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.
Drying time is about 6 hours, at minimum (meaning no one should be allowed to walk on the patio during this time). But wait 24 hours before driving a car onto your patio. Temperature is a factor in the curing (drying) process. The colder it is outside, the longer it will take for the concrete to dry. Rain is your enemy in this project.