03/16/2026
**Working on ironing out a few more kinks in our Instant Quote! In the mean time, here’s some fun facts about the Type 1L cement we ALL have been forced to use for the last 4 years.**
• Type 1L (aka Type IL Portland-Limestone Cement or PLC) was pushed nationwide starting around 2021–2022 so the industry could cut CO₂ emissions by about 10%. Cement plants basically stopped making the old reliable Type I/II, and now it’s what shows up on every truck, from every concrete ready mix provider — whether you like it or not.
Here’s why so many jobs are flaking, scaling, and falling apart:
• Less bleed water + faster surface drying = plastic shrinkage cracks everywhere and super finicky finishing. Old techniques don’t work anymore.
• Higher water demand and finer particles make the surface weaker and dustier. Top layer delaminates way easier.
• Way more susceptible to scaling and flaking when freeze-thaw cycles + de-icing salts hit (hello, most of the U.S. winters). Michigan and other states started seeing it big-time right after the switch.
• Slower early strength gain and reduced durability in flatwork compared to the old stuff — even with proper air entrainment and curing.
If your driveway, patio, or slab is flaking left and right… this is almost certainly the culprit. And it is of almost no fault of your local concrete contractor, (yes, we’re even standing up for our competitors on this one), he or she cannot control what products are delivered, only the pouring process can be controlled.
Hang tight while we finish tweaking the instant quote system!
From today forward, a Type 1L disclaimer with full information on the product you’re getting will be included in EVERY quote, now that we have had a few years with the product to see real world results. Full transparency.
-AB