To: atmer{at}flash.net, atm{at}shore.net
From: mdholm{at}telerama.com
Reply-To: mdholm{at}telerama.com


Anthony Stillman  wrote:

>I covered the foundation form with a wet towel, plastic, and the wheel
>barrel. I'll leave it like that while the concrete sets.  And try not to
>bite through my bit while it cures.

Smart man.  Concrete needs water to cure properly, and the curing reactions
go on for a long time after initial hardness.  Let it dry prematurely, and
many of the reactive chemicals that ought to be reacting with water to make
your concrete stronger will end up reacting with carbon dioxide to make
useless powder.  A common concrete failure mode is the surface spalling off
after a couple of years.  I think this is a symptom of the surface drying
prematurely.

Mark Holm
mdholm{at}telerama.com

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