As you plan your new pole building, there are many factors to take into account. Things like exterior colors, building style, and which accessories you choose all require careful consideration.
If a concrete floor is one of the accessories you choose, there’s an extra detail to take into account: the season. It may not seem like a part of pole building construction that would be influenced by weather, but pouring concrete must be done in the right weather in order to be done well.
What Is the Right WEather for Pouring Concrete?
Just like Goldilocks, concrete like weather that’s not too hot and not too cold. Basically, if a concrete floor is poured when it’s very cold or very hot, it’ll be more prone to cracking and weakness.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t choose a concrete floor if your building is constructed in the middle of winter or summer, it just means that a little extra creativity will be required.
How Does This Impact My Timeline?
If your pole building is constructed in the dead of winter and you’d like to include a concrete floor, we’ll have to wait until warmer weather to pour the concrete. If the concrete were poured while it is still very cold, the cement would crack when the ground thaws.
Ordinarily, we prefer to pour concrete floors before completing the construction of pole buildings (and after constructing the frame), but in these instances, that may be adjusted to accommodate the weather as we’ll have to return once it’s warmer.
On the other hand, if your pole building is constructed in the height of summer, that poses challenges of its own. When temperatures reach about 90 degrees, concrete sets much faster due to the water in the mix evaporating quickly.
This leads to finishing difficulties, less setting time, weaker concrete, and a greater risk for cracking. To avoid this, we will schedule the pour for very early in the morning.
All told, you can choose a concrete floor no matter what time of year your pole building is constructed, but it’s important to keep in mind that a little bit of creative scheduling might be necessary to give you the best possible results.
Designing Your Ideal Pole Building
If a concrete floor fits perfectly into your vision for your new pole building, then rest assured that an experienced team can make it happen, regardless of the time of year your building is constructed.
To talk through details like these (and many others) reach out today and get started on designing the pole building of your dreams!