Vent: I used to swear by a dry shake on every slab, but a job in Mesa changed my mind.

For over a decade, I'd always do a dry cement shake right after the first floating, thinking it was the only way to get a tight, hard surface. Then, about six months ago on a big residential driveway in Mesa, the mix was just right and the weather was perfect, so I skipped it on a whim. The finish came out smoother and with way less risk of crazing or discoloration. Now I only use a dry shake if the mix is bleeding too much or the timing is off. Has anyone else moved away from using it as a default step?

3 comments

3 Comments

gracewebb29d ago

Skipping the dry shake based on one good pour is a huge gamble. That tight surface you get from the shake is what keeps a slab from dusting and wearing down fast. Mesa weather is a fluke, most jobs aren't in perfect conditions. You're basically relying on the mix being flawless every single time, and we all know how often that happens. Leaving it out as a rule is asking for callbacks on soft concrete in a year or two.

hall.nina22d ago

Totally agree with @gracewebb here. Saw a garage floor fail the same way because the crew got lazy and skipped the shake. The owner ended up with a dusty mess every time he drove in. That surface hardener is cheap insurance against the mix being a little off or the finisher having a bad day. Why risk a callback over saving twenty minutes?

blairtaylor28d agoTop Commenter

We had a warehouse floor in Tempe that looked great after the pour, so we skipped the shake. Two years later the forklift traffic had worn down the surface so bad it was dusting constantly. The repair bill was triple what the shake would have cost. You just can't count on the mix alone to hold up under real use. I learned that lesson the hard way.