Preventing Concrete Spalling: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Spalling happens when the surface of concrete starts to flake, peel, or crumble, and how you finish the concrete can play a big role in this. Here are common mistakes that can lead to spalling:

1. Starting too soon: If you trowel before the bleed water evaporates, you trap water under the surface, which weakens it.

2. Over-troweling: Working the surface too much brings water and fine particles to the top, leaving a weak, thin layer.

3. Adding water: Sprinkling water during finishing weakens the top layer of the concrete.

4. Bad curing: Letting the concrete dry too quickly causes cracks and makes the surface fragile.

5. Excessive troweling on air-entrained concrete: Air-entrained concrete is designed to handle freezing and thawing, but too much troweling can ruin its durability

Improper concrete finishing, such as troweling over bleed water, overworking the surface, adding water during finishing, poor curing, or excessive troweling on air-entrained concrete, can lead to spalling.