Account Executive | [email protected] | (770) 655-6008

Amber Naughton – Global Account Manager | [email protected] | 714-587-0403

Reliable Concrete Accessories resources:

We have MSDS documents, full specification submittals, Masterspec download, Manufacturers Certificate of Compliance, YouTube Channel with video demonstrations in English & Spanish, 30 page PDF with product details.