The painter who told me to slow down on a driveway in Ohio

I was finishing a big residential driveway just outside Cincinnati last fall, running about 30 yards of gray mix. This old painter who was working on the house next door walks over, watches me for a minute, and says 'you're fighting the cream, not working it.' I had no idea what he meant at first, but he showed me how I was dragging my float too hard and bringing up too much fines. Has anyone else had a total stranger give them a tip that actually stuck with you?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephbutler14d ago

Yeah man, an old mason told me the same thing about my brick joints once.

kelly_west7414d ago

you're fighting the cream, not working it" - that's a classic one lol. @josephbutler I gotta say the brick joint thing is close but it's actually a little different, the cream is the cement paste that rises when you overwork concrete, not really the same as mortar joints. That painter knew his stuff though, sounds like he saved you from a dusty mess later on.