I’m confused; on other Sakrete videos, it says to wait 28 days to seal. Here, the recommendation is to use this product 4-6 hours after application. Can you clarify?
Great question, sir. The clarification here is based on whether you're using Cure 'N Seal as a CURING agent or a SEALER. When applied immediately after initial finishing, Cure 'N Seal acts as a kind of vapor barrier that locks moisture inside the slab to promote proper curing that will boost ultimate strength and minimize cracking. Using Cure 'N Seal this way minimizes the need for "traditional" wet curing methods (covering with plastic, burlap, etc.). The other option is to use Cure 'N Seal as a POST-APPLIED sealer where the goal is to mitigate staining and damage from water, oil, sap and other environmental contaminants. There are many brands of post-applied sealers, but they all share one thing in common - you must wait until the concrete is fully cured (28 days after pouring) to apply them. Same situation as with paint, stain, etc. Hope that clears things up! For a bit more info, check out this Pro Tips post: www.sakrete.com/project-guide/curing-concrete/
Sprayer was defective, and paint roller parts were everywhere, so I used a heavy duty straw broom dipped into a 5 gallon bucket (with the Cure 'N Seal in the bucket). Looks great anyway IMO. Did I mess up @Sakrete? Thanks.
How long does the cure and seal stay tacky? My concrete was poured yesterday. They finished it about 3pm and I sprayed it at 7pm. It is July, hot and dry out. The next day it’s clear but very tacky still.
Drying rate is going to vary quite a bit based on the slump on the concrete, ambient weather, etc...but not out of the ordinary for it to remain a bit tacky for over a day. Means it's doing its job!
How long does it take for the the curing to ususlly dry to clear?...i sprayed a 8 footer we did with the cure and seal and im guessing its just taking long cause the weather wasn't too hot when we sprayed.. any feedback is appreciated.. thanks
Tough to give an exact answer there...too many variables to consider! Since Cure 'N Seal's main job is to control moisture evaporation, it's entirely possible that the slab just looks wetter than normal. Very unlikely that there's anything to worry about until you get over 24 hours from the application. Give us a shout at 866-SAKRETE or via Live Chat on Sakrete.com to discuss in more detail!
Its veen a week since my concrete was as poured,is it too late to apply cure and seal? Also,xan i add some kind of coloring or tint to the cure and seal?
At this point, all the Cure N Seal is going to do for you is act as a sealer. That in mind, we'd wait for a full 28 days before applying! As for coloring, that's not something we'd recommend. Hard to say how a pigment would react in suspension...would go the traditional stain / paint route after the full 28-day cure.
If using this to cure new concrete, can you still use just the sprayer on slick-troweled concrete, or do you also have to roll it after spraying? I believe you are spraying broom-finished concrete in the video
Good question. The roller is really about ensuring even coverage and minimizing any splotchy effects. Definitely recommended to roll, but you could get away with only spraying if you're careful!
I won't be satisfied until I see some charts that show me how much water is evaporating from the slab, and how much water can be absorbed into the slab by spraying plain water on it.
Cure 'N Seal is engineered to meet ASTM C309, which requires "moisture retention properties equalling 0.55 Kg/M2 in 72 hours." The evaporation rate of a slab is going to vary widely depending on temperature, humidity, wind, etc., so the creation of a moisture-retaining membrane is really about mitigating water LOSS and not about increasing absorption, per se. If you hydrate the mix correctly when pouring, it will have all of the water it needs...at that point, it's just about minimizing evaporation! We'll poke the R&D team to see if they've got more data for you. Great question!
Two questions. Should I keep the slab wet after the installer adds this? And can I add the product again 2 weeks after the installer did the first coat. Would that be of any use?
Good questions. Under ideal conditions, there's no need to re-wet after applying Cure 'N Seal - its purpose is to lock in the existing moisture to ensure the concrete has enough to achieve a proper hydration reaction. However, in very dry, hot or windy situations, it can definitely be helpful to continue misting the slab regularly. On your second question, after two weeks, your slab is at 90%+ of its final strength, so Cure 'N Seal isn't going to help with the CURING aspect any longer. If you wait another couple of weeks, you could apply it as a SEALER, but that's likely overkill. Save the leftovers and do an annual sealing next year!
If you dont apply this as soon as it sets can you apply it later like a day or 2 later. Or is there a bettwr product if this much time has passed? Thank you
Proper curing protocol starts immediately after pouring. If you haven't done things right immediately, there's not much you can do but stand back and cross your fingers!!
