Tried a cheap expansion joint trick and it saved my back on a big pour

I was dreading a 40-foot driveway in Austin last Tuesday because cutting those joints by hand always kills my knees. An old-timer told me to try using a 2x4 with a beveled edge pressed into the wet concrete instead of sawing later. It actually gave me clean lines and took half the time, no power tools needed. Has anyone else had luck with this method or is there a better approach for long runs?

2 comments

2 Comments

daniel_walker13d ago

Yeah man, I feel you on that. My back is wrecked after a big pour too, so I get why you'd try anything to save it.

king.wyatt13d ago

Wait, you actually got clean lines just pressing a 2x4 into wet concrete? That sounds almost too good to be true, especially on a 40-foot run where the concrete starts setting up at different times. I've seen guys try that with scrap wood and end up with jagged edges or the board sticking halfway through. Did you have to wiggle it a lot to get it out without messing up the corners, or did the bevel really make that much of a difference?