Get a Concrete Form Off Cleanly by Coating It With Oil Before You Pour

The Problem

Concrete forms are only screwed together, but the concrete itself bonds to the wood as it cures. Backing out the screws doesn't free the form — it stays stuck to the slab, and prying it off risks chipping the fresh edge or tearing splinters out of the wood.

The Technique

1. Before you pour, coat the inside faces of the form — every surface that will touch concrete — with an oil-based product. WD-40 works; mineral oil or vegetable oil work too.
2. Pour and finish the concrete as normal.
3. Once the concrete has cured enough to hold its shape, back out the screws and pull the form. The oil film keeps the wood from bonding to the concrete, so the form comes away clean instead of sticking.

What You'll Need

An oil-based product to coat the form — WD-40, mineral oil, or vegetable oil all work. Nothing else beyond your normal form-building screws and lumber.