Can we talk about pouring on a humid day versus dry?

I was finishing a driveway in Orlando back in July and the humidity was sitting at like 90%. The mud started setting up WAY faster than I expected, maybe 20 minutes ahead of schedule. I was rushing to get it floated and broomed, and then I got these little cracks in the finish that looked like spiderwebs. On the other hand, I did a pour in Phoenix last October when it was bone dry and I had the opposite problem - the surface started crusting over before I could even get a good trowel on it. I had to mist it constantly and it still came out with a rough texture that the homeowner wasn't thrilled about. So which is worse for you guys - fighting a fast set from humidity or dealing with surface crust from dry air? Any tricks for either one that have actually saved a pour?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilymurphy14h ago

That spiderweb cracking from humidity got me. I used to think dry heat was the devil but humidity ruining the finish sounds way worse to deal with.

hall.quinn4h ago

@lilymurphy actually the spiderweb cracking is from the paint not drying even, not the humidity itself.