Line Cost. New flooring: install 2,500 sq.ft. of mid-grade 5/8 x 4-1/2 wide vinyl plank flooring and 500 linear feet of matching baseboard. $2.49. per sq.ft.
The drying shrinkage of concrete is analogous to the mechanism of drying of timber specimen. The loss of free water contained in hardened concrete, does not result in any appreciable dimension change. It is the loss of water held in gel pores that causes the change in the volume.
The Concrete Process. Because cement patios are thick, the bulk of the concrete dries slowly. To keep the top from drying too fast and flaking off, water is sprayed periodically, slowing this top-drying process until the whole slab is dry. This can take days; extreme weather creates special concerns.