Luckily, there are plenty of tricks to help slow-down curing times during warm weather. So no need to down your tools just yet!

Landscaping trainer and expert witness, Graham Wilson, explains, “Although grouts like Flowpoint are rapid-setting, they don’t ‘set in a flash’.

“All you need to do is keep the area damp and plan your operations to avoid hot outdoor temperatures.”

Plan operations around the weather

As Gareth mentioned, one essential tip to help you deal with the impacts of hot weather is to move your grouting operations to a cooler part of the day.

First-thing in the morning is especially recommended.

Late afternoon is also an option. However, be aware that if it has been a hot day, the paving slabs will have absorbed a certain amount of heat from the sun. So during this time there is still a risk of the grout curing more quickly than usual.

Keep the area constantly damp

Along with shorter curing times, warm weather will also cause some water to evaporate from your slurry grout formula.

It’s essential to keep the area you’re grouting constantly damp with a light misting of water. Never saturate the pavers – avoid pooled water at all costs (there’s a tip in the infographic below on how to deal with standing water if it arises).

Use the spray nozzle of a hosepipe to apply the right consistency. A plant mister will also work but can be more awkward to use.

Before applying grout, we also recommend pre-soaking the paving slabs. If the paving slabs are dry, they’ll absorb a certain amount of water from the cement-based formula; even more so when the weather is warm.

Pre-soaking paving slabs is especially important for porous materials like sandstone.

Consider more reliable equipment

Speed and precision should always be the aim, and especially when it comes to grouting on a warm day.

And the Berta ADV Sponge Machine certainly has speed and precision covered. With it, you can clean grout off an area of 100m² in just an hour.

Jon Gerrish from Paved in Stone says, “I recently did a job that was 130m². The Berta was ideal as we had all of the paving laid and cleaned in a day!”

Also, by using this compact and easy-to-use sponge machine you can start the clean-off process much sooner than when you’re cleaning up by hand. The Berta ensures the right amount of water is added during operation, and so reduces the need for constant misting.

Jon bought his Berta last year and says it has already paid for itself. “I guess after using it for paving around 300m² it’s well worth the money and gives a return on investment.”

The Berta ADV is also available to hire.