What is the best time of year to pour concrete?
Concrete is best poured when the ambient temperature is between 45 degrees F and 85 degrees F. The closer you are to 45 degrees F the day of the concrete pour the longer concrete will take to dry (hydrate). In winter, most concrete installers use an accelerator such as calcium chloride that will build heat in the concrete mix and speed up the hydrating process. Non-chloride accelerators are used for colored and stamped concrete as well, although they are usually more expensive. In the summer, many concrete installers use a retarder to slow the concrete mix as it hydrates.
