Heads up about that new 'fast set' additive for garage floors

I had a 2-car pour in Springfield and the supplier pushed this new chemical hard, saying it would cut finishing time in half. I went with my usual mix instead, and the crew next door who used it said their surface crazed like a spiderweb before they could even start floating. Anyone else run into issues with these quick-set promises lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese_nelson13d ago

What gets me is the pressure from suppliers to move product. They get a new additive in stock and suddenly it's the answer for every job, regardless of site conditions or crew experience. A lot of these crews are trusting that the guy selling the mix knows best, but his goal is to turn inventory, not babysit a pour. The real cost isn't just in a bad finish, it's in the lost trust between the contractor and the homeowner who has to look at that floor for years.

harper69313d ago

Honestly my buddy out in Riverside got talked into that stuff for his shop floor last fall. Tbh the crew said it started going off way too fast, like they were racing against it. Ngl the whole surface ended up with a bunch of tiny cracks before they could get it smoothed out right. He had to grind it all back down and do a whole new top coat, total mess.

mia_hart9013d ago

That Riverside heat last fall was no joke. Harper693, your buddy's crew probably mixed too much water trying to beat the set time, which weakens the top layer. I saw a job in Temecula where they used a retarder additive in the mix on hot days. It gave them an extra 20 minutes of work time and the finish cured without a single crack. Sometimes the fix isn't more speed, it's changing the mix for the weather.