As a concrete contractor regularly working both residential and commercial concrete jobs, one of the most common questions we get from our customers has to do with drying time. How long before you can walk on concrete? When can you drive on new concrete? Whether it's a new concrete driveway or sidewalk that you're waiting to use or a public parking lot or walkway for a place of business that you're eager to re-open to foot traffic, it's important to give the concrete enough time to harden.
Walking on Fresh Concrete After 24 Hours
There are a handful of factors that go into when you can walk on concrete, but in general the industry standard recommendation is to give it at least 24 hours to harden. While concrete often will dry enough to be walkable within the matter of hours (especially in Colorado's' dry climate), the longer you give it to dry and cure before it's used means stronger concrete. Allowing people to walk and drive on a fresh concrete slab too early could potentially result in compromising the typically long shelf life of healthy concrete, but foot traffic will generally be safe after a solid 24-hour drying period.
That said, even after a full day concrete will not always have had a chance to harden and cure into its full strength. At this point it can still be susceptible to minor (but permanent) damages, so it's a good idea to keep things like pets, skateboards, strollers, trash cans, etc off the pavement for a little while longer if you can. If your new slab is in an area that experiences a high level of foot traffic and other use, it may be a good idea to give it a full 48 hours instead of 24 just to be sure that your concrete has dried enough to handle heavier use without any damage. We always just recommend erring on the side of caution so that you don't end up needing premature concrete removal and replacement.
Using Concrete After a Week
After a week, your concrete will be far closer to its full strength and will be safe to not only walk on but should be fine to drive standard size/weight vehicles on. At this point it's usually a good idea to still keep large, extra-heavy vehicles like semi-trucks off your surface as there is likely still some level of drying and curing going on under the surface.
When is Concrete Safe For Any Use?
The safest bet as far as when you can expect your new concrete to be fully dried and cured is about 1 month. After about 30 days concrete will typically be as strong as it will get and will be safe for even heavy foot and vehicle traffic.
Optimal Drying Conditions For Healthy Concrete
In certain cases, such as when new concrete is poured in a busy business area, you may wonder how to dry concrete faster. On the flip side, those who are rightly concerned about maintaining the health and longevity of their new pavement may be wondering how to get the best results when drying and curing concrete. Let's address both of these concerns.
When it comes to drying concrete faster, the simple answer is "don't try". Concrete is healthiest when it's allowed to dry and cure slowly, so taking measures to make it dry faster can actually lead to weaker concrete that won't last as long. If you're in a position where you really need faster drying, we recommend reaching out to a professional concrete contractor for help determining the best concrete mixture and approach for your specific needs.
On the flip side, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your concrete dries as well as it can, helping to ensure you get as much of the average 50-year lifespan that you can. The main overarching factor actually involves letting your concrete stay wet and dry slowly - ensure the initial water-mix ratio is correct and avoid pouring concrete during very hot days or hot spells as that can cause your concrete to dry too quickly. On top of that, some actually recommend "watering" your concrete, which - exactly as it sounds - means just spraying some water periodically to keep the surface wet so the concrete under the surface dries even slower.
Never Hesitate to Call In The Pros
Whether you're working on replacing your driveway, installing a concrete patio in the backyard, replacing a whole parking lot or sidewalk area for a commercial area, or anything else, an expert concrete contractor will always be able to advise on the best approach to not only paving but drying, curing and other maintenance. Need help with your concrete project? Reach out to us today - we offer FREE quotes, always.