Interesting points about curing, and I definitely see where you're coming from. But honestly, in my experience, the whole "keep it moist for a week" thing can sometimes be overkill, especially for smaller DIY projects.
A couple years ago, I poured a concrete walkway around my garden shed. Like you, I did all the prep work carefully—solid base, good drainage, decent quality concrete mix—but when it came to curing, I didn't go all out with damp burlap or plastic sheeting. Instead, I just lightly sprayed it down with water a couple times a day for maybe three days max. After that, I let nature take its course. It's been holding up surprisingly well—no cracks or flaking yet (knock on wood).
I'm not saying proper curing isn't important—it definitely is—but maybe the necessity of extended moisture curing depends more on your local climate and the specific application? For instance, if you're in a hot and dry area or pouring something structural like foundations or load-bearing slabs, then yeah, I'd probably be more cautious and thorough with curing methods. But for smaller decorative or non-structural projects in moderate climates...maybe it's okay to relax a bit?
I guess what I'm getting at is that sometimes we DIYers can get overly cautious because we want everything perfect (totally guilty of this myself). But concrete's pretty forgiving stuff overall. Maybe there's room to simplify things without sacrificing too much durability?
Yeah, I think you're onto something there. Maybe we overthink it sometimes because we're afraid of messing up? Concrete's tougher than we give it credit for...and your walkway story kinda proves that point.
- Good point about concrete being tougher than we think...but isn't it also about prep work?
- I've seen some DIY jobs crack pretty badly, usually because the base wasn't compacted enough or drainage was overlooked.
- Curious if your walkway held up over winter? Frost heave can be brutal on concrete that's not poured deep enough.
- Maybe it's less about concrete itself and more about how careful we are with the details underneath.
"Maybe it's less about concrete itself and more about how careful we are with the details underneath."
Couldn't agree more with this. I've seen plenty of DIY concrete jobs go sideways, and almost every time it came down to prep work rather than the concrete itself. A few years back, I decided to pour a small patio area behind my house—figured it was straightforward enough. Dug it out, threw down some gravel, compacted it (or so I thought), and poured the concrete. Looked great at first, but after just one winter, I had cracks running all over the place.
Turns out, I underestimated how critical drainage and compaction really are. The gravel base wasn't deep enough, and I didn't pay enough attention to slope and drainage. Water pooled underneath, froze, expanded...you know the drill. Frost heave is no joke, especially if you're in a colder climate. Learned that lesson the hard way.
Since then, I've been meticulous about prep work—making sure the base is deep enough, compacted properly, and graded for drainage. Even started using geotextile fabric under the gravel to keep things stable. Haven't had a single issue since.
Concrete itself is pretty forgiving if you get the basics right underneath. It's tempting to rush through prep because it's tedious and doesn't seem as rewarding as pouring and finishing the concrete itself. But trust me, spending extra time on prep saves you headaches down the road.
You make some solid points, especially about prep work—but honestly, concrete quality itself can make a noticeable difference too. I remember when I redid my driveway, I went with a cheaper mix to save a bit, figuring proper prep would cover me. Well... it held up okay, but it started flaking and chipping way sooner than I expected. Sometimes spending a little extra on better concrete pays off, even if your prep is spot on.
