Got caught in a surprise rainstorm on a pour in Portland last summer.

We were finishing a 30 yard driveway slab, about 80 percent done with the broom finish. The sky opened up like someone turned on a hose. In five minutes, the surface was a total mess, water pooling everywhere. We tried to cover it with plastic, but the wind just blew it around. Ended up with a washout spot near the garage apron and a terrible, blotchy finish. Boss made us grind it and repour that section the next day, which killed our profit. Now I check three different weather apps, not just one, and I keep a roll of that heavy, sandbagged plastic on the truck at all times. What's your go-to move when the weather turns bad mid-pour?

3 comments

3 Comments

green.jenny29d ago

Heard about a buddy who got hit with hail during a patio job. They had to just stop and let the whole thing turn to junk, no saving it at all. That story is why I watch the radar like a hawk now, not just the forecast.

the_river29d ago

Man, that's brutal. We had a close call with a sudden temperature drop on a foundation pour. The mud started setting way too fast, and we had to scramble to get the last of the bull float work done. Now we keep a couple of those portable propane heaters on the trailer just in case, even in early fall.

ray21017d ago

Ugh, my go-to move is just swearing a lot.