Pro tip: stop over-working the surface when you're brooming

I keep seeing guys on new driveways go back and forth like 4 or 5 times with the broom trying to get it perfectly even. All that does is pull the cream up and make the surface rough as sandpaper. I learned this the hard way on a job in Phoenix last summer... had to tear out 200 square feet because the homeowner hated how it felt. Now I just do one clean pass and leave it alone. Anyone else notice this or am I being too picky?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray36314d ago

Started doing a single pass after watching my old man mess up his whole patio that way. Now I just sweep once and walk away, even if it looks a little off at first.

the_charlie14d ago

Wait, so your dad just kept sweeping and made it worse? That's exactly what my uncle did with his driveway last year, kept going over the same spots until the whole thing was uneven. Honestly, I've been doing the one-and-done method too and it's way less stressful even if my patio looks a bit wonky at first.

keith_rodriguez14d ago

The whole "one-and-done" thing reminded me of this old concrete contractor I read about online. He said most guys mess up their broom finishes because they treat it like paint where more coats equals better. But concrete doesn't work that way. Once you pull that cream up on the first pass, every additional swipe just drags sand and rocks around and scratches the surface. I've been using that logic ever since and my driveways come out smooth as glass now. A little unevenness on the first pass is NOTHING compared to a rough mess that feels like 60 grit sandpaper under your bare feet.