Showerthought: concrete curing mats are basically just heavy blankets with a heating element inside

I was on a job site in Minneapolis last February and watching the crew wrap a slab with these mats thinking it's some high tech magic. Then I looked up the specs and realized it's literally a fiberglass blanket with resistive wire sewn in, same basic idea as an electric blanket you'd buy at Target. The markup on these things is crazy when you break it down by cost per square foot. Anyone else ever tried building their own with insulation foam and some cheap heat cable?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_wells661mo agoTop Commenter

Man that's rough, I feel for you. Watching those cold weather pours in subzero temps with the clock ticking is brutal. The markup on those mats is criminal when you see a five hundred dollar cost for what's basically a glorified heating pad. I can't say I've tried the DIY route with foam and heat cable but I bet it's doable if you're careful about the wiring and moisture. The scariest part is probably ending up with hot spots or a short that ruins the whole pour.

margaret2341mo ago

Three hours of recalc in -15°F last winter still haunts me.