Concrete Curing Blankets Keep the Project on Scheduled During Cold Winter Months

Winter construction and concrete curing is difficult, especially when temperatures drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The problems get more difficult when building brick walls and curing concrete in masonry projects. Once the temperatures get below this number, the curing of the cement is reduced significantly, and in some cases it stops altogether. Here are a few tips for successfully completing a winter masonry project:

1. Heat the mortar ingredients. The PowerBlanket concrete curing blanket (also available as barrel warmers) is a useful solution for heating mortar ingredients and should be a standard tool for every year-round contractor.
2. Store units in a protected enclosure to prevent freezing. A more sophisticated way to accomplish a protected enclosure is to surround the construction area in poly-draped scaffolding. Freezing can be prevented using any number of the PowerBlanket options depending on the size of the job.
3. Once the mortar has been applied to masonry, keep the temperature above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. A PowerBlanket concrete curing blanket will adequately keep the mortar at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Curing at 70 degrees will make the mortar 3-times stronger than curing at lower temperatures. Multiple PowerBlankets can be attached together to accommodate varying job sizes.

Many other winter precautions are required to be in accordance with code. Some of these involve keeping materials off of the ground and covered. Depending on your specific weather conditions, codes will vary. Be sure to check local codes before beginning any masonry or building projects.