Shoutout to the concrete guy who showed me how to float properly

I used to just screed and leave it, but after watching him take the time to float a driveway off 156 Street, I started doing it too. It cuts down on cracking in the first year for sure. Anyone else pick up better finishing tricks from watching a pro on site?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliver_morgan1mo ago

Nah, I gotta push back a bit on that. I see what you're saying about timing, but it's more than just luck or hitting a window. That guy on 156 Street knew exactly when to hit it because he read the bleed water right and waited for the sheen to disappear. I've burned a few slabs myself rushing the float, but once you learn to wait for it to firm up just a bit, floating makes a huge difference in surface durability. It's not about luck, it's about paying attention to what the concrete is telling you.

robinj292mo ago

Floating can actually make things worse if you get on it too early. I've seen guys overwork the surface and end up with a dusty, weak top layer that peels bad after a couple winters. Timing is everything with concrete.

pat_coleman2mo ago

Yeah, "timing is everything" is the real lesson there. That guy on 156 Street was probably just lucky he hit the window right for his float. Reminds me of when I tried to copy a pro's burnishing trick on a garage floor. I got on it way too early and it looked like a swamp for a week. Ended up having to grind the whole thing down and start over. So yeah, watching pros is good, but you gotta learn what not to do too.

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