I was trying to get a super smooth finish on a small patio slab in my backyard, so I added maybe a quarter cup of blue Dawn to the mix (which I heard could help with workability), but it ended up setting way slower and left a weird, almost foamy surface that I had to grind down.
Three years ago on a big pour in Tacoma, my crew chief pulled out this old, worn wooden float he'd had since the 90s. Last week, a new guy showed up with a magnesium one that cost him $180, and he didn't even know how to break it in right. When did the basic tools get so fancy and expensive?
We were both waiting for a load at the batch plant and he said it leaves too many marks. I tried it on a garage slab last week and honestly, the finish was way smoother with just a wood float and a steel trowel. Anyone else skip the mag float on certain jobs?
I always stuck with my steel float for everything, thought the magnesium ones were just for show. Then this older finisher on a job in Austin last summer saw me struggling with the concrete setting up way too fast in the heat. He handed me his and said 'just try it, it won't stick like that.' I was skeptical but gave it a shot. The difference was immediate. It glided over the surface without pulling up any paste, even as the mix was getting stiff. I finished a 20 yard slab that day without a single tear or rough patch. Now I keep one in my truck from May to September. Anyone else have a tool they swore was a gimmick until they actually used it?
I was finishing a driveway in Spokane last week and a gust came out of nowhere, drying the surface way too fast. I had to spray it down with a fine mist from my hose and work the edges in fast before it set up. Anyone else have a good trick for a sudden dry wind?
Had a truck break down on a pour in Tacoma last Tuesday, and fixing that ridge took me and my partner almost five hours with grinders and a patching compound. Anyone have a faster fix for a set-up line that's a full inch off?
Went with the magnesium-aluminum one for the weight, and man, did it ever cut down on my arm fatigue by the end of the day. Anyone else have a strong preference for one type over the other on big pours?
I was doing a pour for a basement floor in Springfield last week, maybe 400 square feet. We had this one corner where the mix just wouldn't flow right and left a nasty honeycomb patch about 2 feet wide. I mean, I thought I could just trowel some grout in and be done in 20 minutes. It ended up taking me and my helper almost 3 hours to chip it out clean, re-set the forms, and get a proper patch mixed and finished so it wouldn't show. Has anyone else had a small patch job blow up like that? What's your go-to fix for bad honeycombing?
For years I cut them with a saw after the pour, which always left a rough edge and took forever on a big slab. Last fall on a warehouse job in Spokane, the crew lead had us set pre-formed foam strips before the pour and just trowel right over them. It cut our finishing time by about two hours and the edges were clean. I'm sold on the new way, but my old boss swears by the saw method for control. What's your take on pre-formed versus cut joints?
We had a job in Tucson where the finish started setting up way too fast and got all crumbly. Turns out the well water we were using had a ton of dissolved minerals that messed with the mix. Has anyone else run into bad water causing finish problems?
I had a 40 by 60 foot garage slab to finish in Spokane last month, and the boss gave me the choice between the old magnesium float or a new aluminum one. I went with the magnesium because I thought it would cut better on the cooler day, but it actually dragged and left marks in the surface. What's your go-to float for a big, flat job like that when the weather's not perfect?
The client wanted a high gloss finish, so I used a solvent based acrylic I hadn't tried before on a 90 degree day. It looked perfect when I left, but the next morning the whole surface was covered in these cloudy, streaky patches. Has anyone else had a sealer blush like that in dry heat, and what do you do to fix it?
We told them it would be too slick when wet, but they signed a waiver and we did it. Last week, I heard they slipped and fell during a rainstorm and are now trying to sue the company. When a customer ignores your safety advice, how do you protect yourself?
Now my crew uses a 3.5 cubic foot mixer for every job, which saves our backs and gets a more consistent mix, but does anyone else miss the quiet control of doing it the old way sometimes?
I was walking through the new park on 5th Street yesterday and the finish on the main walkway is crazy smooth, like glass. It made me wonder if they used a power trowel with magnesium blades or something. Anyone know what mix they used to get that shine?
I bought a set of three off-brand magnesium floats for about $80 last spring, thinking I'd save some cash. Used them on a garage slab job and they started to pit and rust after just two pours. The finish was never as smooth as with my old Marshalltown tools. Ended up having to rework a section because the float left marks. What brand do you guys trust for a good magnesium float that lasts more than a season?
Used a new magnesium bullnose edger on a walkway in Spokane, thinking it would give a cleaner radius. The mix was a bit dry and it just tore the edge up instead of smoothing it, had to go back over everything with my old steel one. Anyone have a go-to edger for stiffer concrete?
We had a 40 yard slab to finish with the temp dropping below 40, and my foreman, Dave, insisted we use a specific heated blanket system he swore by. I thought it was overkill and a waste of setup time. But seeing how even and crack-free the cure was three days later, I had to admit he was right. Anyone have a go-to method for winter pours that doesn't slow you down too much?
It was 95 degrees and the stuff set up so fast it left these weird, streaky patches. I had to go back with a broom finish to even it out. Anyone know a better product for hot weather pours?
He was telling a new guy that a 3-footer is just as good for driveways and patios, and that the bigger tool is only for slabs over 500 square feet. I've always used a 4-footer on everything because it covers more ground faster, even on a 20x20 pad. What's your take on the right tool size for different jobs?
The pour was 30 by 40 feet and I went with the 5 footer to cover more ground. It worked great but my arm was pretty tired by the end. What's the biggest float you guys will use before you switch to a walk-behind?