Noticed a lot of guys skipping the fiber mesh in residential slabs

I've been on three different residential jobs this month where the crew didn't put any fiber mesh in the mix. My supplier in Phoenix told me they've seen a 20% increase in callbacks for cracks under 10 feet this year. Are you all still using it or did I miss something?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryanh5623d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah I caught that part about the 20% jump in callbacks. Honestly I still use fiber mesh every time but I'm probably the guy causing the problem lol. Last month I forgot to order it for a driveway pour and my foreman just went ahead without it. Spent the next week patching hairline cracks with grout like a dummy. I think a lot of crews skip it because it's an extra step and nobody wants to stop the truck for it. But man those long cracks under 10 feet are brutal when you have to explain to the homeowner why their new slab looks like a map.

ryanh5622d agoMost Upvoted

That line about "explaining to the homeowner why their new slab looks like a map" hit home. I actually read something recently where a guy said he started using a liquid hardener mixed right into the concrete for driveways and it cut down on those long cracks a ton. I've been meaning to try it myself but keep forgetting to ask my supplier about it. The fiber mesh thing is tricky though because if you do use it and still get cracks you just look like you wasted money. At the end of the day it's always a gamble, but those callbacks are a nightmare.

the_kevin22d ago

@ryanh56 you're not alone man, those callbacks make you feel like you're the only guy on earth who still cares.