Heard a contractor say pour concrete in spring not fall and now I get why

Was grabbing coffee last week and overheard two guys from a St. Albert company talking about a foundation job that cracked because they poured it in late October. The one guy said the ground shifts way more when temps drop fast after pour. I always thought fall was perfect for getting work done before snow but now I'm rethinking my whole patio project. Anyone else run into trouble with fall concrete jobs around Edmonton?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia5571mo ago

Oh wait really? I always thought fall was the better time too.

reesea491mo ago

Oh man, you're telling me! I used to be all about fall planting too, thought it was the only way to go. But then I started looking into what actually happens with the roots - they need time to get established before winter really hits, and spring gives them that full growing season. September is still good for some things like certain perennials, but for most stuff I've switched to doing it in April or May now. It makes a huge difference when the plant can settle in while the soil is warming up instead of cooling down.