Tried broom finish vs exposed aggregate on a driveway in Phoenix last summer

I did two driveways back to back in July, one with broom finish and one with exposed aggregate. The broom finish took half the time but the homeowner wanted that fancy aggregate look after seeing it online. Man, the aggregate was a nightmare in that heat, the retarder dried way too fast on the second pour. Has anyone else had trouble timing the wash-off right when it's over 105 degrees?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_ray13d ago

Wet the aggregate down with a misting hose before applying retarder, that helped me buy time at 110.

wren30112d ago

Misting the aggregate first is a game changer for sure. 110 is brutal, every second counts. People sleep on how fast the surface can flash off in that heat. Retarder works way better when the stone is already damp. Good tip, man.

the_ben8d ago

The damp stone trick works but technically it's the retarder you want on first, not before.